Marketing in the construction industry has very much evolved over time. While word-of-mouth and referrals remain very powerful, the digital era has introduced new tools that can supercharge your leads. Whether you're a local builder, a construction supplier, or a tradesperson, understanding how to market your business online is essential for generating leads and staying ahead of the competition.

In this blog, we’ll focus on pay-per-click advertising (PPC) and local search engine optimisation (SEO), alongside the importance of tracking and analytics to maximise your return on investment - which is vital you keep an eye on.

1. Why Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising Works for Construction Companies

PPC advertising, particularly Google Ads, is a very powerful tool for construction businesses alike. It allows you to target potential customers who are already searching for companies like yours. Whether it’s “construction companies near me” or “loft conversion specialists,” PPC puts your business at the top of search results instantly at the right time.

Key Benefits:

Immediate Coverage: Your ads appear at the top of search engine results, giving you a head start over competitors relying solely on organic traffic - which can take months to build.
Highly Targeted Traffic: You can target any location, demographics, and even times of day to ensure your budget is well-spent.
Cost Control: PPC is flexible; you only pay when someone clicks on your ad, and you can adjust your daily budget anytime to suit your company goals.

PPC Tips for Construction Businesses:

Use Location Targeting: Try and focus on specific areas where your services are most in demand. For example, if you’re based in Manchester, focus a radius around the city.
Bid on High-Intent Keywords: Terms like “affordable builders in [City]” or “kitchen renovation experts” typically convert better as they have a higher intent.
Include a very Clear Call-to-Action (CTA): Phrases like “Request a Free Quote” or “Book a Consultation Today” can increase your click-through rates.
Leverage Google’s Local Services Ads: These ads are perfect for local service providers and they include trust badges, making your business stand out vs your competitors.

2. Why Local SEO for Construction Companies Works.

PPC is a great way to gain instant leads , however, local SEO is the long-term strategy that ensures your business ranks organically on the search engines.

Local SEO Basics:

Google Business Profile(GBP): Ensure the Set up has been complete and optimise your GMB profile. Include accurate business information, high-quality images of your work, and collect reviews from satisfied clients.
Local Keywords: Use location-specific keywords in your website content, meta tags, and headings. For example, “Bristol home builders” or “roofing services in Sheffield.”
Local Citations: Ensure your business information is consistent across online directories like Yelp, Checkatrade, and Houzz. The name, address and phone number (NAP) needs to be consistent across the board.
Mobile Optimisation: Most local searches happen on mobile devices. Make sure your website is mobile-friendly and loads quickly. Customers have a very short attention span, so if your’e website is slow you are already at a disadvantage.

Advanced Local SEO Tips:

Showcase Reviews: Great reviews on Google and other platforms can really boost your local SEO and build trust with potential customers.
Create Location Specific Pages: If you serve multiple cities, create a dedicated page for each location, optimised with unique material and local keywords that are suitable for the location in question.
Use Schema Markup: Add structured data to your website to help search engines understand your business and display rich results - this is an underrated tactic.

3. Tracking and Analytics: The Key to Success

Both PPC and SEO require tracking to measure their performance and there return on investment. Without visual data, it’s virtually impossible to know if your efforts are paying off. Here’s how to stay on top of your construction marketing campaigns:

Tools You Need:

Google Analytics: Track website traffic, user behaviour, and conversion rates of your website.
Google Ads Dashboard: Monitor your PPC performance, including cost-per-click (CPC) and return on ad spend (ROAS). You will need to keep track of this process.
Call Tracking Software: If most of your leads come through phone calls, tools like CallRail can help you attribute calls to specific campaigns.
Heatmaps: Tools like Hotjar show how customers interact with your website, highlighting areas for improvement.

Metrics to Keep An Eye On:

Conversion Rate: How many visitors take the desired action (e.g., submit a contact form, call you, etc.)? This is vital to monitor if you plan to improve.
Cost Per Lead: How much are you spending to acquire a single lead through PPC?
Keyword Rankings: Track how your targeted keywords perform over time in organic search results.
Bounce Rate: A high bounce rate may indicate that your website isn’t providing the information visitors need and this needs looking into.

4. Combining PPC, Local SEO, and Tracking

To maximise your marketing efforts and ROI, combine PPC and local SEO while consistently analysing performance. For example:

Use PPC to Test Keywords: The data from your PPC campaigns can inform your SEO strategy by highlighting which keywords drive the most conversions.
Optimise Landing Pages for SEO and PPC: Ensure your landing pages load quickly and are mobile friendly to your end customer in mind.
Leverage Data for Retargeting: Use Google Ads retargeting to show ads to people who have already visited your site but didn’t convert in the first instance

5. Why Marketing Matters in Construction

In the construction industry, competition is extremely fierce and competitive, and customers are often looking for trustworthy and professional services. Online marketing ensures that your business is visible, credible, and accessible when potential clients search online for you.

Conclusion
Marketing for a construction company doesn’t have to be difficult or scary. By leveraging PPC for immediate results, optimising for local SEO for long-term growth, and tracking performance to refine your approach, you can position your business as a leader in your area. Focus on creating value for your clients and showcasing your expertise, and the leads will follow.

Ready to get started? Contact us today to learn how we can help your construction business grow!

How to Do Marketing for a Construction Company: PPC, Local SEO, and Tracking