As someone who has worked in the solar industry for over a decade now, I’ve picked up a thing or two about what it takes to help solar companies grow. And let me tell ya – search engine optimization, or SEO, can work absolutely wonders! Now I know some of you solar cats are skeptical of all this online marketing jazz. You might be thinking, “I install solar panels and get referrals through word-of-mouth. Why do I need SEO?” Well, let me tell you that SEO for solar companies has the power to bring your business to a whole new level. Keep on reading this article and I’ll explain everything.
Why SEO Matters for the Solar Industry
Before we dive into the nitty gritty SEO details, let’s chat about why you should even care about SEO as a solar company. I mean isn’t solar selling itself these days?
Well sure, solar is more popular than ever. But it’s still a big purchase decision for most homeowners and businesses. When folks start thinking about going solar, 99 times out of 100 they start their research online. So if you want their business, your solar company better show up when they search!
SEO Drives Customers to You
The fact is, SEO helps drive new website traffic to your site organically through search engines like Google. So when prospective customers search for things like “residential solar panels installation” or “solar companies near me” or even just “solar panels,” your website will show up at the top of the results.
And studies show the higher up you rank, the more clicks you’ll get. The #1 result gets a whopping 36.4% of all clicks! Being on that first page can make a massive difference for lead generation.
But without proper SEO, you might be buried on page 5 of the search results where practically no one goes. And studies show over 90% of searchers don’t click past the first page of results. Yikes!
So in other words, SEO is what puts you in front of people who are actively looking for solar services. It’s way easier to convert those solar-ready leads than trying to convince skeptical folks who aren’t looking for solar at all.
SEO Leads Convert Better
Now here’s the other big reason SEO for solar companies matters hugely.
When folks find you through search and click over to your site, they’re already educated on solar energy. They know they want to go solar, they likely understand how solar works, and they’re further down the sales funnel.
So when those SEO visitors fill out a contact form or give you a call, they tend to convert into sales at a much higher rate. Some studies have shown SEO leads convert over 30% better than other lead sources. Cha-ching!
At the end of the day, SEO comes down to visibility and traffic. It gets your solar site in front of motivated, high-converting prospects. And more leads & customers means faster business growth!
Solar SEO 101: Key Terms You Should Target
Alright, time to talk SEO strategy! Now, I could go super technical here and lose ya’ll with messy jargon. But I’m gonna keep things simple and focus on what really matters.
The foundation of ranking well in search is targeting the primary terms and topics that solar shoppers search for. These are keywords like:
- Solar panels
- Residential solar
- Solar installation
- Solar companies
- Solar shingles
- Solar tax credit
- Solar incentives
- Solar battery storage
- Net metering
- Solar lease vs purchase
- Solar loans
You get the picture – it’s all about solar, solar, solar! The specific keyword phrases will vary a bit depending on if you do residential installs, commercial solar, solar panel manufacturing, etc.
But in general, these broader informational solar terms should be the bread and butter of your SEO focus. After all, these keywords get massive search volume from homeowners doing their initial solar research.
Now you may be thinking: “those topics seem really broad and competitive – how can I possibly rank #1 for those search queries?”.
The answer lies in…
Leveraging Long-Tail Keywords for Easy Rankings
The key solar phrases I mentioned do get loads of searches. But you’re right, they are hugely competitive to rank for.
Trying to rank #1 for just “solar panels” out of the gate would be an uphill battle to say the least!
But here’s a little SEO trick – while the main head term gets all the searches, there are hundreds of more specific long-tail variations around that root keyword.
For example, root keyword: Solar Panels
Long-tail variations:
- best solar panels 2023
- solar panels for home use
- small solar panels for RV
- flexible off grid solar panels
- what size solar panels for whole house
And so on…
These long-tail versions get way less search volume individually. But added together, the search numbers are massive!
The other benefit is long-tail keywords are significantly less competitive. So they’re much easier to rank for as a newer or smaller solar site.
Once you claim that #1 spot for various solar long-tails, the traffic adds up quick!
So the winning SEO combo is using broader head terms to understand user intent, then creating content for the less competitive long-tails.
Local SEO – Ranking for Keywords With Location
We’ve talked a lot about informational solar keywords. But another key strategy is optimizing for local searches like:
- solar companies Austin TX
- solar panel installers Dallas
- San Diego solar power
- AZ residential solar lease
You get the picture here too…it’s all about capturing searchers who are looking for solar options in your specific geographic service area. Some stats show over 50% of search queries now have some local intent.
