Helping people transition to solar is rewarding work, but reaching the right clients online can be a challenge.
When local homeowners or businesses search for solar installation services, you want them to find your business easily. That’s where local SEO comes in—it’s a powerful way to boost your visibility in local search results and attract clients looking for solar solutions right in your area.
Local SEO can help make sure your business appears front and center when people in your area search for solar solutions. In this local SEO guide for solar companies, we’ll walk through straightforward steps to improve your online visibility and connect with more local clients.
How Local SEO Works for Solar Companies
What exactly is local SEO, and why does it matter for a solar business like yours?
Local SEO is the practice of optimizing your online presence to increase your visibility in local search results. When people in your area look for services like “solar panel installation” or “solar company near me,” effective local SEO helps ensure they see your business in those results. At the heart of this strategy is creating and maintaining a detailed Google Business Profile, which makes it easy for clients to find your contact information, hours, and location. Managing customer reviews is another essential piece, as positive feedback builds trust and influences potential clients to choose your services.
Finally, optimizing your website to target local keywords and service information completes the picture, improving your chances of showing up when it matters most. Together, these steps make it easier for local customers to find and choose your business.
Building and Optimizing Your Google Business Profile for a Solar Company
Setting up your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business, or GMB) as a solar provider is one of the most effective ways to increase your visibility in local search results. Start by ensuring your business name is accurate and doesn’t include extra keywords—Google prefers your authentic business name. You can experience a rankings boost by keyword stuffing your service in your business name, but it opens you up to having your Google Business Profile banned. Next, add your physical address and avoid the temptation to hide it. A visible address is a strong ranking factor for reaching clients in your area; without it, your profile’s reach can be severely limited. Don’t forget to include accurate contact details: your phone number, email address, and website should be easy to find and kept up to date.
When it comes to categories, choose one that best represents the services you provide; for most solar businesses, “Solar Energy Company” is likely the most fitting primary category. For secondary categories, think about the additional services you offer, such as “Solar Energy System Service” or “Solar Panel Maintenance Service.” These specific categories help Google connect your business with clients searching for these services and ensure you’re reaching the right audience.
Photos and videos that highlight your work and professionalism can significantly improve your profile’s performance. Consider including images of recent installations, your team at work, or the equipment you use. Videos, especially ones that showcase the solar installation process or testimonials from satisfied clients, can be particularly engaging. Google favors profiles that are active and well-maintained, so adding media to your profile is a smart strategy.
Another important component of your GBP is reviews. Positive feedback from clients not only builds social proof but also boosts your visibility in search results. To encourage reviews, make it easy for clients to leave feedback after each job, whether by providing a direct link or kindly asking them in person. Responding to reviews, even the less-than-perfect ones, shows that you’re engaged and committed to customer satisfaction.
Beyond initial setup, your GBP needs ongoing management to stay competitive. Regularly check that your information—address, hours, contact details—remains accurate, especially if anything changes over time. Outdated information can lead to frustrated customers or missed opportunities, so keep your details current. Seasonal updates, like adding hours or service notes specific to certain times of year, can also help your profile stand out.
Posting updates through your Google Business Profile is another great way to keep your listing fresh. These could include announcements about special offers, new services, or even educational posts about the benefits of solar energy. Google values profiles with regular updates, and clients are more likely to see you as a proactive, engaged business when they see current, relevant posts.
By setting up, optimizing, and actively managing your Google Business Profile, you’ll increase your chances of appearing in front of the right local clients, making it easier for them to choose your solar company. A well-maintained profile shows potential clients that you’re professional, trusted, and available to help them make the switch to solar.
Building Trust for Your Solar Company with Positive Reviews
Positive reviews are essential for the success of your Google Business Profile, as they not only build trust with potential clients but also improve your ranking in local search results. Solar business owners should make it a habit to respond to all reviews, whether they’re positive or negative, to show clients they’re engaged and committed to great service. Encourage satisfied clients to leave feedback by making it easy—your team can ask directly, or you can provide a review link in follow-up emails or on receipts. The more reviews you gather, the stronger your profile’s online reputation will be.
Keyword Research for Local Solar Panel Providers
To get started with local keyword research for your solar business, choose a keyword research tool that fits your budget and needs. For newer companies or those with tighter budgets, affordable tools like Keysearch or Keyword Chef offer solid keyword insights without the high price tag.
If you’re looking for a broader set of SEO features, more advanced options like Ahrefs or SEMRush are available, though they tend to be pricier and may include functionality beyond what you need. Once you’ve selected your tool, begin with simple “seed” keywords, such as “solar panel installation + [your location].” These straightforward terms often have the highest search volume for local searches, making them prime candidates for your location-based service pages.
