So you have a website with great page placement on Google, Yahoo or Bing. Maybe you have a Map placement and a top organic spot but your phone is not ringing as much as you would like. Getting ranked high up in search is half the battle, the other half is website conversion. What happens when a visitor gets to your website. If you have a top spot in the search and are not getting calls well it could be one of two things. First it could be that there is just no one looking for your services, which is some what unlikely or it could be that your website conversion is bad.

Here are some things to look at to help conversion

1. Fonts and font sizes

This is a pretty common problem on a lot of websites. Is your site using a font that is hard to read or a little to small. OR worse yet is it a black font on a dark background. I always use Verdana as my font of choice. It’s easy to read and has perfect spacing. An easy to read font size is 12-14 points. And always use dark text on a white background.

2. Better Page Titles

The H1 tags on your website should be a good description of what the content of the page is about. Just like a book or magazine create headlines that describe the content. Try not and confuse people.

3. Page layout

One of the worst things for a website visitor is paragraph after paragraph of nothing but text. You need to break up the text with photos. Make visitors want to read your content. Engage them, get them to take the next steps.

4. Poor navigation

Make sure all your navigation is in one place, I generally keep it left justified along the top. I often come across websites with navigation across the top, along the left and in the middle. This is confusing for website visitors.

5. Don’t make it impossible to call you

This might sound weird but many times the hardest thing to find on a website is a contact phone number. Don’t just bury your phone number on the contact page. As a plumber your telephone number should be easy to find at the top left side of the page. Make it easy to contact you. Many people searching for a plumber come to your home page and look for a phone number. If they can’t find the number they are gone.

A few tweaks to your website here and there and you could double your call volume over night.

It’s every local business owners dream to get their business listed on the Google Maps. This is a game changer for your business, in fact it could be the difference between 5 service calls a month and 50 service calls a month. There is quite a bit of work that goes into getting your company listed in this supreme spot. But this is not an article on showing you how to get there. It’s an article telling you what NOT to do while you are trying to get there.

1. Using a fake address to try and game the system

This is such a common thing, I see plumbing and HVAC companies that want to be on the map for every city they service. It’s pretty simple how this works. You get listed for the city you have a physical address in. For instance let’s say the nearest main city near you is Fort Lauderdale, but your address is located in North Lauderdale. There is no way you will get listed on the map for Fort Lauderdale, even though the suburb you are in is only 5 minutes away. If you do indeed want that map location for Fort Lauderdale, you will need to move your company  to a Fort Lauderdale address. Not a PO box, not a virtual office, not a UPS store, a real street address in that city. You could get an executive office suite with a suite number but you must have a commercial address in that city. Notice I said commercial address, just because your friend lives in Fort Lauderdale does not mean you can use that. It may work in the short term but in time Google will catch up to you.

2. Stuffing your business name with keywords

This is a big no no, Google will slap you and remove you from the map placement. Your business name has to be your business name as it is legally listed. So if your company name is AAA Plumbing, Inc., then list it as such. Do not make it AAA Las Vegas Plumbing and Drain Cleaning. This is a keyword stuffed name and will get you removed.

3. Do not move your positon on the actual map

I’ve seen this done many times resulting in the same issue, a Google slap. Moving your pointer on the map to try and reposition yourself is a bad practice

4. Filling your business categories with keywords

If you are a plumber then your category is Plumber, if you are HVAC then it’s HVAC. Avoid Las Vegas Plumber, Las Vegas Drain Cleaning, Las Vegas AC Repair etc etc. Google will certainly catch this.

5. Showing your address if you are a service business

The new rule is that if you have a business where you go out and service the client. They do not come to your place of business. Plumbers and HVAC companies both fall into this category. Then you must hide your business address. If Google finds you and see’s your address they will remove you from the listings. Now don’t let this scare you off, there are some major positives here. If you are a business with a physical address you show up on the map as a pointer in that very location. But if you are a service business with a hidden address you show up of the map as a service area covering all the areas you service.

Now you might be asking, so if I show up as a service area why don’t I show up in the major city I am a suburb of? Just because your address does not show to the public, Google knows what it is, it’s in the backend and they reference it as a center point for your service radius.

Following these simple rules will help get you on the map and best of all keep you on the map. Don’t get sucked into the dark side of trying to cheat your way into a better position.

Google has transitioned “Google Places” to “Google+ Local” and it’s important that you take the necessary steps to setup your Google+ Local Listing and merge it with your old Google Places Listing. On this video Josh Nelson, Author of the Complete Guide to Internet Marketing for Plumbing Contractors explains how to Merge your listings.

