Attract More Clients With Highly Targeted

Pest Control Company SEO

pest control companies seo portland

Written By: Joey Randazzo

Joey Randazzo is the owner and Founder of Portland SEO Growth Partners based in Portland, OR. He’s worked with hundreds of businesses to build growth-centric SEO campaigns.

Updated: January 11th, 2023

This Pest Control SEO Guide Has Been Comprehensively Updated for 2023

Due to consistent algorithm updates, the relatively recent Helpful Content Update in late 2022, we’ve updated the written content that already existed on the page. We’ve written new content. And we’ve filmed new video content. Everything is up-to-date, fresh, and helpful for your pest control business to dominate Google for 2023.

How We Help Pest Control Companies Grow Their Practice & See A

5.7x ROI on Their Monthly SEO Investment

Increase Google Rankings

Get your pest control company’s website ranking on Google for high-value keywords that homeowners, renters, and business owners are searching for.

More High-Quality Web Traffic

Get more interested customers needing pest control services coming to your website each month.

Increased Leads & Phone Calls

Get more motivated homeowners and business owners calling your pest control company to schedule visits.

You Get Your Time Back

Stop having your receptionist or technician write blog content or try to figure out digital marketing on their own.

Here's What You Want To See With Your Pest Control Company Website & SEO

When Someone Types "Pest Control Company Near Me" Into Google, You Show Up Here …

pest control companies featured snippet

When Someone Types "Pest Control Company Near Me" Into Google, You Show Up Here …

Think about how people search for pest control services. They’re probably frustrated with the constant army of ants marching through their kitchen or the termites eating away at their wood siding. They pull out their smartphones and begin searching for a pest control company that can get rid of those crawling critters for good.

They go to Google and type in something like “Pest Control Companies Near Me” – the FIRST thing to show up is the Maps area of Google called the Google Local Pack. The exterminators that show up here “win” and get the most phone calls.

When Someone Types "Best Pest Control Company in [City]" Into Google, You Show
Up Here …

pest control companies featured snippet 1

When homeowners are looking for exterminators, they often use the language of “best pest control company near me” or “best pest control company in [city].” 

The exterminators that rank in the Maps area for these keywords get the most website visitors and phone calls. 

pest control companies featured snippet 1

When Someone Types Questions Into Google Like "How Do I Get Rid of Termites," You Show Up Here …

When Someone Types Questions Into Google Like "How Do I Get Rid of Termites," You Show Up Here …

Homeowners with pest control problems ask tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of questions on Google each day. Questions like:

  • “How do I get rid of termites?”
  • “What are the best exterminators in Portland, OR?”
  • “Termites eating away my wood siding”

Ranking for these keywords in Google proves that your website is an “authority” and can be trusted.

People Are Searching Differently For Pest Control Companies Than They Used To

Just take a look and see the increase in people searching for “pest control company near me” over the last five years. 

This screenshot above comes from a tool called Google Trends (a tool created by Google itself). You can see the trend in the number of people searching for “pest control company near me.”

See the Common Theme? You Want to Increase Your Pest Control Company's Digital Presence Online to Be Found By Motivated Homeowners, Renters, and Business Owners

At the end of the day, you want more people in your city to know that you exist. Whenever they do a Google search online around pest control companies, you want to show up over your competitors. 

 

How Do You Get Tangible Results With Pest Control Company SEO Services?

Step 1: Comprehensive SEO Audit

Most SEO companies fail to complete this step. Don’t skip the most important step of all!

You won’t be able to get where you want to be if you don’t even know where you are.

We recommend doing a comprehensive SEO audit to determine:

  • Your current SEO performance 
  • Your current SEO errors
  • What your local competitors are doing
  • Your technical SEO performance
  • And more

Step 2: Local SEO Visibility Audit

Increasing your “local visibility,” as we call it, is the number one goal for pest control company SEO.

We run an “SEO visibility test” on your business using a robust and powerful third-party tool. This allows us to see how visible your business is on Google.

The report looks like this:

Step 3: Create a Roadmap Based on Data

The SEO audit and the local SEO visibility audit give us a lot of data. 

SEO for pest control companies should be strategized based on data. Most other SEO companies don’t do this! Instead, they rely on a  “hunch” that something will work. 

We, on the other hand, recommend creating a comprehensive roadmap based on the data. For example, if the data show us a slow loading time on your website, it should be fixed first because it is negatively affecting your performance.

Step 4: Implement Highest Priority Changes First

Here’s the thing: Not all SEO activities are created equal or deliver the same results.

Updating the alt text for images on a blog post that’s 5 years old won’t have the same impact as improving your homepage’s content.

