Keeping the leads flowing consistently and bringing more customers is the “key” to every successful locksmith business. But you realise that in order to achieve it, you must have a smart locksmith marketing strategy that will serve as a foundation. Outdated newspaper advertisements aside, you’re likely wondering, what marketing strategy should I use then?
You can work this out experimenting yourself, or join the fast lane and read on as we guide you on the best locksmith digital marketing mix!
How Locksmith SEO Marketing Wins Leads
Today, 95% of the time people simply pull out their phone and search for a local locksmith. And in order for you to be placed at the top spot, you’ll need to put locksmith SEO or search engine optimisation at the core of your locksmith marketing plan.
But how does SEO for locksmiths work? Is social media or paid advertisement worth it? In this digital marketing guide, I will answer the most common locksmith marketing questions and share SEO tips that get results.
- Digital marketing for locksmiths. Does it work?
- The 3 ways to get on the first page of Google
- The top 10 locksmith keywords
- Website optimisation for locksmiths
- Example meta title and description tags
- Content writing for locksmith websites
- Essential website pages
- Linkbuilding for locksmiths
- Social media for locksmiths
Digital marketing for locksmiths. Does it work?
Phone book advertisements? Paper wasting letter drop? These are strategies that are way past their prime. If you still utilise these, you’re probably here because it’s no longer working for your company. In fact, there is an entire generation that has grown up with the internet, and probably consider a phone book as a historical artifact!
The fact is 4 in 5 consumers conduct local searches for locksmiths. And in Australia, 93% of people use Google as the search engine of choice to find the products, information and locksmith services they need.
The proof is in the results…
The right mix of digital marketing can generate plenty of targeted website traffic and low cost locksmith leads. In fact for all trades including plumbers, pest control, tree services….you get the idea. With a focus on local SEO, your website can achieve these results as well. Imagine what that mean for your business growth!
How do I get on the first page of Google?
There are three ways your locksmith business can appear on the first page of Google.
Paid listings. The paid section of the search results is based on a bidding system called Google Ads (formerly Google Adwords). The order in which the advertisers are displayed is based on how much they are prepared to ‘pay per click’ (PPC) when the keyword they bid on is searched. So when you get professional help with Adwords, you pay a monthly service fee and then everytime someone clicks on your link.
PPC is a good way to market your business, but it should be thought of as a short-term solution, as some locksmith keywords can cost as much as $25.00 per click which gets expensive quickly. That’s per click, not per call or conversion.
Google maps. The three map listings (or “map pack”) are very important for locksmith and other local businesses, as they appear anytime Google thinks local results are most relevant. Google knows someone searching for ‘locksmith + your city’ are looking for a local locksmith in their area, and shows the map listings accordingly.
You must submit your business information on “Google My Business” to be able to appear in Google maps. Unlike paid ads, the map listings are ‘organic’ meaning websites are placed according to Google’s search algorithm.
Organic listings. The websites that you see in the organic listings (and maps) are ranked according to their trustworthiness, credibility, and relevance to the search intent. The process of acquiring your place in search engines’ organic and map listings is called Search Engine Optimisation, or SEO.
Locksmith SEO is a medium – long-term investment, once you earn a place in Google’s search results there is no cost per click. So increasing rankings and traffic means more leads, but also a shrinking cost per lead.
Where do people click? Paid listings attract around 30% of the clicks with the other 70% going to map and organic listings. So the next question for locksmith marketing is…
What are the top locksmith keywords?
Understanding what potential locksmith clients are searching for is a key part of any Locksmith SEO or digital marketing strategy. Below is a list of the most important keywords that you need to be targeting in a locksmith SEO campaign (from highest to lowest search volume).
- locksmith (your city)
- emergency locksmith (your city)
- locksmith in (your city)
- (your city) locksmith
- locksmith near me
- 24 hour locksmith (your city)
- key cutting near me
- car locksmith (your city)
- automotive locksmith (your city)
- keys cut near me
- screen door locks repair
To rank for these keywords you need to use them naturally in all areas of digital marketing & SEO. Some of the locksmith keywords will be more suited than others to your range of services.
Where do you rank right now?
Go to Google now and search, “locksmith (your city)” or, “24 hour locksmith (your city)”. Your website browser will remember the websites you visit most frequently and show them higher in search results, so to see what other people might see use an online tool to find your real ranking. If you don’t see your website listed on the first page, you’re losing business to other companies who have realised the value of digital marketing for locksmiths.
Why let your competitors get all the action! The tree services marketing strategies I’m about to share with you next achieve an average 4x traffic value vs paid advertising with Adwords.
