This is the story of how I ranked a local Tiling business to the top of Google Search.
Location and Service Specific Domain
We chose this name and domain, as we wanted to niche down on a specific location. It seems that Google has put a lot more emphasis on local search in the last 1-2 years, and we wanted to make it as easy as possible for Google to know exactly what area we are targeting.
Location specific domains still work (in my experience) despite what Google has said about this. I believe it provides an advantage, especially when the niche is not competitive.
We also opted for a .co.uk domain, which I highly recommending doing if you are targeting just a specific country.
Google Business Profile
The most important thing was creating a Google Business profile. This allowed us to mark our presence on the map (literally) and provides a good indicator to Google that we are a real business (it’s getting harder and harder to get Google Business Profiles approved, as there are so many fake listings, so make sure you tick all the boxes before setting up a profile!).
Low Competition
The good news is that this niche was low competition, with the highest-ranking sites being major directories; Checkatrade and Trust A Trader being the two main “construction” specific directories, follow by Yell and other general directories. There were a few tiling company websites, but their sites were lacking in quality and there was a clear gap in the market for an SEO optimized site to leapfrog the pack.
Simple Website
I created a simple website using WordPress and the popular astra theme. It had all the basics in place and included plenty of photos of tiling work. I built it through Elementor, which is by far my favorite website builder for WordPress websites, especially if you can combine it with a “demo” or “Starter” template.
Area Pages Got Deindexed!
I had originally created some area pages, of other specific towns and villages within and around the Bromley area. However, these were quickly de-indexed by Google as it’s now being recognized as a black hat method of attempting to rank businesses in multiple local areas.
Google Reviews
The difference between 0 and just 5 reviews on your Google Business Profile is huge! Try and get these in early, as they build huge trust with potential customers.
Basic On-Page and Off-Page SEO
The SEO strategy was nothing groundbreaking. I followed basic SEO strategy that is freely documented all over the internet. I personally like using backlinko.com, as Brian Dean lays out everything clearly!
Landline number and Free Business Email
We set up a virtual landline number that diverted to a mobile phone, which helps convey professionalism. This costs no more than $5 a month and it well worth it!
Most hosting packages also allow you to setup a free business email, which is very important too.
Be Patient
It took about 3 months to get to the top of Google, and the leads started flowing in rapidly.
Feel free to reach out if you have any questions about this particular project, or anything else!