So popping up for searches like “Tucson solar energy” or “Scottsdale solar providers” can really pay off. People searching locally tend to be further down the purchasing process.
To rank locally, you need to nail the standard SEO for solar companies elements across your site like relevant content, backlinks, etc.
Plus, you need to clearly display your business name, full address, and phone number. This helps search engines like Google understand the geographic areas you serve.
From there they can match you to local searches in your target service region(s).
Be Everywhere With GMB Listings
The other essential piece is getting listed on Google My Business (GMB) for every location you serve. This gets your solar biz into the map pack and 3-pack listings in search results as well as Google Maps.
So for example if someone searches “solar companies in Austin” you want to be front and center in that handy local results box up top.
Popping up across Maps and local results means you’re everywhere folks look for local vendors. So get your GMB profiles created and completely filled out!
Craft Catchy Title Tags and Meta Descriptions
Alright, enough about keywords – let’s chat website optimization! Two vitally important elements that influence SEO and clicks are title tags and meta descriptions.
When a searcher lands on the results for say “residential solar panels San Antonio,” they’ll scan the first few listings and quickly decide which ones to explore. Title tags and meta descriptions convince them your solar site is worth a click.
Here’s an example of optimized tags:
Title Tag: Top-Rated Residential Solar Panels in San Antonio, Texas – SunnySolar Meta Description: Looking for solar panels in San Antonio, TX? SunnySolar installs high-efficiency residential systems. Local experts, full service installation & financing options. Call today!
As you can see, the title tag clearly states the page topic, location, and solar company name. This helps searchers know the listing matches their query of residential San Antonio systems.
And the description provides extra context on service offerings with a strong call-to-action. This gives searchers key details to pique their interest.
Now compare our SEO-friendly version to non-optimized tags:
Title: Solar Panels in San Antonio Meta: Various solar panel options for the San Antonio area. Financing available.
Boring! With such vague uninteresting tags, far fewer searchers would click over.
So take the time to create compelling, descriptive titles and snippets across your whole site. This presentation makes a huge impact on clicks and SEO authority signals.
Start Building Backlinks
At this point you know you need content optimized for key solar phrases in order to rank in search and drive traffic. But here’s the thing…
Just checking the box on relevant content isn’t enough these days! You need backlinks pointing back to your pages to really vault up the rankings.
Think of backlinks as votes of confidence in your content and solar expertise. The more great sites linking back to your pages, the more signals you send to Google that people value your content.
And over time as quality backlinks start stacking up, search engines take notice and boost your rankings. Before you know it you’ll see your informational guides and solar service pages jumping up the first page!
Now then…how do you actually get these crucial backlinks? Here are some starter strategies:
Create Link-Worthy Solar Content
Now my first tip for grabbing backlinks seems obvious…create awesome solar content worth linking to! Useful, well-researched guides and local data naturally attract links over time.
For example publishing a definitive guide to the top 10 residential solar loans in Texas would likely pull in links from various solar sites. Same goes for long-form guides on off-grid solar systems or solar battery options by region.
Become a thought leader by answering the most common questions solar shoppers have during their research process. Address their pain points around costs, logistics, laws, tax incentives in your state, etc.
The more you can nail the educational side for searchers, the more link love your solar site will inevitably receive.
Guest Post on Relevant Sites
Another great link-building tactic is guest posting on relevant third-party solar blogs and publications. By contributing great pieces to industry resources already ranking well, you can often negotiate a backlink or author bio link back to your site.
For example, if you managed to score a guest post on a popular national solar blog like SolarPowerRocks.com, that would likely drive nice traffic and linkage juice your way over time.
Start by making a list of well-read blogs covering solar news and topics aligned with your specialties. Then brainstorm mutually beneficial guest posting partnerships you could propose.
Interview Solar Experts
Here’s another smart play – interview leaders and experts from your wider solar network and syndicate the pieces across various sites.
For example, perhaps interview your solar panel supplier’s CEO or Director of Product Innovation. Maybe chat with the head of your regional solar energy trade organization to get their insights on market trends.
Transcribe these Q&As and reach out to relevant publishers about running the interview on their sites with a bio link back to you. Most will likely be open as long as the piece brings value to their audience.
