Jack, the Jack Russel terrier that owned the shop, quickly became the face of the brand and was successfully incorporated across all social channels.
Local SEO Grows This Austin Plumbing Contractor’s Business
Locally focused social media marketing and local SEO is the great equalizer that enables independent retailers and service providers to compete against major national brands and regional franchises. The reality, though, is that for many, using Google to gain advantage all too often ends up being occasional posts to a personal Facebook page.
Projects included the design and implementation of an original brand identity, a website, a self-hosted blog, several social channels maintained with both created and curated content, publicity and promotion, and one-off design projects.
Last spring a 10-year relationship with Austin, TX plumbing contractor Wilson Plumbing came to an end. During that time, a company with no prior social footprint, no internet presence, and no paid marketing or advertising, grew to over $2M in sales, all derived from a narrowly defined by zip code local market of a relatively few square miles.
Animated GIF featured a seasonal banner to promote services, upgrades, and remodels.
The initial goal was to become locally visible to Google in every way possible, so that whenever any Austinite—we weren’t concerned with hits from Chicago—Googled “plumber” Wilson Plumbing would turn up early on SERP, ideally page one.
Services Provided
- Website Design and Production
- Branding – logotype
- Social Media Content and Curation
- Google My Business Optimization
- Publicity and Promotion
- Graphic Design Art Direction
- Copywriting
- Asset Maintenance
Projects included the design and rollout of an original brand identity, a brochure website that featured a self-hosted blog, several social channels maintained with both created and curated content, publicity and promotion, and one-off design projects.
A Fresh Logotype, and A Four-Legged Celebrity
With nothing but a bare bones 2-color hard copy business card as the basis for an identity, the original concept was updated to a modern, digital art file suitable for multi-media use at any resolution.
The original logo was a scanned raster image file created from a well-worn business card.
The refreshed design was a contemporary vector update that could be rendered at any resolution while retaining the original feel.
Branded graphics were created as needed to celebrate holidays and inform about services.
The new interpretation of the original mark stressed the Texas roots of the company, with a nod towards the original color theme and added 3-D depth for interest. Jack the Shop Dog (top), was an instant hit and immediately became the hub of the brand identity wheel.
Marketing was driven by a well-fed Twitter feed and Facebook page, supported with a robust Google My Business presence, and invaluable word-of-mouth garnered from community tie-ins.
Using Google Search to Level the Playing Field
Organic search for key words is what propelled the client to consistent rank page one for SERP.
Achieving visibility in Austin’s crowded to excess marketplace was aided by the optimization of Google My Business and Yelp assets, along with a robust local Better Business Bureau, where the client enjoyed AAA+ ratings, and membership in Angie’s List referral service. A positive rating on all four platforms was consistently included on the social platforms, with appropriate hashtags used to help potential customers discover the brand.
Local SEO Propels Business to Google Page One SERP Results
Constant monitoring of the SEO associated with Austinites in need of plumbing resulted in Wilson Plumbing consistently showed up on Google page one SERP requests for Austin plumbers, in an upscale market that’s awash in plumbing goods and service providers. Over 70-percent of all the web traffic originated locally, a nice number that definitely hits the target if your business operates out of a single in-town address and the service radius is primarily limited to 10 miles or less.
Angie’s List membership, and winning numerous Super Service awards, was a big referral driver.
Social media services included the curation, creation, and scheduling of posts to Twitter and Facebook on a weekly basis. In addition WordPress blog content was created and posted that included environmental, architectural, and community projects as well as plumbing topics. By consistently posting content that 1) went beyond plumbing to include architecture, design, horticulture, the environment, etc., and 2) was of interest to the local community, the client benefited from the good will generated, as well as conventional inquiries for typical plumbing services.
For more information on how I can help your business achieve success, visit Siebenthaler Creative Services.