Based on the data we gather about your website, we target the “low hanging fruit” opportunities first. 

Maybe you don’t have a Google Business Profile set up. Or maybe you don’t even know what Google Business Profile is. You should do this ASAP.

Or, what if you don’t have Service Pages specifically for “termites?” Build those service pages first before you do things like add images to your About Us page. 

Step 5: Local SEO Best Practices & Content Creation at Scale

Local SEO for pest control companies can be narrowed down to:

  • Consistent information that Google trusts
  • Authority
  • Accurate information

Having the same number on your website and your Facebook page is crucial. Those sorts of discrepancies are red flags for Google.

Why? Google wants to be sure that they can trust that if a user tries to give you a call that they’ll actually get in touch with you.

Correct NAPs (Name, Address, and Phone Number) on high-authority directories across the internet is crucial.

Content is the magic piece that builds your company’s authority. Providing content that adds value to your readers helps Google see your company as one that is more authoritative than an exterminator that has little to no content on its site.

Step 6: Meticulously Track Data

More phone calls and more website traffic are ways SEO can impact your pest control business. Those are the first and most simple steps to creating more revenue for your company.

There’s no way to tell if your SEO campaign is performing if you don’t keep track of the data. Therefore, you’ll want to build a complete and full dashboard that gives insights into your:

  • Keyword rankings
  • Website visitors
  • Phone calls
  • And other important KPIs (Key Performance Indicators)

Top 4 Common SEO Mistakes Made by Pest Control Companies

We all make mistakes, but making SEO mistakes can have negative effects on your company’s growth.  So, let’s look at some common SEO mistakes that pest control companies make, so you can avoid them.

Mistake 1: They Don’t Fill Out Their Google Business Profile in Detail

Pay attention to detail, especially when it comes to the details of your Google Business Profile listing.

At a minimum, you’ll want to include these basic details about your pest control business:

  • Address 
  • Phone numbers
  • Hours of operation
  • Main category; and
  • Website link

But you can do even better than that by adding more specific information like:

  • Service descriptions
  • List of the secondary services your business provides
  • Any other characteristics of your business

And what about photos? Give your potential customers a clear vision of what your company is all about by providing lots of photos that show:

  • The front view of your headquarters 
  • Technicians servicing customers
  • A service technician with his vehicle and equipment

And in addition to the many photos, consider including a video that shows what your company is about and what makes it stand out from the competition.

Google and clients both love seeing as much information about your business as possible.

Mistake 2: They Don’t List All of Their Services Properly on Their Website

Suppose you list these services on your website:

  • Mosquito control
  • Fire ant control
  • Termite control
  • Bed bugs
  • And more

That’s a great start, but you can do better than a bulleted list.

Content creation is key to maximizing your ranking based on relevant keywords and valuable content.

Instead of settling with a simple list, create individual pages for each of your services. For example, your URL for termite control might look like this: [website]/services/termite-control.

And think about what your potential clients are searching for when they go to Google. If they are searching for keywords like, “how do I get rid of mosquitoes in my yard,” make sure you have a page that answers their questions.

Mistake 3: They Fail to Create Data-Driven Content That Adds Value to Their Target Audience

Data is extremely important when it comes to the success of your SEO strategy. Look at the data and provide content in keeping with the data you find.

For example, pest control companies may be tempted to create content based on what they think their potential customers are looking for. But then, when they do keyword research, they find their audience is searching for something altogether different. 

Focusing your content on data-driven keyword research will mean you’ll be hitting your target audience’s pain points and giving them helpful information which keeps them on your site and to your door.

Mistake 4: They Don’t Have a Replicable Process for SEO

Consistency is the name of the game when it comes to following through on the SEO plans for your business. 

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that once you’ve tackled initial SEO steps for your company that you’re done. You’ll need to follow up on SEO strategy and continue nursing it for long-term effects.

After all, things change all the time in the pest control industry, and what worked in your SEO strategy this year might need to be altered in the next year to get the same or better results.

SEO Growth Partners and our team of SEO experts are skilled at providing replicable SEO strategies that will give you the results you’re looking for — over and over again.

Pest Control Company SEO Services Shouldn't Be 🍪 Cookie-Cutter — Everything Is 100% Customized To Your Business

Pest Control SEO is not the same as other types of SEO, even though many companies treat them the same. They try the same “tips and tricks” that they use in other industries, hoping that they will work with pest control experts. There’s a better way!

