Internal links improve SEO for roofing websites and blogs [+ video]

An internal link is a hyperlink in an online document, web page or blog post that, when clicked, takes the visitor to another section of that same document, page or post, or to an entirely different document, web page or blog post within the same domain.

Here are four reasons why effective use of internal links in your roofing company's website and blog is absolutely critical for search engine optimization:

1. Internal linking tells search engines that you think the document, web page or blog post you are linking to contains valuable content. Basically, if you aren't endorsing your own content, why should anyone else think it's important?
2. Internal linking enhances the visitor's experience. Leading potential customers to other related content within your website or blog will give them more of the valuable information they need to decide whether or not they should contact your company for roofing jobs.
3. Internal linking reduces your bounce rates. When someone views a web page or blog post, giving them additional related pages to link to will reduce the amount of times they visit just one page and then leave your site. Low bounce rates help your web pages and blog posts rank higher with search engines.
4. Internal linking improves indexing. Helping search engines easily travel from one web page or blog post to the next enables indexing to happen faster than normal. Indexing web pages and online documents is a huge part of what allows search engines to display results for a search query so quickly. The better and faster they can index your website or blog, the higher your individual pages and posts will rank when people search for roofing services in your area.

I recommend incorporating internal links into new web pages and blog posts to similar content throughout your website and blog as you create them. And as soon as you publish a page or post, your next step should be to go create at least two internal links coming in to that new web page or blog post from other existing pages or posts (where it makes sense).

Can you have too many internal links? Well, too much of anything is bad. Having no internal links is obviously not good, and having too many isn't good either, so you need to strike a balance.

I recommend using 1 to 5 internal links for every 500 words you type. For example, if you have a 1,500 word blog post you should have between 3 and 15 links.

I don't normally recommend linking more than one word or word groupings to the exact same destination page, post or document, but sometimes it is helpful if what you are linking to has multiple extremely relevant keywords.

If you have any questions about internal linking or search engine optimization, or would like help with creating content for your roofing company's website or blog, please feel free to contact RoofPal any time.


This episode of the RoofPal Marketing Podcast is brought to you by Dataforma. With their best-in-class web-based business management services, Dataforma can help you to run a more profitable roofing business. For more information, please call (866) 764-9992 or visit them online at www.Dataforma.com.

How your roofing company can have a more successful direct mail and email marketing campaign

Direct mail has the potential to reach people that are difficult to or simply cannot be reached online, but it costs money and the response rates are typically low. Email marketing is immediate and inexpensive, but open and click-through rates are often low and if done poorly can flag your domain as spam to internet service providers.

If your roofing company has experienced failure in direct mail or email marketing campaigns, it is likely a result of a combination of factors:

You might be targeting the wrong prospects
The most critical factor for successful email and direct mail marketing is targeting people who match the profiles of your best customers. Marketing to people who don't have a strong interest in what you have to offer (or don't have the authority to purchase) is a waste of time and money.

Your message might not stand out
When potential customers are sorting their mail, size definitely matters. Small postcards are cheap to print and send, but they are also more likely to be dwarfed by the larger pieces of mail. To make sure your direct mail isn't thrown away without being looked at, think big. Oversized postcards are more expensive to print and send, but they are more likely to get noticed.

Your message might be all about you
If everything you present is all about you and how great your company is, people will tune out. Instead, try focusing on benefits for the customer, what's in it for them and why they should care about your offer.

You may have misspelled or incorrect names
If the recipient's name is listed incorrectly, it will immediately be deleted or go into the shredder. Personalization is a great way to make messages more effective, but make sure you have the names correct.

Your message may be boring
Being interactive isn't just for digital media. Direct mail pieces can slide, unfold and open to create an experience for the recipient. The ability to share content via social media, weigh in on a poll question, or watch an embedded video featuring bonus content in an email or via QR Code on print is rarely used but extremely effective. Interaction gives the recipient a reason to engage with your marketing piece.

Your timing might be bad
Often, timing can be everything. Receiving your marketing piece just as there is a need can significantly impact their purchasing decision. Since you can't always predict when that is, frequency (within reason) is your best bet to keep you top-of-mind and stimulate action. If you send an email or postcard about emergency roof leak repairs two months before a storm hits, there is no urgency. If you have your campaign ready to go out two days before a massive rainstorm, monsoon, hail storm, or hurricane is forecasted, they will receive your message exactly when they have a need.

