Currently, under the President’s Coronavirus Guidance for America regulations, home service businesses are considered “essential critical infrastructure workers” and are able to continue operations amidst COVID-19.
This means Home Services businesses should do two things:
Take action to help existing customers know that they are open and operating during this time
Look for ways to maximize their organic and social presence to get in front of people who need the services they provide.
Below, you’ll find five action items to help you ensure that your business is prepared, from an SEO perspective, for the duration of COVID-19 and beyond.
#1 Provide Answers to Questions People Are Asking Now
In the midst of a crisis, people are going to be nervous and looking for answers. Right now, people are in research mode and are wanting to be informed about how they can best stay safe, take care of their families, and be comfortable at home.
Do you know what your customers are asking right now?
Some of the top concerns amongst consumers during COVID are cleanliness and financial planning. Customers want to know what steps your business is taking to ensure their safety when you come to service their home, such as wearing shoe booties, using gloves, sanitizing the work space, etc.
Additionally, they will want to know if you offer any sort of specials, payment plans, or financing to help alleviate any major costs during this time.
Be a resource for your customers.
You can also develop a list of FAQs, answer them the way you would as a business owner, and get them posted to your website. These questions & answers can be especially valuable if your client service representatives and technicians can take note of the specific types of questions they receive from customers on service calls.
#2 Focus on Relevant Services
There are certain niche services within the industry that are of special interest during COVID-19 due to the fact that people are more aware of their air quality and need for clean, fresh water.
HVAC Focus: Indoor Air Quality
If you are in the HVAC industry, make sure you have relevant content on the website with regards to how to improve indoor air quality, the importance of air filtration & air scrubbers, and why homeowners need to regularly change out their air filters.
Plumbing Focus: Water Filtration & Drain Cleaning
For plumbers, there has been a rise in interest for water filtration systems, since more people are at home and cannot make it out to get water bottles as often, or they are sold out at their local store.
Additionally, with an increase in time spent at home, this can take a toll on the plumbing system - especially drains. Consumers are likely going to be in need of drain clearing or potentially even pipe repairs for more serious issues.
Electrical Focus: Generators
Electricians may want to consider creating content around generator repairs & installation, since many homeowners want to be sure of their ability to have access to electricity right now.
Since we are still in the midst of storm season, people want to be prepared in case of power outages.
#3 Let People Know Your Open
Make sure your people know that you are still open and serving your community. Provide constant updates on your website, on social media, through email marketing, and anywhere else that your customers receive communication from you.
Again, home service businesses are considered an essential business type that will remain open, but not everyone is aware of this fact.
Provide clear messaging on your website.
By adding a banner on your website to let people know that you’re open and creating a simple post on your social media platforms, you can help customers know that you are there to serve them and prevent any confusion.
Offer 24/7 availability? Let people know.
Lastly, if you offer emergency services, make sure that you are maximizing on this by displaying 24/7 availability on your website. People need emergency repairs now more than ever since they are staying at home. If their water heater goes out or their AC is acting up, they cannot afford to go even a few hours without help.
#4 Create More Social Content
If your business is not currently running a social content campaign, now is the time to start. By creating informational blogs geared towards the current need and posting these on your Facebook, your customers are able to not only stay informed, but you are also able to reach a larger audience by getting in front of people who have never used your business before.
What types of information should you be posting?
Utilize frequently asked questions related to relevant topics for your specific industry. Document questions you get from your customers and use that information to create content that can target a larger audience.
Whether that’s a piece on how air scrubbers work or the importance of water treatment, you can pull in more traffic to your website through social content strategies, which can help your organic search presence overall.
What about video content?
You do not have to be a professional videographer to film great content for customers. A simple video taken on your phone talking about the cleanliness standards you are taking due to COVID-19 or showing people how replacing their AC filter can impact their respiratory health can have a huge impact.
Once you’ve filmed your video, post it on your various social media platforms - especially YouTube.
#5 Prepare for the Future
Customers will have a need for your services in the coming weeks - be present & be ready. We have seen a surge in search volume for all of the niche services we have talked about, including indoor air quality keywords, water filtration, drain cleaning, and more.
In the coming weeks, we will likely see the user’s search behavior change as things ideally begin to settle a bit more and people are preparing for the next season: summer.
Summer is coming regardless of whether or not people can leave their homes.
While it may still be chilly in most parts of the country right now, summer is just around the corner. No matter the home services industry your business is in, summer is historically a busy time.
If COVID-19 lasts into the warmer months, it will be important to prepare accordingly, especially if you are in the HVAC or pest control business. The rise in warmer temperatures paired with people staying at home will result in a greater need for emergency AC repairs, immediate solutions to the removal of pesky insects, and more.
Have questions about how your business can improve your SEO efforts during this time? Do not hesitate to reach out to your marketing team or contact us here.