With SEO Growth Partners, we believe an individualized approach is the best. So we will treat your pest control business like the unique business it is. In creating your SEO strategy, we’ll take into account your specific:

  • Industry
  • City location; and
  • Website

5 Tactical Local SEO Strategies for Pest Control Companies

Strategy 1: Google Business Profile Optimizations

This is an example of a pest control company’s Google Business Profile:

This is what we call the front-end of a Google Business Profile — the portion that a Google user can see.

Hold up! Before we go any further, let’s back up:

Why do Google Business Profiles matter for pest control professionals? Google Business Profiles are important ranking factors that help businesses rank in the Google Local Pack. If you forgot what the Google Local Pack is, below is a screenshot:

Optimizing your Google Business Profile helps you populuate in the Local Pack. 

And that helps you WIN — getting more phone calls and website visitors than your competitors.

So, how do you structure your Google Business Profile to maximize your listing in the Google Local Pack?

The answer is comprehensiveness.

To optimize your Google Business Profile, provide the most comprehensive information possible, including:

  • Your categories
  • Your main description
  • Your services
  • Your products
  • Your photos

Look at the following example to see the difference between being comprehensive and not being comprehensive:

For your main description, you may be tempted to keep it simple and write something like… “We are a team of pest control technicians that are ready to rid your home or business of unwanted insects and pests.”

That is only one simple sentence. But since Google allows 750 characters for the main description, you can add more detail and use up every character allowed. Do you offer termite inspection? Do you provide treatment for bed bugs? What about mosquitoes? 

Answering EVERY possible question is how you can be more comprehensive.

Strategy 2: On-Page SEO for Your Homepage and Location Pages

On-page SEO for pest control companies is the content on your website.

On-page SEO includes things like:

  • Your title tags
  • Your meta description
  • Your header tags (H1, H2, H3)
  • Internal and external links
  • Your images
  • And basically anything that you can put on a website page!

Why does on-page SEO for pest control companies matter? Simple — Google cares about it.

For single-location exterminators, your homepage is the most important page on your website from a local SEO perspective. If you have multiple locations, the most important pages on your website are your location pages.

For your location pages, you’ll want to be SEO-friendly by using keywords while also being as comprehensive as possible to the user (and Google).

For example, instead of a title tag like “Killer Pest Control – 503.111.1111” you can provide more context to Google by writing something like “Trusted Pest Control Professionals in Downtown Portland – Killer Pest Control.”

Strategy 3: Website Architecture Best Practices

Website architecture is an underrated SEO strategy for pest control companies because website architecture and your sitemap are closely connected.

Google crawls your sitemap to understand your website architecture, which results in Google understanding what your website is about. 

Here’s what a sitemap might look like to Google.

interior-design-sitemap

Looks complex, right? You don’t need to concern yourself about it much. Just know that when Google looks at a sitemap like this, it’s understanding what your website is about, and that’s an important piece of the SEO puzzle.

The most important thing is that your website structure should make sense hierarchically. Let’s take a look at two services that pest control companies may  offer – 1) termite treatment and 2) mice treatment.

Where should these pages live on your site? The best thing would be to have a “services” page that has a URL structure similar to .com/services/

Now, any services that you offer (such as termite treatment or mice treatment) should live UNDER this main services page. See below:

  • .com/services/termite-treatment
  • .com/services/mice-treatment

This seems clear-cut, but many websites get this wrong. There’s no vertical architecture. Instead, every page lives directly under the homepage. See below:

  • .com/services/
  • .com/termite-treatment/
  • .com/mice-treatment/
  • .com/bed-bug-treatment/

With this structure, it’s not clear to Google that “Termite Treatment” is a service that you offer. It’s just another page on your site!

Strategy 4: Content Creation at Scale

Home and business owners search for thousands of questions on Google every day.

Some are very local:

  • Best pest control in Portland
  • Best exterminators near Portland

Some are generic:

  • Are termites hard to get rid of?
  • Does outdoor mosquito treatment really work?
  • How do I know if I have bed bugs?
  • Are pest control chemicals harmful to my pets or children?

Answering these types of questions through comprehensive blog articles on your website will do two things:

  1. Drive traffic by ranking for these keywords.
  2. Google will see your website as an authority over that of your competitors. Google will think, “Whoa, they’re answering all of these pest control-related questions that users have. Consequently, their website is more valuable than other local competitors who haven’t answered any questions.”

Strategy 5: User Experience is a Bigger Deal Than You Think - Stop the Keyword Stuffing!

Keyword stuffing is old-school. And so is PBN link-building… those things used to work. 

Google’s getting smarter and is beginning to understand that user experience on a website is important.

What does this mean for you as a pest control company?

