Building inspections are searched 2,400 times a month nationally. Variations of this term accumulate over 100,000 searches, with around 10,000 unique ways people search for building inspections in Australia each month. In this blog, I’ll walk you through my process for analyzing competitors, planning an SEO-optimized website, and implementing effective SEO strategies to rank for these valuable keywords.
Analyzing Competitors and Keyword Research
First, I always look at the chunk of the pie by understanding how many times a month key terms are entered into Google. For instance, “building inspections” has an exact match of 2,400 searches, but variations can push this number much higher. By breaking down the key terms, I’ve identified important variations such as “building and pest inspection,” “building inspection Sydney,” and “building inspection Melbourne.”
Next, I Googled “building inspections” along with a city name like Sydney to see who was on page one. I rip apart their websites to understand their structure, content, and SEO strategies. For example, many top-ranking sites use exact-match domains, significantly contributing to their ranking. These sites often have a manageable number of pages, like one with 38 results, yet they still rank well due to their domain names.
Deconstructing Competitor Sites
I spend a lot of time looking at backlinks, traffic trends, and the overall health of competitors’ websites. One site I examined had 1.6K backlinks from 23 domains and 543 organic visitors per month. Their top pages included service pages and blog posts like “What a Building Inspection Report Tells,” which helped them capture relevant traffic.
I also use tools like Screaming Frog to get a map of all their pages and understand their site structure. One competitor had dedicated pages for team members, a huge trust signal. They enhanced their SEO juice and credibility by including detailed team pages and linking them to blog articles or LinkedIn profiles.
Planning My Website Structure
When planning a website, I like to keep a consistent structure across my sites. I design them to optimize for local SEO and run Google ads effectively. Here’s the structure I typically follow:
- Hero Section: A strong call to action (CTA) and a headline (H1) including the main keyword.
- Logo Grid/Testimonials: Showcasing partners’ logos or client testimonials to build trust.
- Feature Section: Highlighting key services and benefits.
- How It Works Section: Providing a clear, step-by-step process.
- Team Section: Introducing the team to build trust.
- Call to Action: Multiple CTAs throughout the page.
- FAQ + Schema: Addressing common questions with schema markup for SEO benefits.
Creating SEO-Optimized Content
I aim to attract Google’s trust with specific keywords for each page for each page. For instance, I have a general building inspection services page and then dive into detailed pages like “Pre-Purchase Building Inspection” and “Building Defect Inspection.” Each page is crafted with a certain level of science, deconstructing top-ranking sites to understand the common elements they use.
I look at the average amount of text, headings, and phrases top-ranking competitors use. By matching or surpassing these on-page elements and ensuring robust off-page elements like backlinks, we can improve our chances of ranking. For example, for “Building Defect Inspections Melbourne,” I analyze the average word count, common phrases, and types of content that rank well.
Leveraging High-Quality Content
Drawing insights from high-authority articles, I’ve learned the importance of having a comprehensive business plan, obtaining necessary certifications, and implementing online and offline marketing strategies. A user-friendly design, clear CTAs, and prominently displayed client testimonials are crucial for building trust and converting visitors into leads.
Content marketing plays a vital role. Regularly updating the blog with valuable content that addresses common questions and concerns helps with SEO and establishes authority. For local SEO, claiming my Google My Business listing and acquiring local backlinks are essential.
Continuous Optimization and Adaptation
SEO is a never-ending game. Once we hit the first position, we must keep proving ourselves worthy of maintaining that spot. This involves constantly updating the website, adding fresh content, and capturing high-quality, relevant backlinks. I regularly revisit and update older content to keep it relevant and competitive.
One of the most rewarding aspects of my work is seeing the tangible results of these efforts. For example, a financial advisory client saw their traffic grow from two monthly visitors to 65 high-intent visitors in less than a year. This was achieved through SEO, Google ads, and Facebook ads, along with capturing and leveraging video content.
In conclusion, building an SEO-optimized website for building inspections involves thorough competitor analysis, strategic planning, and continuous optimization. We can establish a strong online presence and attract more leads by focusing on high-value keywords, creating user-friendly and informative content, and leveraging insights from high-authority sources.