You may be taking the "shotgun" approach
Smart marketers know how to target who exactly gets their emails and direct mail pieces by more than just geography or location. Develop and then use real analytics with your mailing list. Everything you know about your current and potential customers should go into a searchable database that you can use to segment your list based on the message you are about to send.

You might not be contacting them frequently enough
It takes more than one email or postcard for your company to get noticed. Try sending out different messages with unique offers in different formats to become memorable and non-repetitive.

Your message may have no sense of urgency
Try putting an expiration on your offer four to six weeks after they receive it in order to create a sense of urgency.

You may be trying to say too much
Don't write a novel or make the reader work to figure out exactly what your message or "ask" is. Going through the mail and reading unsolicited emails is not the highlight of anyone's day. You have an extremely limited amount of time to get someone's attention, so get to the point.

If you have sent out unsuccessful direct mail or email campaigns before, here is the order of importance to figure out what went wrong and correct your mistake(s) the next time:

1. Improve your list. Make sure you are targeting the right people and that names are correct (and spelled correctly).
2. Improve your content. Get to the point with a well-written, easy to read, relevant, compelling, time-sensitive offer that the reader quickly understands what the value is to them.
3. Improve the physical look. Make sure your email or direct mail piece looks professional, is appropriate for what you are communicating, and is well designed.

If you have any questions about direct mail or email marketing, would like feedback on a campaign you are about to launch (or have recently launched) or would like assistance planning your next campaign, please contact RoofPal any time. We can help you build and improve your mailing list, actually write the content or even design and coordinate printing of the physical piece for you. For more, please visit www.RoofPal.com.


This episode of the RoofPal Marketing Podcast is brought to you by GMD Graphics - your one-stop solution for everything from brochures to yard signs, apparel, vehicle wraps and more. GMD Graphics designs, prints and ships directly to you anywhere nationwide. For a free quote please call (602) 774-3600, email Info@GMDGraphics.com or visit them online at www.GMDGraphics.com.

Simple yet effective strategy for getting quality roofing leads

MARKETING QUICK TIP

Nothing is more powerful than the recommendation of someone you know and trust, right? Does your roofing company proactively ask for testimonials and referrals? This is a simple yet effective strategy for developing quality leads for roofing jobs.

How to do this

After every job you do, ask the customer for a brief testimonial (hand written or typed, via email, on social media, write down what they say over the phone, - whatever works for them).

On your website or blog, include the customer's testimonial along with a brief description of the work you did and one "before", one "during" and one "after" picture of the job. Email them a link and ask them to share it with their friends, family and co-workers (via social media or even email).

Take it a step further
Post the link to the web page or blog post to your social media profiles (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, etc.). Ask the customer if it OK to tag them in the post before doing so.

Questions?
If you have any questions about creative things to do with testimonials or referrals to get higher quality leads on roofing jobs, please email RoofPal@gmail.com.

How roofing contractors can use QR Codes to advertise and sell more jobs

A hot trend in mobile technology is QR, or "Quick Response" Codes, which are two-dimensional bar codes that can be scanned by cameras on a web-enabled device like a smartphone or tablet to automatically pull up websites, forms, documents, photos, videos, audio, and more. QR Codes can also add calendar events, contact information and digital business cards to another person’s address book, as well as initiate phone calls and text & SMS messages.

They were originally created by Toyota subsidiary Denso-Wave in 1994 to track vehicle parts in manufacturing, but the practical uses today are nearly endless. Now, there are other similar types of codes such as Microsoft Tags and JAGTAG, but this post will focus specifically on QR Codes.

How to create and scan QR Codes
Perform a Google search for the term “QR Code generator” or "create QR code" and you'll find hundreds of websites to create QR Codes. I recommend Kaywa because it is quick, easy and free to use. iCandy is a bit more robust, helping you track scans and perform advanced analytics – but it's more involved and probably not great for those just starting out. Several QR Code reader apps can be downloaded for free to any smart phone or tablet. Search for "QR Code" or "barcode scanner" in the application store of your phone or tablet and you'll find several of them. I use RedLaser and Google Goggles and they both work great.

How can a roofing contractor use QR Codes?