  • Make it easy for users to find what they’re looking for. Readers shouldn’t need to spend 5 minutes trying to figure out if you offer bed bug treatment.
  • Make it easy for users to contact you. Make your phone number clickable on a mobile device. Consider online scheduling so customers can easily get an appointment or inspection. Do whatever it takes to make the user’s experience ultra-easy.
  • Offer value to the reader with your content. Vague, keyword-stuffed articles are a thing of the past. Make sure your content comprehensively answers the questions your target audience has and adds value.

On Average, Our Pest Control Company SEO Services for Cost

31% Less Than Other SEO Companies

Compared to Other SEO Companies That Average Between $1.5k and $3k Per Month.

FAQs About Pest Control Company SEO Services

Here are some common SEO services questions.

What Is Pest Control Company SEO?

Pest control SEO is a type of marketing that helps pest control business owners increase their visibility in search engines, particularly Google. 

The specific SEO strategies that are used for pest control companies vary greatly (which is why all pest control SEO is NOT created equal). 

Strategies include:

  • Keyword research
  • On-page SEO
  • Off-page SEO
  • Google Maps optimizations
  • Local SEO
  • Content creation
  • Landing page creation
  • PR 
  • And more

Why Is Pest Control Company SEO Important?

Pest control SEO is important because it helps you get in front of your target audience (people looking to eradicate unwelcome pests RIGHT NOW).

Think about how social media marketing for pest control companies works: People scroll through Instagram or Facebook and happen to come across an advertisement for a pest control expert in their city. They might be actively looking for pest control, but it’s not likely.

On the other hand, SEO puts you in front of motivated customers who are looking for the services you’re offering:

SEO for pest control companies allows you to show up in Google for people who are actively looking for a pest control expert — people searching for “best pest control near me” or “pest control in downtown Portland.” Ranking for those keywords has a MUCH higher conversion than people scrolling on Instagram.

How Long Does SEO for Pest Control Companies Take to Work?

Pest Control SEO can take 1 week to 6 months for you to start seeing results, depending on factors like:

  • The size of your city
  • The age of your website
  • The “domain authority” of your website
  • Your current SEO performance
  • And much more

After only a month of starting their SEO campaign, some of our clients have received 2x – 3x more phone calls while others don’t see those kinds of increases for 2-3 months.

Consider this, though:

If every business could make just a few tweaks on their website and start ranking overnight for the HIGHEST value keywords, like “best pest control in New York City,” then the internet would go nuts.

Things take time. Google’s algorithms are built that way for a reason. 

What Pest Control Company SEO KPIs Should We Track?

Pest control SEO should be carefully tracked.

You want to know that the money you’re investing in SEO is working for your pest control business.

Because of that, tracking the following metrics ensures that the campaign is working:

  • Keyword rankings: Are your ranking on Page one of Google for your most important keywords? How are your keyword rankings changing week over week? Month over month?
  • Organic website traffic: Is your organic website traffic from Google going up or down? Which keywords are driving the most traffic?
  • Online lead submissions: Are you seeing more online leads? How are they changing month over month?
  • Phone calls: Are you getting more phone calls from people searching on Google? How are phone calls changing over time?

What Type of Content Should Pest Control Company Websites Have?

Pest Control SEO should include content that your target audience is searching for:

How do we know what keywords/content your target audience is searching for? We use advanced software and tools that give us insider information and data. We, for example, know that 1000 people per month (on average) search for “ pest control in portland.”

Because of our access to SEO tools, we do extensive keyword research to find the topics/questions that home and business owners have. 

Questions like:

  • “What kind of damage do termites do to your home?”
  • “How do you get bed bugs?”
  • “Do I have to leave my home for flea treatment?”

If you create content that answers these questions, then you have a better chance of ranking in Google when people search for them.

And, because Google will trust your site, they will rank your site over your competitors. 

What are the Most Valuable Pest Control Company Keywords for SEO?

How To Work With Us

First of all – we don’t work with all pest control companies.

We only work with those who:

  • Are motivated to grow their business
  • Have the time and resources to handle the growth that will come from working with us
  • Treat their employees and their customers with dignity and respect

If that sounds like you, then go through the easy process below:

Step 1

Request a 'Free SEO Audit'

This process takes two minutes or less.

Step 2

Check Your Email

In less than 24 hours, one of our talented SEO specialists will send you a 3-5 minute customized video analysis. It will explain opportunities for you to outperform competitors.

Step 3

Sit Back And Watch Your SEO Skyrocket

Take a minute to look over our case studies of the success that other U.S. businesses have seen. Those results can also be yours.

If SEO growth is one of your goals, we can help. Call us today to learn more about our pricing and availability. 

 

Let's Take Your Pest Control Company From The "Best Kept Secret" To The "Most Sought After Brand"