A few guide lines for merging your listings:

In order for your company to be fully updated and verified on Google+ Local you need to have a created & merged Google+ Local Listing, ideally tied to the Google account that was used to claim your Google Places Listing.

Below are the steps that should be followed for merging a Google+ Local Listing:

Setup a personal Google Plus Profiled (If you don’t have one. If you already have one, just login to it and skip to step 2)

STEP 1 – Login to your Google account (ideally the one tied to your Google Places Listing) at www.google.com

• You can tell if it is the right account by going to www.google.com/places
• If it shows you a dashboard with data…then you have the right place
• To setup the personal Google+ Profile go to www.google.com/plus

STEP 2- Setup Google+ Local PAGE

• In Google+ Personal Account click “More…” in the sidebar on the left and click “Pages”

• Create A new Page by clicking “pages”
• Select “Local Business”

• Type in Phone Number (It should find your Existing Business)

• Click on “Your business listing”
• “Confirm your Info”
• List your external Website
• Agree to terms & press OK

• Update categories, phone and profile pic & then click “Finish”
• Update the business information

URGENT – Click “Unverified” or “In Progress”

• From there you can request the PIN Code and / or Enter The PIN once you receive it in the mail

That’s it. Once you enter the PIN your listing will be verified and your Google+ Local Page will be merged with your Google Places listing!

For even more Google Maps Optimization tips, Download The Ultimate Guide To Google Places Optimization for Plumbing & HVAC Contractors! Enter your information below for immediate, FREE access to the guide:

On this Podcast we will be focusing on Pay-Per-Click search engine marketing strategies and how you can get the best Return from your AdWords budget.

If you run a Pay-per-click campaign currently or have been thinking of getting more actively involved in Google AdWords you won’t want to miss this episode of our Podcast!

There are a lot of moving parts involved in running an effective PPC campaign.  Understanding how the AdWords Auction Process works and how Quality Score impacts your overall cost per click can give you a major competitive advantage. We will be talking through the strategy and tactical approach to properly setting up your ad groups, selecting the proper keywords, writing effective text ads and mapping everything to the most compelling landing pages on your site.

• Why Pay-Per-Click Marketing should be part of your overall marketing strategy for your Plumbing or HVAC Business
• Understanding  the Adwords Auction Process Works
• Why strategically crafted AdGroups built around specific keywords are the key to the profitability of your AdWords campaign
• How setup your AdGroups and why you must develop custom Text Ads & Landing Pages to maximize your success (Emergency Plumbing, Water Heaters, Drain Cleaning, Bathroom Remodeling, Etc)

Download the FREE Guide referenced in the training at http://www.plumberseo.net/ppc-guide or call PlumberSEO directly at 866-610-4647.

Dean & I had a great time at the PHCC QSC Power Meeting in San Diego this year. It was a pleasure to meet and network with such a best in class group of Plumbing Entrepreneurs. We especially enjoyed spending time with a few of hour client members!

Here are a few pictures of our time at the Power Meeting:

Download our FREE Internet Marketing and SEO Guide at http://www.plumberseo.net/free or give us a call at 866-610-4647 if you would like to talk with us directly.

I was at the QSC Round Table meeting today in San Diego. When the discussion of marketing came up a number of the plumbing business owners mentioned SEO, Internet Marketing, Pay-per-click Marketing, Social Media, Billboards, Radio and I could not help but mention Remarketing.

Each of these companies were driving tremendous traffic to their websites from multiple sources. Why not put remarketing in place to maximize the value of that traffic and drive more leads over the long run. Once I mentioned it a few of the big boys acknowledged that they had heard of it an were pro-actively using it in their plumbing business.

What is Remarketing?

Remarketing is the process of following your website visitors after they leave your website across the web. When your visitor leaves your site and goes to gMail, the local news paper site or some other page on the internet they will see your banner ad reminding them of your service.

It starts to make a lot of sense when you consider the following:

• Most website visitors leave without making a call or requesting a quote (Something like 80-90%)
• You know that the visitor is / was in the market for plumbing services (drain cleaning, water heater installation, etc) and is in your service area (why else would they have been on your site)?
• They are probably going to be hiring someone to help them sometime in the next 30-90 days.

By using re-targeting they will be reminded of you, their need and increase your probability of getting that call once they are ready to move forward.

How Remarketing Works.

By adding a small piece of code to your website, remarketing “tags” can be placed on your online visitors with a “cookie”. Visitors will then see your ads as they browse the internet.

For example, a potential customer visits your website, looks around but never calls in. As that visitor browses the Internet, he/she will see your ads reminding them that they need plumbing help. Their interest is recaptured and they return back to your site to complete your desired action. It’s a great tool to help you get a higher conversion and ultimately a stronger ROI from your various online and offline marketing efforts.