• You could include a QR Code on your brochures, door hangers, yard signs, or even on your service vehicles that, when scanned, launches a 30-second commercial, a customer's video or audio testimonial, or even an online form to request a roof inspection or repair work.
• You can put QR Codes on printed proposals, in articles, or on trade show materials that launch a video blog explaining the benefits of a certain product or roof system, how warranties work, or the importance of roof cleaning and maintenance to help communicate more effectively than you could in print. Please visit YouTube.com/RoofPal for examples of video blogs.
• A QR Code could be printed on a sticker that you place on a roof hatch so the building's maintenance professional contacts you directly when there is a leak, when the roof requires cleaning or maintenance, when it might be time to evaluate re-roofing, or even so they can access basic information about the roof warranty. The same can be done with refrigerator or garage door magnets for residential roofs.
• Try putting a QR Code on your business cards to make it easy for people to upload your contact information into their phone.
• At trade shows or networking events, you could put one on your name tag that takes them directly to your LinkedIn, Facebook, Google+ or Twitter profile to make it really simple to connect online right there while you are talking to them.

I do NOT recommend creating QR Codes that simply take someone to the home page of your website. And in most cases, don't post them online either - that's what hyperlinks are for. If the person is already online, don't make them pull out a smartphone to scan their computer screen.

The bottom line is that QR Codes are still new enough that not everyone is using them... yet. If you begin integrating them now to engage with customers and make contacting and dealing with your roofing company easier, you will be ahead of the curve and will have the opportunity to generate additional revenue in a very inexpensive - if not completely free way.

If you have any questions about using QR Codes in the roofing industry, or would like help developing and implementing a QR Code strategy, please contact me any time at RoofPal@gmail.com.


The RoofPal Marketing Podcast is brought to you by GMD Graphics - your one-stop solution for graphic design, business cards, brochures, door hangers, yard signs, apparel, vehicle wraps, promotional items, and more. GMD Graphics can design, print and ship directly to you anywhere nationwide. For a free quote on your advertising needs, please call (602) 774-3600, email Info@GMDGraphics.com or visit them online at www.GMDGraphics.com.

How roofing contractors can improve their social search rankings [+video]

Search engine optimization (SEO) has been rapidly evolving over the past few years. For example, in October 2009 Google first introduced its social search strategy, and have since introduced the +1 button and the Google+ social media platform. These three things alone have to some degree minimalized the value of traditional SEO practices.

With more than a 60% market share in web search, Google remains king so like them or not, you need to play by their rules. How does a roofing contractor like yourself get the search rankings you need at a time when the rules are evolving so rapidly? Here are five things you can do right now:

Content
The first is content. Despite the rapid pace of change, one thing that has remained constant and is actually now more true than ever before is that good, relevant content is still the most important thing when it comes to SEO. Your roofing company should be committed to regularly producing high quality content.

Content Diversity
The second is content diversity. A traditionally optimized website is no longer enough to rank well for top industry keywords. In addition to text, you also need to produce video and photo content that is also optimized with proper tags and descriptions. Downloadable content like eBooks, slideshows and white papers can also be indexed, and help tell search engines that you are a producer of good, relevant, diverse content for the roofing industry.

Google's +1 Button
The third is Google's +1 button, which when clicked is a signal to Google that someone thinks your content is valuable. Just having this button on your website's home page isn't enough. Every piece of content you produce, including every page of your roofing website should have social sharing buttons, and especially the +1 button.

Social Sharing
The fourth is social sharing. Sharing content across various social media platforms has become extremely influential in rankings for all search engines, who now track how much your content is shared by others. Social sharing buttons on everything you produce (even in your email newsletters) is incredibly important to make it easy for people to do so.

Everyone Works in Marketing
The fifth is your marketing department. Content sharing is so important that everyone who works for your roofing company needs to pitch in. If all of your employees share your company's blog posts, YouTube videos, Tweets, and Facebook, Google+ and LinkedIn posts across their own social networks, it turns the entire company into a marketing department.

The takeaway is that social search is here to stay. Producing good, quality, diverse content that is shared frequently by different people across social media is how you will get found online before your competitors when people in your area search for roofing services.

If you would like to discuss this further, need help getting started, or want to get your company to the next level, please feel free to email RoofPal@gmail.com any time.


This edition of the RoofPal Marketing Podcast is brought to you by KM Coatings - the last roof you'll ever need! KM Coatings has been manufacturing high quality, energy efficient reflective roof coatings since 1986. For more information or learn how to become a certified installer, please visit http://www.KMCoatingsMfg.com.

