Keyword Research for Landscaping Companies
Keyword research is a crucial part of any SEO strategy. For landscaping companies looking to improve their online visibility and attract more local customers, finding the right keywords to target can pay huge dividends. In fact, targeting specific, localized keywords can increase lead generation by as much as 300%! So if you’re a landscaper looking to grow your business, you better listen up.
Define Goals and Buyer Personas
Before diving head first into keywords, it’s IMPORTANT to clearly define your goals and understand your ideal customer. Take some time to consider what you really want to accomplish from an SEO perspective. Do you want to increase traffic? Generate more leads? Improve brand awareness? Define specific targets in terms of desired traffic levels, conversions, and new business. Having Laser focused goals will make optimizing for keywords much easier. Additionally, build out detailed buyer personas to gain insight into WHO your ideal customers really are. Understand their demographics, behaviors, needs and values. Also outline the typical customer journey and key questions they ask at each stage. This context will allow you to derive buyer keywords based on actual search queries and terms your perfect prospects are using during their research process. Knowing these details is crucial and will help surface more relevant, valuable keywords to target.
Brainstorm Primary Keyword Themes
Start by broadly brainstorming the core services, products and types of QUESTIONS you think prospects are asking on Google related to landscaping. And don’t just think one level deep – really dig in to the key tasks and problems your customers have that lead them to search in the first place. Think about not only the services you offer, but the stages prospect go through before contacting you. This can include terms like:
- Outdoor living design inspiration
- Budgeting for a landscape renovation
- Comparing paver suppliers
- Troubleshooting irrigation problems
- Evaluating lawn care service packages
You can then drill down into more specific keyword groups around these themes like “best flowers for full sun in Florida” or “how often to water St Augustine grass”. Really get detailed!
Use Keyword Research Tools
Next, take your initial mega list of possible keyword terms and expand on it using available online tools. Resources like Google’s Keyword Planner, SEMrush, Ahrefs, and UberSuggest provide search volume data and help identify the most popular keywords already being used for landscape industry searches. They can also uncover long tail phrase opportunities you likely would have never thought of on your own. As you build out your comprehensive list, be sure to include ALL relevant long tail key phrases too, not just the most obvious stuff. The long tail is where the gold is hiding!
Perform Competitor Analysis
Don’t stop at just analyzing your own keywords. See what keyword terms competitors rank highly for by assessing their websites and content strategies. Pay attention toGEO-targeted terms and service modifiers that they are optimizing pages for. This can uncover additional localized opportunities you may be missing out on currently. Spy on your competition to win!
Prioritizing Keywords for Maximum Impact
Once you’ve built a robust list of potential keywords, it’s time to narrow your focus to the terms that matter most. Conducting regular prioritization of your keywords is crucial for ensuring your efforts drive results. Sort your master list into groupings of high, medium and low priority keywords using specific ranking factors:
High Priority
- High monthly search volume
- High CPC rates
- Direct relevance to core services
- Frequently used by your ideal customers
Medium Priority
- Moderate search volume
- Some relevance to ancillary services
- Used alongside other popular phrases
Low Priority
- Low search volume
- Minimal relevance to your offerings
- Unlikely to generate conversions
Continually track the real-world results delivered by your high priority keyword targets. If certain terms demonstrate a consistent ROI in terms of traffic, leads and sales, shift more attention and optimization efforts toward those proven winners.
Maximizing the ROI of Keyword Targeting
Revisiting keyword performance and priorities on an ongoing basis is equally as essential as the initial research process. Regularly analyze site analytics to connect keyword usage with lead generation and landing page conversion rates. Double down on optimize on target terms that are delivering tangible ROI.
In addition, stay up-to-date with keyword trends and seasonality by refreshing your research and analysis monthly. Comparing new opportunities against historical metrics will unlock new growth potential. Partnering with an SEO expert provides an unbiased assessment of your current strategy and recommendations to maximize the profitability of your keyword targeting efforts. Book a free consultation today to evaluate opportunities aligned to your landscaping business goals.
