As a roofing company, you are continually looking for ways to create a strong online presence, right? And while there are plenty of ways to boost your online presence, there is one option that sticks out more than most.
What’s that, you might ask?
Google reviews for roofing companies!
If you want to improve your Google rankings, getting reviews should be at the top of your to-do list. Reviews are critical to your success! They are the social proof people need (and use) to make informed decisions.
So let’s talk about local SEO for roofers. And why roofing company SEO is so important. We are going to go over the role of Google reviews and how they influence your local search rankings. We’ll also go over the benefits of leveraging Google reviews for roofing companies.
We will give you some roofing marketing tips and strategies for making the most of your Google reviews. Then we’ll cover common pitfalls to avoid in review management. And everything in between. Together, we’ll look at how to track and measure your review impact. And we’ll even share a case study about how one business was able to drive more revenue by acquiring more Google reviews.
Let’s dive in!
The Significance of Google Reviews in Local SEO
Local searches are what trigger Google’s ‘Local Pack’ and organic results. They have the capacity to change the local search dynamics.
When a user searches “roofers near me” or “roofing contractor in [city],” Google looks for three indicators to determine if your website should be shown.
- Relevance (are you a roofer?)
- Distance (are you close to the searcher?)
- Prominence (are people talking about your business?)
Google reviews fall under the Prominence category. The more high-quality reviews you have, the more prominent your business appears. Meaning, in the eyes of Google, you have brand authority and are trustworthy. It also indicates you are a legitimate business. And you offer quality services.
It’s Google’s job to present the best possible results to each searcher. Therefore, your website must meet their requirements. If you want it to be prominently displayed.
So, needless to say, it’s important to build consumer trust.
How Google Reviews Impact Local SEO Rankings
Google tends to rank businesses with more reviews higher, especially when they come from verified local customers.
Here is what you need to focus on:
- Review Velocity – Getting 20 reviews in a year isn’t as powerful as getting just 2-3 each month. Google looks for consistent review flow. That’s what indicates active customer engagement.
- Review Recency – Google views old reviews as less relevant than recent, frequent reviews. Recent reviews tell Google that your business is still active and in demand.
- Review Diversity – It helps if your reviews mention a wide range of services (like roof replacement, new siding, gutter repair, etc.). Diversity broadens your keyword coverage. It also improves your visibility. This is because it shows a range of related searches. So don’t request reviews for just your high-ticket services like roof replacements. Ask every happy customer for a review. Even if all they did was make a small purchase.
- Review Responses – It’s extremely important to respond to all your Google reviews (good and bad). This shows you are engaged and that you care. Responding also signals trustworthiness and quality customer service. Additionally, Google shows favor to active profiles.
Developing a Review Acquisition Strategy
These are some recommendations for developing an effective review acquisition strategy.
- Simplify the Process
If you want to get more customer reviews, you have to make the process easy. Otherwise, your customers won’t do it. You simply create a review link shortcut to your Google Business Profile. You can also add that link to all your invoices, emails, SMS messages, social media posts, and any other communication you have with your customers. Make leaving a review fast and frictionless.
- Utilize Technology
Use online tools and platforms like Surefire Local to automate your review requests via email and text. You can also use technology to manage your responses, implement the roofing marketing tips you’ve discovered, and monitor your results from a single dashboard. Having everything in one place will ensure timely engagement. It will also help make sure you don’t miss anything.
- Train Your Team
Your salespeople, office staff, project managers, and supervisors (everyone) should be properly and thoroughly trained to ask your customers for reviews.
Train them to ask politely at the end of every service. Tell them to mention how much a Google review would help your roofing business. Then, show the customer exactly how to leave a review (if needed). You can also hand them a paper request. Out of sight, out of mind. With a paper request, you won’t be out of sight (or mind). Customers can carry it with them as a reminder to leave you a review.
- Incentivization Ethics
Avoid offering gifts or discounts in exchange for reviews. Google strictly prohibits incentivized reviews. If you get caught doing this, Google might penalize your profile. And that would be worse than having no reviews at all!
Optimizing Reviews for Maximum SEO Benefit
Want to get the most SEO power from your roofing company’s reviews? Here’s how to make them work harder for you:
- Encourage Specificity
As mentioned above, specificity in your reviews will help your rankings. So, when asking your customers to leave you a review, ask them to mention the service you provided. This will also help with long-tail keyword searches.