Our locksmith marketing strategy
Unlike Adwords, a top spot on Google’s map and organic listings can’t be bought. It needs to be earned through search engine optimisation, or SEO. Any locksmith marketing needs to have a local SEO focus, to maximise exposure in your service area. The key parts of our locksmith SEO strategy are:
- Optimising your website so it’s easy for Google to find and understand.
- Creating website content that explains your services, informs and converts potential clients.
- Building quality links to your website that boost your authority.
- Generating social buzz – After all how good can a website be if no one is sharing it?
Let’s look in more detail and give you some actionable locksmith marketing tips.
Website SEO for locksmiths
Optimising your website for Google can help them find, understand and better rank your website. It’s a good idea to do a website SEO audit, a few simple optimisations can have a quick impact.
- Make sure your website is indexed by Google. Search for “site:yourcompany.com.au” If no results appear, or your homepage doesn’t appear first there is a serious issue!
- Is your business address on your website? To attract local rankings and locksmithing clients make sure to mention your location and service area on your home page.
- Write SEO optimised meta tags for your home page. The meta title and meta description are important because they influence how you appear in search results. They should include some of the local locksmith keywords we looked at earlier and your main services.
Here’s the example meta tags if you want to copy and edit them for your website:
Meta Title: XYZ Locksmiths Melbourne. 24 Hr Mobile Emergency Locksmiths
Meta Description: XYZ Locksmiths in Melbourne is your professional 24-hour emergency locksmith company. 30+ years exp. MLAA approved. Fast, guaranteed & friendly. - Make sure your website is mobile responsive, Google uses this as a ranking factor and has created a free mobile-friendly checker.
- Nobody wants to wait for a website to load (including Google) so go and check your website speed here. Make sure your website is faster than your competitors for another ranking advantage.
Copywriting for locksmith websites
An average website for locksmiths usually consists of a handful amount of pages like the home, few service pages, contact, gallery and occasionally an about page. To win digital marketing for locksmiths, you have to amp up your content as well. Show Google you deserve to be ranked ahead of your competition by creating pages with the information people are looking for.
Build a library of content covering every question people search related to your services for maximum exposure. Here are the three types of website copywriting that will help you do just that.
Create individual locksmith services pages for each of the types of locksmith you offer. With a targeted webpage, you are more relevant and likely to appear in search when someone is looking for these specific services. For example:
- Commercial Locksmith
- Residential Locksmith
- Emergency Locksmith
- Automotive Locksmith
- Padlocks
- Safes
Having high converting service pages is essential, but you need more to convince visitors and Google of your expertise. Regularly creating how-to articles, security and locksmith tips in a blog build your authority in the locksmith niche and has other benefits (which I’ll get to).
If people in your area are researching “How to protect your home” or “How to replace Car Keys” they are only going to find you if you’ve written about it. And guess what? If they decide to get some professional help who are they going to call? If they lose their car keys, who are they going to call? That’s right, you!
Build local landing pages for your most important suburbs. Once they are ranking each page will generate leads that can really add up. Start with the suburbs near you and work out from there. Don’t go overboard here, stick to the more populated suburbs for best effect and customise each page with testimonials from jobs in each suburb.
Linkbuilding for locksmiths
Links to your website an important signal Google uses to judge how to place you in search results. When another website links to yours it’s kind of like a vote for you and your business. Quality comes before quantity, so when you see those spammy emails promising hundreds or thousands of links, don’t be sucked in. That kind of low-quality high scale link building will only harm your website.
If your website content is awesome enough people will naturally link to it, but it pays to be pro-active. The best place to start is with Australian local business directory listings. Look for opportunities from other locksmiths, automotive and home improvement websites as well.
People look for and trust online reviews, so make sure you ask your clients to leave reviews on your Google my business listing and other directories. Proactively building a 5-star online reputation will mean more clicks from search results. So get more Google reviews than your competitors!
Social media for locksmiths
With 14 million Australians on Facebook for an average 50mins every day, using a Facebook business page is a great way to stay ‘top of mind’. Remember we talked about starting a blog? This sort of informative, entertaining or inspiring content is perfect for building your social media following! Mix it in with photos from current jobs, client testimonials, and sharing content from other locksmiths, automotive, and home improvement websites.
The quickest way to turn people off your posts is to overdo the sales pitch. Keep your posts 80% informative and 20% sales to be well received.
Digital marketing for locksmiths: Conclusion
With the ever-growing market, applying these digital marketing and SEO strategies for your locksmith business could help you grow! It’s working for your competitors right now. Following the locksmith SEO tips in this guide will set you on the path to growing business profits.
Need help professional marketing for locksmiths? Have locksmith SEO questions? Get in touch and outrank your competitors!