This tactic can help rapidly build a diverse network of high-authority backlinks from vetted solar publications. So draft up an interview list and get cookin’!
Create and Distribute Infographics
Here’s one more backlink builder that takes some upfront effort but delivers results…creating and distributing infographics!
Infographics that compile interesting data from surveys, studies, your own solar research, etc. can attract a LOT of links when executed properly.
For example, you could design an infographic titled “Solar Panels Expected to Grow 50% By 2025” and populate it with data points and projections on the future of US solar power.
Or create one focused specifically on your state and city solar stats over time. Include historical context, emerging trends, plus your solar company logo and links at the bottom.
Once created using a tool like Visme or Canva, identify solar news sites and publications with infographic and guest contributor guidelines. Reach out to editors about running your visual piece with a link.
Over time an insightful infographic can bring nice awareness, traffic, and coveted backlinks from both niche and mainstream sites. Cha-ching!
Alright, those are some solid starting points for boosting your solar site’s SEO authority and getting closer to that page #1 ranking!
Now as a quick recap, here are…
Top 6 Solar SEO Growth Strategies
- Target Most-Searched Informational Solar Keywords and Long-Tail Variations
- Build Rankings for Local Searches Like “Solar Companies Austin TX”
- Create Compelling Title Tags and Meta Descriptions to Boost Clicks
- Produce In-Depth Solar Guides and Resources That Attract Links
- Guest Post and Interview Experts to Net High Quality Backlinks
- Design and Distribute Engaging Infographics to Earn Links
Stick with this smart SEO gameplan and in 6-12 months you’ll likely see a surge in organic search traffic and new customer signups from your website.
But to hit your goals faster, explore augmenting these organic strategies with paid ads too…
Combine SEO and PPC for Solar Success
While staying laser focused on long term SEO rankings is smart, you can speed up lead generation right now using pay per click ads too.
With paid search and display network placements on Google Ads and platforms like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, etc. you only pay when prospective customers actually click your ads.
So for example if you have the budget, you could promote your solar site for searches like “best solar companies Phoenix AZ” or “Scottsdale solar panel financing.”
Then target those ads out to folks actively reading articles about solar loans, solar tax credits in Arizona, etc. Programmatic targeting like this generates very hot leads since they’re already steeped in solar research.
The key with PPC is tracking conversions closely and only paying for actual customer activity, rather than broad awareness plays. Lean on platforms like Google Analytics to monitor the ROI on your paid campaigns.
Then shift budget between the SEO content plays for long-term wins and targeted PPC for more instant solar shoppers. This balancing act is the special sauce for rapid, sustainable solar business growth!
What do you think? Are you itching to take your solar biz’s digital presence to the next level? Hope this intro guide gives you ideas on where to get started!
FAQs
Q: How long does it take to see results from solar SEO efforts?
For most sites, expect 6-12 months before ranking improvements and organic traffic gains really kick in. Though you may see small keyword ranking gains in as little as 3-6 months if you execute things well!
Q: How much does SEO cost for solar companies?
SEO can require some financial investment in things like content development, link building services, tools/software. But much of the foundational work like on-page optimization and content creation can be handled in-house for free upfront if you own the site.
Q: Is it better to optimize my site for mobile or desktop searches?
Focus your SEO equally on both! An increasing majority of all searches now happen on smartphones and tablets. So your site needs to be fully responsive with easy tapping targets, quick loading speeds, etc. Test it rigorously on all devices.
Q: Should solar companies hire an SEO expert or handle it internally?
If search is critical for sales, partnering with an experienced solar marketing pro can accelerate growth. But for basic SEO, tackling the initial optimization checklist in-house first helps familiarize your team. Evaluate if/when you should bring on consultants.
Q: What SEO stats are most important to track?
Pay closest attention to monthly organic traffic from search engines, rankings for target keywords, and SEO click-through-rates. These metrics indicate how well your content and authority-building efforts are performing. Conversion tracking is key too!
Wrapping Up the Solar SEO Guide
Phew, that SEO crash course took some focus, eh? But I hope coming from an insider perspective, you now see why search engine optimization is so invaluable for solar companies wanting to scale up sales and brand reach exponentially.
When done right, SEO for solar companies has no limits…it can take a tiny solar biz from complete unknown to becoming a household name in your area in less than a year if you play your digital cards right!
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