Do SEO Work for Roofing Businesses?

If you’re a roofing business owner, you might be wondering: Does SEO really work for roofers? 

The answer is a clear Yes.

In this article, we’ll dive into why SEO is a game-changer for roofing companies and show you a real-world case study of how Matthews Roofing has used SEO to drive hundreds of quality leads every month.

By focusing on the right keywords and improving online visibility, SEO can help you reach motivated customers who are already searching for roofing services. 

Let’s answer the question with a real-world example. 

Yes, SEO works for roofing businesses. Think about it—if there are 30 roofing companies in a city, ranging from small local contractors to large established firms, not all of them are going to show up when someone searches for “roofing contractors in my city”.

Only a handful make it to the top five spots on Google. And guess what? Those are the ones putting effort into SEO.

What makes SEO even more powerful is the quality of the leads it brings in. 

These aren’t people you’re chasing—they’re already searching for a solution to their roofing problem. 

Maybe their roof is leaking, or they’re planning a replacement, and maybe they need some other kind of help now. Leads like these are ready to convert because they’re motivated and ready to hire.

When you look at Matthews Roofing, it’s pretty obvious—they’ve nailed their SEO game. 

Right now, they’re pulling in about 34,000 visitors from Google every month. And this isn’t random traffic; it’s people actively searching for roofing services. 

For example, they’re ranking #1 for “roofing in Chicago,” which gets searched nearly 10,000 times every month.

Just think about that for a second—almost 10,000 people looking for roofing services, and Matthews is the first business they see. 

Can you imagine how many leads they must be getting from just that one keyword?

And it doesn’t stop there. They’re also dominating other high-intent keywords like “Chicago roofer” and “Chicago roofing company,” which have 1,900 and 1,600 searches every month. 

These are terms people use when they’re ready to hire, and Matthews is showing up right at the top. 

On top of that, they’re ranking for commercial roofing keywords too, meaning they’re getting leads for big commercial jobs as well.

Now, just like any business marketing, they’ve had their ups and downs. In September 2023, after Google’s helpful content update, their traffic took a hit. 

You can see in the screenshot how it dropped significantly for a while. But here’s what’s impressive—they didn’t give up. 

They adjusted their strategy, kept working on their SEO, and their traffic bounced back stronger than ever. 

Now, they’re pulling in 35,000 visitors a month again, and you can bet they’re turning a lot of those into free, high-quality leads. 

This is what happens when you invest in SEO and stay consistent—it pays off big time.

1. Analyzing Your Competition: Are They Using SEO?

One of the first things to check is how your competitors are approaching digital marketing. 

Are other roofing companies in your area actively using SEO? Do they show up on search results when people search for roofing services locally? 

If your competitors are ranking high on Google and attracting leads through SEO, then it’s a clear sign that there’s a demand for online marketing in your area.

However, if your competitors aren’t investing in SEO, it could mean that the market is either not competitive enough, or there’s not a significant online demand for roofing services. 

In this case, you might not need to rush into SEO. But if you’re seeing that others are driving traffic through Google, it’s time to consider doing the same.

2. Where Are You Located? Consider Your Local Market

Another crucial aspect is the location of your roofing business. 

Are you in a bustling city with lots of competition, or are you located in a more remote, rural area with a small population? 

If you’re in a small town where the population is older and less tech-savvy, it’s likely that they aren’t searching for roofing services online or using smartphones often. In such cases, SEO might not be a priority for your business right now.

However, if you’re located in a city with a decent population, where people actively use smartphones and search for services online, SEO becomes much more important. The more people rely on their phones for searching, the more crucial it becomes for your business to be visible on Google.

3. SEO Takes Time – Can You Wait?

SEO isn’t a quick fix. If you’re looking for results in just a week or two, SEO might not be the right choice for you. 

Typically, it takes a minimum of three months to start seeing any significant results. For roofing businesses, it’s important to manage expectations around how long SEO will take to pay off.

If you’re starting out with a limited budget and need immediate returns, it might be better to focus on other forms of marketing that can generate quicker results. 

In that case, SEO can be a longer-term strategy to keep in mind once you’ve built a stable business. But if you’re established in the market and have the financial cushion to invest in SEO with patience, it could be the perfect time to go ahead and dive in.

4. Do You Have the Budget to Invest in SEO?

Budget plays a huge role in deciding whether SEO is the right move. If you’re still in the early stages of your roofing business and have a limited budget, your priority should be sustaining your business in the short term. 

SEO can take months to show results, and if you can’t afford to wait or invest the necessary resources, it might not be the best time to start.

SEO is an essential part of any roofing business’s marketing strategy—especially when you’re competing in a competitive market or a location where potential customers are online and using search engines to find services. 

As we’re a Roofing Website Development Company, we also provide SEO services to help roofing companies like yours boost their online presence, attract more customers, and increase their ROI. 

If you’re looking to take your roofing business to the next level, SEO is definitely something worth considering.