To get more idea’s and strategies for marketing your plumbing business online download our FREE internet marketing and SEO guide at http://www.plumberseo.net/free.

On this Podcast, Josh Nelson – Author of The Complete Guide to Internet Marketing for Plumbing Contractors will be sharing his SEO Blueprint defining exactly what you need to do to rank on Google, Yahoo & Bing in the organic / non-paid listings for the most important plumbing & HVAC Keywords in your service area.

He will cover:

• Understanding the search engines (PPC vs. Organic vs. Map Listings)
• The 3 Core Fundamentals of effective Search Engine Optimization for your plumbing or HVAC business
• Keyword Research – what do people actually type into Google when they need your plumbing & HVAC services
• What pages you MUST have on your site to maximize your effectiveness
• On Page Optimization – how to “optimize” the pages on your website for search (Tile Tags, H1 Tags, URL Structure, etc)
• How to get links into your website. The key to ranking on page one for your most important keywords
• Content creation methodology. A drop dead simple process for consistently producing and publishing unique content for your website

Download our FREE Internet Marketing and SEO Guide at http://www.plumberseo.net/free or give us a call at 866-610-4647 if you would like to talk with us directly.

Ever wonder what it takes to get PAGE ONE placement on the Google Map when someone types in your city + plumber, plumbing, emergency plumber, etc. On this Podcast we show you exactly what goes into getting a Page One Listing for your most important keywords on the Google Map.

• Why The Google Map / Google+ Local (Formerly Places) is the #1 most important online marketing source for your Plumbing Business
• How Map Listings differ from Paid & Organic Listings
• The Fundamentals for getting your company listed on the Google Map
• Claim your Google Places Listing
• Optimize your Google Places Listing
• Obtain Citations & establish your NAP (Name Address Profile) online
• Online Reviews
• How To Properly Claim your Google Places Listing
• How To Optimize your Google Places Listing
• The TOP citations sources that you should claim immediately to establish your NAP (Name, Address & Phone Number Profile)
• How to get legitimate reviews from your real customers in your True Service Area

Download our FREE Internet Marketing and SEO Guide at http://www.plumberseo.net/free or give us a call at 866-610-4647 if you would like to talk with us directly.

Flow Expo 2013

We will be at the FLOW Expo in Long Beach, CA on Saturday the 2nd. Come by and see us at booth # 514.

In addition, we will be conducting a breakout session at 2PM in the Hands On Room #2.

During the Breakout Session we will be talking about how to market your Plumbing or HVAC Business Online.

• Why Search Engine’s & Internet Marketing is SO important for Plumbing & HVAC Businesses
• How to get your plumbing company listed on the Google Map (AKA Google Places or Googe+ Local) by claiming, optimizing your Google Places Listing, establishing your NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number Profile) and getting REAL reviews from your TRUE customers online. He will even share a proven step-by-step system to systematically requesting and getting online reviews from your customers using email, social media & printed hand-outs)?-
• How To Get Listed in the Organic (Non-Paid) listings for your most important keywords like “Your City + Water Heater Repair”, “Your City + Drain Cleaning”, “Your City + Repiping, etc. He will share what pages you should have on your site, how to optimize those pages for search and how you can RANK for those pages on the first page by proactively building your authority on the Google Index through proactive Link Building and Content Creation.
• He will then share how you as a Plumbing or HVAC Contractor can leverage Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, Google+, etc) to connect with your customers on a deeper level and get MORE REPEAT and Referral business.

About the Flow Expo

The Flow Expo is an Industry Only trade show presented by the Plumbing, Heating, Cooling Contractors Association of Los Angeles. Celebrating it’s 38th year in 2013, the expo has grown to become “The Western United States Regional Plumbing, Heating, Cooling Industry Trade Show” showcasing over 250 manufacturers in over 170 booths.

Come see us at Booth 514!

For your Plumbing Business to succeed you MUST have a proactive internet marketing strategy that includes:

• SEO
• Google Maps Optimization
• Review Acquisition
• Pay-per-click marketing
• Social Media Marketing (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google+, LinkedIn)

Have you ever wondered what the TOP plumbing businesses are doing online?

On this Podcast we are uncover the hidden strategies, techniques and methodologies implemented by the most successful plumbing businesses. Discover how some plumbing businesses dominate Google for the plumbing services in their area and how they are getting hundreds of calls every month directly via the web.

Why is this important to you?

• Better Placement Results in More inbound Phone Calls
• More Booked Service Calls
• More Revenue & Profitability

Download our FREE Internet Marketing and SEO Guide at http://www.plumberseo.net/free or give us a call at 866-610-4647 if you would like to talk with us directly.