Building an online presence for your construction business is going to be one of the hardest yet most rewarding things you will ever do. How hard is it? Well, 97% of websites struggle to get any organic traffic at all. Yet, even despite this sky-high number, there are many businesses that are doing well. What’s their secret?
The answer is link building for construction companies. While gaining backlinks can be confusing, expensive, and hard to master, it doesn’t have to be like that if you know what you are doing. That’s what you’ll learn in this guide. Let’s break link building down step by step so you can jump in right away.
How Important Link Building is for Construction
You really cannot overestimate how impactful link building for construction companies can be. The construction industry is becoming tougher, and these days, it’s even harder to get good deals.
As a matter of fact, the unemployment rate in the construction industry is now 5.2%. So, companies that don’t want to go out of business have to find a way to improve their online presence. That is where SEO link building can really save the day. Depending on how good your links are, you can expect to see:
- Better search rankings. Good quality backlinks are non-negotiable for any construction business that needs to rank high in search result pages. Get enough quality backlinks, and you might even dominate search results in your niche.
- Pull more targeted traffic. When you get your links placed on sites that have an active audience, you will be able to directly pull targeted traffic to your web pages. Do this on many different blogs, and you’ll end up creating plenty of opportunities for prospective customers to find your business. When choosing construction blogs that accept guest posts, make sure to check out the details and requirements they have for their content.
- Build up your brand authority. Google sees your website as more trustworthy and authoritative if there are other websites linking to yours. Naturally, you’ll rank higher, and people will feel more confident about doing business with you.
- Rule the local SEO scene. If you are hoping to get and close more deals in a particular region or city, then getting external links from local sites can make a great difference.
Link Building Mistakes to Avoid
With this section, you can save weeks (if not months) of your time. Link building for construction companies can be misleading, but if you know what to look out for, you can avoid tons of costly mistakes:
- Keyword stuffing. This comes from people understanding that SEO keywords are important to help potential customers find their content. But the trouble is, they don’t know how to use them and think that stuffing their content with as many keywords as possible will make them even more visible. Yet, more is not always better. So, don’t use more than 1-2 keywords for every 100 words of copy.
- Neglected user experience. You can get tons of construction links, but if you don’t have your UI/UX in place, you’ll end up going in cycles. A site that loads quickly looks good even on mobile, and is easy to navigate will have lower bounce rates and more visitors than one with all these issues.
- Spammy links. Many in the construction niche end up outsourcing their link building. There’s nothing wrong with this as long as they go to white-hat agencies that use Google-friendly SEO tactics. Anything other than this is going to lead to spammy links that might trigger a manual action (aka penalty).
Link Building for Construction Companies: 8 Best Tactics That Work
When done right, link building can be a game-changer. Here are our 8 top picks for getting the best backlinks that attract more sales.
1. Create Content That Directly Answers People’s Questions
This is one of the most effective link building tactics. When you take your time to address topics that answer the questions people are searching for, it’s only a matter of time before other blogs start to link to you. Readers who love your content will also share it, which will increase your reach. But how do you create articles that are actually good and helpful?
It starts with keyword research. This simply means using SEO tools like Ahrefs, Semrush, Google Keyword Planner, etc. This is how you will find phrases and search queries people are using to find contractors’ websites like yours. Then, take those keywords to create blog posts that help people discover more about your business and industry.
A great way to find the right topics is to answer the questions your clients ask most often. Chances are, plenty of other people (including your potential customers) are wondering the same thing.
Take a look at the keywords above. No matter what tool you’re using, make sure you always check the search volume and the keyword difficulty (KD). Try to find keywords that have high volume and low KD. But also, make sure that you’re targeting the right audience because, most likely, “how to become a contractor” isn’t something your potential clients could be searching for.
2. Use Guest Blogging to Increase Your SEO Rankings
It’s probably hard to talk about link building for construction companies without mentioning guest blogging. That’s because it is one of the most popular types of link building, and almost every successful SEO specialist has used it millions of times. Here’s how it works:
- You search the web for relevant sites in the construction industry. These could be resource pages, construction trade journals, architecture design websites, and other related pages.
