It’s hard to keep up with all the acronyms the youth are throwing around these days. Seven times out of ten, when we say "SEO" we're talking about being “Simply Excited [for] Oreos.” Today, we'll look at the definition for that last three out of ten, Search Engine Optimization, which is an aspect of the branch of marketing known as SEM (another pesky acronym; Search Engine Marketing).

SEO won’t soon replace acronyms like TTYL in a sign-off text to your mom or OOO when you've had a late night and know you won't be fully mentally present till noon at the earliest. But it’s crucial to understand how Search Engine Optimization (SEO) software could be a pillar of your marketing strategy. Almost as important as dunking your Oreos in milk; the upgrade to texture and temperature is truly a scientific phenomenon like none other. Okay, we should move on.

SEO Basics (with and without software)

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is your magic key to organic marketing on all social media platforms. If you’re thinking about diving into the world of social media marketing for your business, congrats! Read “Social Media Best Practices for General Contractors” for some inspiration.

SEO is using words and phrases (called keywords) that Google likes in all your content. If used properly, Google will promote your website and resources at a higher volume and ranking on their search engines.

Here’s an example scenario of a construction management company that uses SEO, and one that does not while launching a new service… a specialized approach to contracting data centers.

In this example, Company 1 uses SEO, and Company 2 does not. For the sake of this hypothetical situation, we'll talk solely about a digital marketing strategy.

Company 1:

• Launches initiative to take on more data centers for their clientele.
• The SEO research starts early (generally 1-2 months before product launch) with the tactical aid of SEO software.
• Through email workflows and content marketing, words and phrases like “data centers are the future,” or “the easiest way to contract a data center,” or "best data center general contractors in Dallas" are used consistently.
• Company 1’s credibility is increasing over these 2 months on Google, customers are flocking to their website to learn more about data centers (organic marketing is trial and error, but there’s a chance this could happen. This is all a volume game.)
• The foundation for the data center initiative is set, and Google and Company 1’s customers have already been thinking about the initiative for 2 months.
• Even new customers find their website on Google since it is higher on search volume.
• The sun shines brightly on the future of glimmering data centers.

Company 2:

• Launches the initiative through Facebook and LinkedIn posts.
• Doesn't implement SEO; merely states that the new service is available.
• The message fails to reach new customers because of the low traction on Google and only reaches a fraction of their current audience before being buried in the social feeds.
• One current client "likes" the post but isn’t in the market for contracting a data center (aka, missed target audience).
• Doom. No, not the 1993 computer game (we wish).

There is a lot at stake here. Keep in mind what Kristopher Jones, Founder of LSEO once said about marketing,

“No matter how niche or mainstream your market is, great content remains a significant focus for SEO.”

General Contractor + SEO Software = dream team?

Great news. You do not have to implement SEO without automated tools or resources. There are plenty of SEO software options available for your company to utilize (including many more not listed in this blog), without being completely overwhelmed by the constantly changing SEO standards of practice.

As SEO software users ourselves, take our word for it that the softwares more than pay for themselves and do the grunt-work of multiple people. Tech fatigue is real, and the last thing we want to do is add another precarious Jenga block to your stack. However, SEO software is the closest thing to a requirement in today's world of digital marketing.

The top 3 SEO software that we recommend include:

Semrush

Semrush is extremely intuitive and user-friendly and made to accommodate business owners. Semrush wears all the hats with content marketing, SEO, social media, data analytics, and more.

The main uses for Semrush are:

• Uncover millions of national & local keywords
• Analyze any domain’s backlink profile; which sites are linking other sites that contain content in the realm you're looking to rank in? Chances are, these sites will want to feature your content too (and backlinks pad how much Google likes your pages).
• Competitor analysis; perfect for checking which keywords your competitors get their organic traffic from and which pages are the volume cash cows.
• Run technical SEO audits; how are your pages performing now?
• Content marketing platform; schedule posts from here, though this is for the higher tier of the service.

Semrush is a great tool for using trending keywords to create blog posts, social media copy, and more. The pairing of Semrush and Google Trends is a great way to start implementing SEO into your marketing right away.  

Pricing:

Pro: $119.95/month

Guru: $229.95/month

Business: $449.95/month

Note that these prices are for one "power user." Additional fees accrue when you want to add users. Here are all the feature differences between the pricing options.

ahrefs

ahrefs takes an even more modern approach to SEO software. They claim that although it can’t create perfectly optimized pages for you (AI is advanced but, probably for the best, not that advanced), it can help equip you to understand how to reach these goals yourselves. This is true for all SEO software.

Some unique traits for ahrefs include:

• Free academy videos
• A site audit tool (this can be expensive to contract)
• A content explorer tool that provides content ideas

Pricing:

Lite: $99/month

Standard: $199/month

Advanced: $399/month

Enterprise: $999/month

Here are all the feature differences between the pricing options. Like Semrush, additional users cost more per month (though split between "casual" and "power" users).

SE Ranking

SE Ranking claims to have 100% accurate keyword tracking by providing real-time ranking positions of your website’s keywords across major search engines.

SE Ranking is set apart by:

• Page changes monitoring on your website and your competitor’s sites.
• Automated social media posting.
• Search volume checker (How many people are searching for the best way to eat an Oreo?)

SE Ranking has a strong focus on social media, which is helpful if your company is not trying to hire a separate social media professional.

Pricing:

Essential: $39.20/month

Pro: $87.20/month

Business: $191.20/month

Here are all the feature differences between the pricing options.

Ubersuggest is one other SEO software and has a free trial version that'll let you get an idea of how SEO software generally works before committing to any one. Additionally, YouTube has plenty of tutorials and reviews of all mentioned services. The team at Buildr recommends.... [drumroll] Semrush! But we leave it to you to make the final judgment.

The pitfalls of SEO software

While SEO software has a plethora of useful features, there are some pitfalls to avoid, mostly caused by human error.

For example: keyword stuffing. Keyword stuffing is when a company is keyword-hungry and fills every sentence, advertisement, and social media post with keywords in an obvious manner that is spotted a mile away by consumers and algorithm alike.

Keyword stuffing is obvious to consumers, but also to the social media platforms. Twitter and Instagram will flag your account if there is an obvious use-case of keyword stuffing. Don't forget the name of the game is quality over quantity when it comes to keywords and phrases.

On the topic of backlinks, it's worth noting that not all backlinks are created equal. Similar to Google favoring quality over quality in your content, the quality of backlinks matter. Even though SEO software will push you to blindly attain other sites linking to yours, keep in mind that poor quality backlinks can actually hurt you more than help you.

SEO software is a great idea for all general contractors, no matter your annualized construction volume, to understand organic marketing and SEO research. At the end of the day, SEO software won’t do all the work for you, so take the time to research the software of your choice and choose the program that'll let you accomplish the page ranking goals you set for yourself.

Remember that good things take time. Like a perfect Cream Bruleé, an entire sleeve of Oreos, and especially a successful SEO strategy.

For our introductory SEO guide where software use was briefly touched on, check out our blog, 5 SEO Tips for General Contractors.

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