Back in the day, if a tree service business had good word of mouth and an ad in the Yellow Pages, they had everything they needed to succeed. But tree service marketing isn’t what it used to be.

These days, there are multiple marketing channels you should be taking advantage of to grow your business, but knowing where to start can be tough.

One of the best things you can do to make your tree care business more visible is to position yourself to rank high in organic local searches.

In most cases, when someone needs to get their trees pruned or a stump removed, their search starts on a search engine, like Google or Bing. Since these people are actively searching for what you have to offer, they’re high-quality leads and well worth your marketing efforts.

Most people don’t look past the first page of the search results, or even past the first few organic listings. Here’s how to improve your chances of showing up at the top of page one for local searches.

5 tips to help tree service businesses rank locally

#1. Optimize your Google Business Profile listing

The first few listings on the first SERP (search engine results page) on Google are the Maps listings. If you want your listing to rank at the top of Google Maps, you need an optimized Google Business Profile.

Optimize your Google Business Profile by adding a professional, keyword-rich business description, as well as high-quality photos of your logo, branded trucks and crew at work. Also, make sure that you select the right categories, and fully complete every section of your listing.

In addition to optimizing your Google Business Profile, it’s important to keep it active by posting about your business on a regular basis and answering any questions your prospective customers may have about your services.

#2. Manage your reviews

Optimizing your Google Business Profile listing is just the first step to improving your Google Maps rankings. The other big step you need to take is to get lots of five-star reviews and have a high average star rating.

The more reviews a local business gets and the higher their average star rating, the higher it will rank on Google Maps. If you don’t have a lot of reviews or if your average star rating needs work, the best way to fix it is to start asking your happy customers for reviews.

In general, people won’t write reviews on their own, even if they’re happy with the job you did, but most are more than happy to do so when asked. Best of all, you can save time and simplify the process by sending an automated email after a service asking for feedback.

When you get reviews, always make it a point to respond to them, particularly if they’re negative. A good response can convert an unhappy customer into a happy one. Some customers may even be willing to revise their original reviews.

#3. Make sure your business information is consistent across listings

Google Business Profile isn’t the only local listing that you should be using to get your tree service business out there. You need to have a listing wherever potential customers are looking, including Facebook, Yelp, Top Rated Local®, Angi and beyond.

No matter which local directory, app or website someone finds your tree service business on, it’s important that the information they find is up to date and accurate. The last thing you want is for them to run into an outdated phone number and be unable to reach you.

Having consistent NAP (name, address, phone number) information across listings is also important for local rankings. Be picky and make sure that your NAP information appears exactly the same way on every local listing.

Pro tip: If your tree care business is listed across dozens of sites, it can be difficult to update them all when your information changes. Manage all of your local listings at once with listings management software, like the Marketing 360® Listings app.

#4. Optimize your website

Broad, highly searched keywords, like “arborist” or “tree care service,” are difficult to rank for because so many other businesses are going after them. That’s why it’s important to go after more niche, long-tail keywords.

For a local tree service business, the best long-tail keywords to go after are local keywords, like “tree pruning in Denver” or “stump removal in Westminster.” Include these keywords in your headlines, title tags, meta descriptions, website content and anywhere else you can use them naturally.

If your service area extends to more than one city, you should also consider creating location pages for your website. These will help your tree care business to rank in more than one location and make it easy to use location-based keywords more naturally.

For local visibility, it’s also important to ensure that your website is optimized for voice searches by using “near me” keywords. You also need to make sure that your website has a responsive design and is mobile-friendly.

#5. Create local content

Optimizing your website for local keywords is just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to local organic visibility. The other big piece you need to complete the puzzle and reach your goals is content marketing.

Consider creating content on your website with local keywords in mind. Write about local topics in your blog. For example, if a big storm recently hit that damaged or there’s been an insurgence of emerald ash borers threatening local trees, create content about it for your website.

Your website is just one place you should be posting local-based content. You should also post local content on your Facebook page and any other social media platforms you’re active on. This will not only help your organic rankings but it will also help you connect with people in your community.

Every local business needs local organic visibility to succeed and get in front of people actively looking for their services. Tree care businesses are no exception. Learn how Marketing 360’s Content Marketing Specialists can help. See our plans and pricing.