Things have changed quite a bit since Nolen started Roofing Webmasters 10 years ago. At that time, roofers would often call looking for “Roofing SEO” or “digital marketing for roofers.” After years of being screwed around by trash marketing, things changed. In 2021, most people inquire about leads for roofers. While leads are certainly a valuable currency for contractors, it is essential to differentiate a quality lead from a harmful one and find a lead source that consistently produces the former.
Avoiding The Roofer Gig Economy
Living lead to lead puts roofers in a gig economy scenario. That’s one of the most significant downsides of buying roofing leads from lead brokers. While sources like HomeAdvisor may produce a quality lead now and then, the process of fighting for shared leads over and again takes its toll on any business. Roofers who generate consistent, high-quality leads from their digital properties are the ones who go out on their boat trips each year. You can do the same if you avoid trash leads.
Go for Branded Leads
Branded roofing leads are the best available. What does branded mean? It means the consumer found your services through one of your branded properties. Offline, this might be a lawn sign or a billboard. Online, a property can be any digital asset, including a website, a business listing, or a social media profile. Branded leads are exclusive and have a much better chance of creating repeat customers. Word of mouth is another branded channel, and one created through reputation management.
Focus on Organic Search
Typically, roofers look for the cheapest leads. Sometimes they forget to consider the ROI of those leads and how sustainable they are going forward. Leads from organic search provide the best ROI for several reasons. First, they are “Free” to acquire. Unlike PPC, organic clicks don’t cost money per click. Once you establish a presence on top of search results, you receive regular clicks for no fee. Over time, free clicks that become repeat customers double, triple, and even quadruple your ROI.
Don’t Forget The Local Map Pack
Sometimes “organic” search results are confused with only being the ten blue links beneath the ads and map pack. That’s not the case at all. Map listings are “organic” search results, and it is critical that roofers appear in the top 3 (in their service area) for consistent lead generation. Leads from the map pack are even higher quality than traditional organic links. Since GMB listings include reviews, contact information, and the precise location, consumers who call are almost certain to become repeat customers. All you have to do is perform great roofing services, and they are yours for life.
Branding + SEO = Lead Generation
Once roofers understand that branding directly translates to lead generation, they begin to invest in SEO. You can check out our roofing SEO guide to learn more about the exact process and how it can help your roofing company. Ultimately, though, the change in philosophy must be rooted in a desire to achieve more remarkable results and earn more revenue. Roofing companies can choose to dominate their service area online or resort to a gig economy business style that barely keeps them afloat. The choice is yours. Click the play button below to listen to the full podcast.