After identifying your main keywords, look for relevant secondary keywords to use throughout your site’s content. Secondary keywords, like “solar energy solutions [location]” or “residential solar installation [location],” help capture additional search traffic by broadening your reach. Including these keywords naturally in your website’s text, headings, and meta descriptions can improve your chances of ranking for a wider range of search terms. By layering in primary and secondary keywords, you’ll create a stronger online presence that aligns with what local customers are actually searching for.
Structuring Your Website for Local SEO Success as a Solar Business
Building a local SEO-friendly website for your solar business starts with choosing a primary keyword for each page and optimizing your site around it. For example, if your main service area is Kansas City, you might target “solar company Kansas City” on your homepage, focusing all homepage content around this term to clearly define its purpose for both users and search engines. Beyond the homepage, creating dedicated location pages for surrounding cities helps you reach clients in multiple areas. These pages can focus on specific terms, like “solar panel installation Overland Park” or “solar panel installation Lee’s Summit,” to extend your visibility across your full service area.
There are several ways to structure your location pages, and there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach; the best structure often depends on your business’s specific services and goals. However, it’s essential to avoid targeting the same keyword on multiple pages, as this can lead to keyword cannibalization, where your pages end up competing with each other in search results. Instead, assign a unique keyword focus to each page to ensure they complement rather than compete with one another. By defining clear topics and keywords for each page, you create a website structure that supports better rankings and a more streamlined user experience.
Mastering On-Page SEO to Boost Your Solar Services Website
On-page SEO is an essential part of strengthening your solar business website’s search engine rankings. The process begins by selecting a primary keyword or topic to focus on, such as “solar company Kansas City” as the topic for your page. Once you’ve chosen this, you’ll want to incorporate synonyms or related terms throughout your page’s content. For example, phrases like “solar panel installation” or “renewable energy solutions” can help diversify your text while still targeting the main topic.
The primary keyword should appear in key areas of the page to ensure search engines understand its relevance. This includes placing it in your title tag, meta description, H2 headings, and naturally within the body of the content. But a truly effective on-page SEO strategy goes beyond just the main keyword—this is where local entity optimization comes in. Entities are terms that are closely related to your primary keyword but aren’t traditionally thought of as keywords themselves. For instance, a page targeting “solar company Kansas City” may also reference terms like “energy efficiency,” “environmental impact,” or “sustainable energy.”
While you might naturally use these terms as you create content, using tools like SurferSEO or Frase.io can help you identify other relevant entities that are ranking well alongside your target keywords. These on-page SEO tools provide insights into what terms Google associates with your main topic, helping you incorporate them at a reasonable frequency. Even if you’re already an expert in solar services, leveraging these tools can refine your content and improve its ranking potential by ensuring you’re not overlooking important related terms.
Building Citations and Backlinks to Boost Your Solar Business SEO
Building citations and backlinks are two key components of local SEO that can strengthen your solar company’s online presence. Citations are essentially mentions of your business—along with your name, address, and phone number (NAP)—on local business directories like Yelp, Yellow Pages, and others. While citations don’t have as much of a direct impact on rankings as other SEO factors, they signal to Google that your business is a real business. You can build citations manually by submitting your business information to directories, or use tools like BrightLocal to streamline the process. It’s best if your information is consistent across all platforms to avoid confusion and strengthen your local SEO, but it’s not something to obsess over, as it’s not a very heavily-weighted ranking factor.
Backlinks are another ranking signal for Google and other search engines like Bing. When another reputable website links to your solar company’s website, it’s like a vote of confidence, indicating that your content is trustworthy and valuable. High-quality backlinks are harder to acquire but can significantly improve your rankings. For solar businesses, some ideal sources for backlinks include local news outlets and solar industry publications.
Effective strategies for building backlinks include guest posting on reputable websites, creating linkable assets such as informative pages (e.g., statistics about the solar industry), and engaging in digital PR efforts. These methods can attract backlinks, helping your website gain authority and improve its visibility in search results.
Why Mobile Optimization Matters for Your Solar Services Website
In today’s digital landscape, having a mobile-friendly website is essential for solar businesses. The majority of website visitors now access sites from mobile devices, meaning your site needs to be easy to navigate on smartphones and tablets. A mobile-optimized site ensures that potential clients can quickly find the information they need, no matter where they are. If your website isn’t mobile-friendly, you risk losing valuable traffic and customers.
Building a Winning Local SEO Strategy for Your Solar Business
Implementing a consistent local SEO strategy is key to growing your solar business online. By optimizing your Google Business Profile and your website for local searches, you can position your company to rank higher in local search results. Consistency is important—regularly updating your content and collecting reviews helps reinforce your local presence and credibility.
If managing your solar business’s SEO feels overwhelming, we’re here to help. At Galactic Turtle, we offer professional local SEO services for solar companies like yours, helping you attract more local leads to drive sustainable growth. Contact us here to get the ball rolling.