Use your roofing competitor's own marketing materials against them to win jobs

As I was scrolling through my Facebook news feed this morning, I came across this instructional video from Firestone that a roofing contractor posted to his customers to educate them as to how they install the RubberGard EPDM rubber roofing membrane systems they sell:



Full disclosure before I proceed: quite a few of my clients (roofing contractors and roofing material manufacturers) are involved with roof coatings and foam roof systems, so I am a bit predisposed to the benefits those systems tout. I also have a professional background in industrial engineering and process optimization, so I tend to look for even the smallest inefficiencies, rework, potential for process/system failures, labor and material waste, etc.

Honestly, I was blown away that a roofing contractor would share a video like this, or that the manufacturer would put it on YouTube. Here's why...

To the naked eye, this video seems like something I would absolutely want to show my potential roofing customers. Professionally shot and edited by the manufacturer, it features two well-groomed, clean-cut, seemingly caucasion roofers installing a complex yet waterproof roofing system that will last for years to come. This helps my customers to validate their decision to hire a professional roofing contractor, right? Well, yes... and no.

There are always two sides to every coin. If I am your competitor and am alternatively recommending a seamless, energy efficient low-slope roofing system such as reflective roof coatings (including restoration coating systems) and/or a spray polyurethane foam (SPF) roof system, I would be equally if not more motivated to show the customer we are each competing for work from this same video. Why? Because the flaws of your system and the selling points of my system become even more obvious when they are compared side-by-side.

After watching the video above and considering the opportunities for failure (leaks), how labor intensive it is, the cost of the materials, lack of energy efficiency benefits, the need for tear-off (landfill impact, additional cost), etc., what happens when that same customer we are competing for hears all of this while watching that video, then watches something like this, which is even amateurly shot...

... followed up by a video that explains all the other benefits such as energy efficiency, no tear-off or landfill impact, less labor costs, less expensive material costs, etc. like this one:



There are even more egregious examples such as this one on torch applied roofing systems, which show the customer you are using a lit blowtorch on their roof:



or even this one on installing an EPDM ballasted system, which shows all the complexities and potential failures of the first video, but this one adds river rock (i.e., landscaping) on their roof:



The marketing message here is two-fold:

1. Use your competitors' marketing materials against them
2. Make sure you have a rebuttal for any negatives your competitors could point out about the roof system you are proposing, and proactively address them

Don't let your competition have the final word with your customer about the pro's and con's of the roofing systems being bid. Make sure you are being proactive with great content to share, specific selling points, well thought-out rebuttals, and an explanation of the benefits, pricing, and more for any system you propose.

If you have any questions or would like some assistance developing marketing packages that address these points for the roofing systems you install, please comment below or feel free to email me at RoofPal@gmail.com.

How roofing contractor social media connections affect search results

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Everyone's search results in Google, Yahoo! and Bing are different based on not only where they are searching, but also by who they are connected to on social media. This is because search engine algorithms assume that because you and I are connected, my content should be more influential to your search results than the content of people you aren't connected to.
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For example, if you follow @RoofPal on Twitter or are friends with 'RoofPal Chris' on Facebook and do a Google search for 'roofing article writing', several articles I have written for roofing contractors will come up in the first few pages.
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Using Conklin Roofing Systems Independent Business Owner Randy Patton as as example, the first three listings in his Google search results are RoofPal articles because we are connected on multiple social media networks. But if you are not connected to RoofPal in any way and do a Google search for 'roofing article writing', some of my articles will come up, but not nearly as many.
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So what does this mean for your roofing company?

1. Roofing contractors can now directly influence the search engine results of the people they are connected to, even when they aren't looking for your company.
2. Traditional SEO practices are no longer as important as they used to be. My top results for a search term will be different than yours even if we are in the same geographic area because we are connected to different people online.
3. There is now a greater incentive to grow your social networks as large as possible. By simply connecting with a prospective roofing customer, you are effectively getting free targeted advertising because your content often will rank higher than your competitors who aren't connected to them.

The takeaway is to connect with as many of your existing and prospective customers as you can on all the social media platforms you participate on. To make this work even better, put a link to your profile page for each social network you participate on in the footer of your emails, on your blog and website, and anywhere else it makes sense.
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