Roofing SEO That Moves the Needle: Money Keywords, City Pages, GBP, Backlinks & a 90-Day Plan
What can a roofing contractor do right now to improve SEO without hiring an agency? Short answer: focus on the few heavy-weight factors that move rankings in your city. Google has “200+ factors,” but a handful do most of the work—especially in local roofing.
Below is a practical, step-by-step playbook you can implement yourself. We’ll cover money keywords, title/H1 best practices, city pages, Google Business Profile (GBP), content cadence, backlinks, using AI the right way, and how to vet SEO vendors so you don’t get burned.
Start With “Money Keywords” (Intent > Traffic)
Money keywords are the searches that lead directly to paying jobs in your service area. They’re not national phrases or vanity keywords—they’re local, high-intent searches like:
roofing [city] [state]
roofing company [city] [state]
roofing contractor [city] [state]
roofers [city] [state]
If you only fix one thing this week, make sure these phrases appear verbatim in the right places on your site.
Where to put them (in order of impact)
Title tag (the blue link in Google)
Example:
#1 Roofing Company in Spokane, WA | Bumblebee Roofing
H1 (main page heading)
Example:
Spokane, WA Roofing Company
Meta description (supports CTR; not a ranking factor, but matters)
Example:
Need a trusted roofing contractor in Spokane, WA? Free inspections, top reviews, and fast scheduling. Call now.
Section headings (H2/H3) + body copy
Image alt text (descriptive, not stuffed)
Tip: Include both “WA” and “Washington” variants somewhere on the page naturally to capture both styles users type.
If you’re unsure which single phrase to feature in the Title/H1, choose “roofing company [city] [state]” ~90% of the time. Work the other variations into H2s and body content.
“How Do I Rank in Multiple Cities?” (Without Stuffing)
Old tactic: slap a list of 25 cities on your home page and pray.
New tactic (what works now): create a dedicated “City Page” for each location/service combo you want to rank for.
City Page rules (that actually work)
One primary service + city per page (e.g., Roof Replacement in Coeur d’Alene, ID).
Use the money keyword in the Title, H1, and URL:
Include local signals: neighborhoods, landmarks, job photos from that city, driving directions (“10 minutes from Riverstone Park”), permits/insurance notes, testimonials from residents.
Add a clear offer/CTA and embedded map.
Internally link from the Home and Service hub pages to each city page.
Target 20–30 city pages to start (towns and neighborhoods count). This builds local authority (Google trusts you cover the geography) and opens new ranking doors.
Connect GBP to the Matching City Page
Your Google Business Profile (GBP—formerly GMB) is half the battle in local. Two must-do items:
Show a physical address if at all possible.
Service-area-only profiles can rank, but profiles with visible addresses often outrank in maps—especially if your competitors show an address.
If you don’t want to use your home, consider a legit co-working/office suite you can verify by video (desk, logo, conference room).
Link your GBP to the matching city page, not always your home page.
If your GBP address is in Spokane, link GBP →
/roofing-spokane-wa/. Google loves “same-city to same-city” relevance. Many contractors jump into the Top 3 in days from this one change.
Ongoing GBP signals that help
Post weekly (repurpose blog content into short updates with a “Read more” link).
Add photos/videos of crews, materials, before/after shots.
Ask for Google reviews on every closed job; respond to all reviews.
Fill all profile fields—categories, services, hours, attributes, social links.
On-Page Checklist (Do This in the Next 48 Hours)
Title tag: includes “roofing company [city] [state]” near the front.
H1 matches local intent: “[City, ST] Roofing Company”.
URL clean and short:
/roofing-[city]-[st].First 100 words mention service + city.
Clear primary CTA (call, form, online scheduling).
Fast load (Core Web Vitals), mobile-first layout.
NAP consistency in footer (Name, Address, Phone).
Schema (LocalBusiness / RoofingContractor) if possible.
Internal links to top money pages from blog posts (more below).
Content That Builds Authority (Blogs & Cadence)
Blogs don’t have to be fancy. Their main job in local SEO is to build topical authority and internally vote for your money pages.
Cadence
With AI + light editing, realistic output is 3–6 quality posts/week.
Batch them and schedule publish (WordPress makes this easy).
Topics that win
“Roof Replacement Cost in [City, ST] (2025 Guide)”
“Architectural Shingles vs. Metal in [City] Weather”
“Do You Need a Permit for Roof Replacement in [City]?”
“Hail Damage Checklist for [City] Homeowners”
“Best Roof Ventilation Options for [City] Homes”
“How Long Does a Roof Install Take in [City]?”
Internal linking rule (critical)
Every blog should link to:
The primary money page (e.g.,
/roofing-spokane-wa/)The contact/scheduling page
1–2 related service or city pages
This internal “voting” funnels authority to the pages that actually make you money.
Backlinks: The Votes That Make You Trusted
Backlinks are votes of confidence. Not all votes are equal. A single industry-relevant guest post can beat 100 weak directory links.