- Send each of them a personalized pitch asking if you can write an article for them. Make sure you suggest at least three promising topics with a short description or even an outline.
- Craft the best and most engaging article their audience has ever seen. Be sure to fill it with actionable tips they can use to solve their problems. Plus, add your backlink in a natural way.
3. Become an Expert Source of Information
Becoming a go-to voice in your niche is an important part of a good link building strategy. Why? Because there are lots of journalists and other blogs looking to get an insider industry perspective on construction-related issues. And you can be their source.
The good thing about this is that when your website (or you) is listed as a source, not only will you get more reach, but you’ll also appear more credible in the eyes of your target market. So, how do you get in on this? You start by signing up on websites like Connectively (formerly HARO or Help a Reporter Out). This allows you to answer construction-related questions from journalists.
You’ll have to be very fast when using these platforms since there will be a lot of people looking to jump on the same opportunities.
4. Back Up Your Link Building for Construction Companies With Directory Links
Almost every industry has a directory, and it is a great idea to use them in your link building strategy. The best part is – it’s pretty easy compared to all the other tactics so far. All you have to do is search for “construction + online directory.”
Sign up and create your business profile on as many of these online directories as you can find. Make sure all the information you entered is accurate. Then, add a couple of high-quality pictures or videos of your past projects. That’s all. Now, you have links from each directory leading to your website.
Don’t rely on this tactic alone. It won’t give you any extreme results. Yet, it can be a great addition that helps you create a natural backlink profile.
5. Do Strategic Link Building for Contractors by Joining Online Discussions
Link building for contractors can be challenging, but there’s always a way to make things a little easier. One of these is searching for online communities that discuss construction. You can find these on Reddit, Facebook, LinkedIn, Quora, Discord, and any other site that is relevant and has good traffic.
You can answer questions, share your experiences, and even a funny work story or two. The idea is to publish so many helpful opinions and stories that build you up as an expert who really knows what they are saying. Depending on how well you bond with others, you can drive lots of referral traffic.
6. Find Ways to Work With Others in Your Industry
Find people who work in your or related niche. They can be anyone from influencers to other contractors’ websites. Why is this a good link-building tactic? Because their audiences are more likely to be interested in your services and products, which is a great way to get only relevant leads and boost your sales.
You can even sponsor some popular YouTubers who talk about construction. This gives you a good chance to score some top links and pull more targeted referral traffic to your site.
7. Do Something Good Enough to Get Into the News
This tactic can be a bit more expensive, but if you do have the budget, it might be worth a shot. You could support a local charity with a significant donation. If giving donations is not your thing, maybe you can help a local shelter or school with some needed improvements. This can create some media buzz that catches the attention of the news sites. You will generate a lot of goodwill for your company and also improve your brand awareness.
If you get some news publications, don’t forget to make a small PR campaign out of it. The most important thing is to be creative. Don’t just make a typical post on your socials. Instead, go for different channels, from newsletters to WhatsApp. Besides, work on your tone of voice and the way you present it. If your campaign ends up being creative enough, you will get so many shares and so much engagement that you won’t need to pay for referral traffic anymore.
8. Get Your Backlinks From Great Sources
Let’s face it – it takes a lot of time, money, and effort to build good links by yourself. Obviously, doing it yourself is better since you get to control everything and make sure it goes your way. But this won’t be possible every single time.
So, you might want to consider getting paid links when needed. Don’t worry! Even SEO specialists outsource their link-building from time to time. The only issue is that you can’t pick a random platform to get those links.
So, take your time to choose the best white-hat agencies or freelancers. Pick service providers who have experience in building backlinks for your industry. This way, you will have less risks and get better results.
Start Implementing Your Strategies
Link building for construction companies can take a lot of time to fully master, so don’t hurry to try everything listed here at once. Integrate one strategy at a time and see how it works. Your best secret is to be consistent in your efforts, whether it’s guest blogging or directory link building you’re doing.
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