Coach your customers to include phrases like: “roof replacement,” or whatever service you provided them. Ask them to include the name of the city where the service was performed (this will help local searches). Ask them to specify why they were satisfied (on time, great cleanup, exceptional customer service, etc.). This is where a written (digital or paper) review request comes in handy. Because your customer won’t have to remember what to say. And you, in turn, get a better, more helpful review.
- Showcase Your Reviews
Add Google reviews to your website. Best practices suggest using schema markup to do this. Schema markup enables your reviews to appear as rich snippets in the search results. This, in turn, will increase your click-through rates.
- Respond to Your Reviews
Responding to all your reviews increases visibility and boosts engagement.
- Monitor Your Feedback
Using feedback is a great way to identify recurring issues and opportunities. For example, repeated praise for fast cleanup might inspire you to create a new landing page, blog post, etc.
Monitoring your feedback might sound like a daunting task. But it won’t be if you use an automation tool like the one found on the Surefire Local platform.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid in Review Management
Avoid these common pitfalls when dealing with your reviews, and you’ll be fine.
- Fake Reviews
Never post reviews from known fake accounts. And never pay for fake reviews either! Google uses AI and manual checking processes to detect fake patterns. If they discover you’re doing any of this, it could result in review removal or even account suspension. No one wants that!
- Neglecting Negative Feedback
Don’t ignore bad reviews. And don’t let them get to you! Respond with empathy, ask to take the conversation offline, and offer solutions to help resolve the situation. Some resolutions can be made online as well. This will show prospective customers your transparency. And how professionally you handled each situation. Showing professionalism can turn a negative into a positive!
- Inconsistent NAP Information
It’s extremely important to make sure your business Name, Address, and Phone number (NAP) show the same information and are consistent across Google, Yelp, Facebook, all local business directories, and anything else you have online.
- Neglecting Your Google Business Profile
Many roofing companies tend to neglect keeping their listing updated. Make sure you add recent project photos, any updated business hours, and include posts about seasonal services and promotions.
Tracking and Measuring Review Impact
Tracking and measuring the impact of your reviews is almost as important as requesting them.
Here are some suggestions.
- Utilize Analytic Tools
Track your local search growth using tools like Google Business Insights, Google Analytics (to track traffic from your Google Business Profile listing), and the Surefire Local Dashboard.
- Assess Review Metrics
Make sure you’re monitoring the following:
- Total number of reviews
- Average star rating
- Monthly review growth
- Keywords mentioned in your reviews
These will show you how effective your review strategy is.
- Benchmark Against Competitors
Use technology to compare your ratings, volume, and review frequency with 2-3 of your local roofing competitors. Automation tools like Surefire Local will make this a breeze.
- Adjust Review Strategies as Needed
If your reviews slow down, increase your outreach. You can also check to see if your keywords are lacking. Then adjust your review request prompts.
A Case Study – Success Through Strategic Review Management
Here is a case study for a gutter and awning company after automating their daily marketing tasks.
Company: Barry Best Seamless Gutters & Awnings
Location: Madison County, New York
Services: Seamless Gutters, Gutter Protection, Awnings & Screens
Barry Best Seamless Gutters increased their revenue by 46% and generated significantly more leads after they started using automation for their marketing tasks.
Their team sent automatic review requests to their best customers, optimized their website to rank higher on Google, published blog content, and built a strong cohesive presence across online channels.
Here is what they achieved after using an automation platform:
- 4.9 Google star rating
- 46% Increase in revenue
- 42% Lower cost per lead
- 296% Increase in website traffic
This is just one case study. There are plenty more with fantastic results.
An Online Marketing Platform for Your Local Roofing Company
Automation is the key to growing your business and your roofing business reviews. Marketing and reputation management are labor-intensive. But they don’t have to be.
Surefire Local is an all-in-one platform that can automate your most time-consuming marketing tasks. It can automate your review requests. It can also automate your SEO, social media tasks, and even your online advertising campaigns. And all from a single dashboard. That’s just a quick glimpse into what this tool can do for you.
Schedule a demo to learn more about Surefire Local. Discover how this platform and its marketing automation tools can be tailored to your roofing business. It will only take a few minutes.