Boost Your Online Presence: Control Your Reputation and Build Leads

As a home builder, your company’s online reputation can make or break a potential deal. Here’s how to ensure the Google results for your business will help you build leads and close new contracts.

Oftentimes, the first thing a potential client will do is “Google you”. It provides people with a top line idea of what your business is all about. Usually it’s the fastest way to find your website and contact information and it can also lead to websites with reviews and testimonials. 

None of us have control over what Google will display in their search results, and if anyone says they do then run! But, we can take steps to present our companies in the best way possible. Here’s how.

Build a Proper Website

There’s no excuse for not having a modern looking website that has your contact and business information front and center. Squarespace, Wix, and Wordpress offer easy solutions to design and build your site. Start by acquiring your domain name and then go from there. If you need help, send me an email and I can point you in the right direction.

Your top level domain website should be the number one result that Google seeks and will present to users. If your business is a common name or in a crowded space, then it might get knocked down a bit. You can use Google Ads to keep your business site on top, but there are better ways to get listed. 

Share blog posts about recent or current projects and include testimonials from satisfied customers. Photos are also very important and can drive decisions for potential home buyers.

Search engine optimization (SEO) is important to help Google recognize your business name and what you do. If you or your designer aren't sure about this I can help as well.

Also, make certain your site is mobile-ready, meaning that it looks good and doesn’t break when viewed from a phone or tablet.

Claim Your Business on Google

Start with Google Business and claim your business and include all relevant information. These results will run alongside your Google search results and populate Google maps. This is where you can put your business hours, add photos, and show customer reviews. Encourage your customers to leave you reviews as this will help drive search results and also provide important social proof in the form of testimonials.

Claim Your Business on Yelp

Yelp is one of the most visited sites on the web and therefore holds a ton of SEO value. You can claim your business just like you did with Google and post hours and other pertinent information. Always include your contact information and a link to your website. The links back to your website from Google and Yelp will help raise your business profile in search rankings.

Many Yelp reviews can be taken with a grain of salt, but they are also a great overall indicator of what people are experiencing. As with Google, encourage customers to leave a Yelp review with photos.

Setup Social Media Accounts

Whether you use social media or not to market your business, you need to at least set up an account under your business name. This is another free opportunity to claim your business on a website with massive SEO juice. I’d recommend: Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly known as Twitter).

By building your profiles on these sites you can provide potential customers with another way to locate your business information as well as start to own your own Google search results. 

You should at least have a few posts on each platform, but don’t worry about posting too much if it’s not part of your strategy.

Other Sites to Consider

Local directories can be a great way to get leads and also build your SEO. Also consider building a Reddit account and contributing to conversations on the site. You can do the same for local message boards. Anywhere you can think of that allows you to make a profile and include your business name and website, can be helpful when strategizing about dominating page one of Google search results.

In summary, by implementing this strategy you can be proactive in managing the online narrative of your business. Your website should be the first search result, followed by Yelp and your social media accounts. This can fill up the first page!

Was this helpful? Still seem lost? I’m available to jump on a call if you need assistance or send me an email with any questions.

Get going!!!

Timothy