What counts as a good backlink
Comes from a home-improvement/real-estate or local news site.
Placed inside a new article relevant to roofing/home projects.
The site has real traffic (not a dead link farm).
Mentions your brand + links naturally to your money page or city page.
Examples
A local lifestyle site publishes “How to Prep Your Home for Winter in Spokane” and links to your Spokane roofing page.
A home-improvement blog covers “Choosing Shingles for Snowy Climates” and cites your case study.
How many to start?
Budget $500–$1,000/month for quality guest posts + foundational citations. Two great links can move the needle more than 20 junk links.
Where do you get them?
Reputable outreach vendors (many sell to agencies; you can work with them directly).
Local sponsorships (youth sports, charities with legit sites).
PR hits (local news on storm response, homeowner education).
Does Paid Traffic Help SEO?
Directly paying Google doesn’t boost organic. But traffic itself can correlate with faster ranking improvements (more user signals). If Google Ads, Facebook, or YouTube send engaged local visitors to your city page, it can help Google recognize that page is useful.
Key is relevance: local traffic → local page → visible engagement (calls, forms, booking).
Time on Page vs. Conversion (Don’t Misread KPIs)
A shorter “time on page” isn’t always bad. If a homeowner lands, instantly finds your phone number or books a time, that’s success. Google’s smart enough to weigh task completion signals, not just dwell time.
Design pages to convert quickly—clear headline, obvious CTAs, fast forms/scheduling, click-to-call on mobile.
Thank You Page vs. Online Scheduling (Quick Advice)
Thank You Page can work if you call/text immediately (even nights).
Online Scheduling often wins because it “closes the loop” for the homeowner—appointment set, confirmations sent, everyone relaxes.
If you want us to help you fill your calendar while you dial in SEO, check out our exclusive appointment systems for contractors:
90-Day Roofing SEO Plan (DIY)
Week 1–2
Pick primary money keyword + write new Title/H1/URL for your main city page.
Fix NAP + footer address, add LocalBusiness schema if possible.
Connect GBP → matching city page.
Create a scheduling page and add to header/CTA.
Week 3–6
Build 10–15 city pages (unique content: photos, reviews, local details).
Publish 12–18 blog posts (3/week) with internal links to money pages.
Order citations (foundational directories) and 1–2 quality guest posts.
Week 7–10
Add photos/videos to GBP; start weekly GBP posts (repurpose blogs).
Secure 2–3 more guest posts; pursue one local news/PR mention.
Speed tune: compress images, lazy-load, fix CLS.
Week 11–12
Add 5–10 more city pages.
Publish another 6–12 blogs.
Review rankings & calls; double-down on pages moving up; expand similar pages.
Rinse and repeat. Local SEO is a flywheel: strong pages → more calls → more reviews → better rankings → more jobs.
How to Interview an SEO (and Avoid the Junk)
Red-flag responses you might hear:
“We’ll rank you with one blog/month.” (2025 reality: leverage AI + editors for volume and quality.)
“City lists on your home page are enough.” (No—dedicated city pages win.)
“We don’t really do backlinks.” (Translation: you’ll never outrank serious competitors.)
“It’ll take 6–12 months before you see anything.” (You should see movement in weeks if fundamentals/backlinks are done.)
Good questions to ask
Show me a recent high-quality backlink you placed for a roofer.
Look for a relevant site, new article, contextual link—not a spammy directory.
Which money keyword will you target on my primary page, and what will my Title/H1 be?
How many city pages will you build, and what will be unique on each?
How will you use AI to increase output without hurting quality?
What’s the monthly plan for internal links from blogs to money pages?
Will you link my GBP to my matching city page? (It matters.)
Frequently Asked Questions (Quick Answers)
Q: Can I hide my address on GBP?
A: You can, but visible addresses often rank better in maps. If you won’t use your home, consider a legit co-working address you can verify by video.
Q: How many backlinks do I need?
A: Quality beats quantity. Budget $500–$1,000/month; 2–3 strong, relevant links can move you more than 20 weak ones.
Q: How many blogs per week?
A: With AI + editing, 3–6/week is achievable and effective. Always link each post to your money page(s).
Q: Do Google Ads help organic rankings?
A: Paying Google doesn’t. But real traffic and engagement can correlate with faster organic improvement.
Want the Fast Track?
If you’d rather focus on installs while we fill the pipeline, we generate exclusive homeowner appointments for contractors nationwide:
Final Take
Local roofing SEO isn’t about mastering 200 factors. It’s about nailing the fundamentals better than your competitors:
Put money keywords in your Title/H1/URL
Build unique city pages (with real local proof)
Tie GBP → matching city page, post weekly, earn reviews
Publish consistent helpful content and internally link it to money pages
Acquire a few great backlinks every month
Track calls, bookings, and keep going
Do that, and you’ll outrank most roofers in your market—without handing your budget to an agency that does “one blog a month.”
