215 SEO Keywords for Home Inspectors (2026 Data)

Home inspection search behavior splits sharply between homebuyers researching the process and property owners actively booking inspections. This reference organizes 215 verified keywords by commercial intent, local modifiers, and buyer stage – showing monthly search volume, cost-per-click, and organic difficulty for each. All data reflects average monthly Google searches from the last 12 months.

Why Keyword Research Matters for Home Inspectors

Keyword research is the single highest-leverage activity home inspectors can do for their website, and also the one most consistently skipped. Inspectors who target the right phrases book their calendars with organic leads from Google, buyers who found them while searching for “home inspector near me” or “pre-purchase inspection services.” Those who skip it end up buying $40 leads from referral platforms, writing generic “thorough and professional” copy that doesn’t rank, and watching competitors dominate the local pack. Get the keywords wrong and every other investment; your title tags, service pages, Google Business Profile, ad campaigns, compounds in the wrong direction.

Search intent splits dramatically in this industry. Someone searching “what do home inspectors look for” (3,600 monthly searches) is a homebuyer researching the process, they’re not booking yet, and targeting them wastes ad spend. Someone searching “home inspector near me” (27,100 monthly searches) is actively comparing inspectors and ready to schedule. That difference determines whether your traffic converts or just pads your analytics with visitors who never call. The same split appears across dozens of keyword variations: informational phrases attract researchers, commercial and local phrases attract buyers.

In a typical mid-size metro, 15 to 30 home inspection companies compete for the same head terms. Google’s local pack absorbs 40% of clicks for “near me” searches, and the top three organic results take another 35%. If you’re not in those spots, you’re invisible. The dollar value of owning those positions is substantial; a typical residential inspection runs $400 to $600, and inspectors who rank organically for their city’s top commercial keywords book 20 to 40 jobs per month without paying for leads.

This list pulls every real home inspector search phrase with verified monthly volume, cost-per-click data, and SEO difficulty, organized by buyer intent so you can see which keywords bring hiring customers versus informational researchers. High-intent service keywords go on your homepage and service pages. Local modifiers trigger the Google Business Profile. Long-tail phrases feed blog content that ranks for niche searches. Question keywords answer buyer concerns in FAQ sections. The CPC column tells you exactly what your competitors are paying per click for those same terms. Every keyword you rank organically for is a lead you didn’t have to pay $5 to $15 to acquire.

High-Intent Service Keywords

These are the money phrases, searches from property buyers, sellers, and real estate agents actively looking to hire an inspector. Commercial intent means the searcher is comparing companies, checking reviews, or ready to book. Target these on your homepage, core service pages, and in your Google Business Profile primary category. Volume ranges from 74,000 monthly searches for the head term “home inspection” down to 1,600 for specialized services like “mobile home inspectors.” CPC rates reflect what competitors pay per Google Ads click, the higher the CPC, the more valuable the lead.

Local and Near Me Keywords

Local search drives the majority of home inspection bookings. These phrases include “near me,” city names, or state abbreviations, all signals that trigger Google’s local pack and map results. If you’re not ranking in the top three local results for your metro area, you’re losing 60% of potential clicks. Target these keywords in your Google Business Profile, location pages, and city-specific service pages. Notice the CPC variance: competitive markets like San Antonio ($15.83) and Austin ($8.80) cost far more per click than smaller metros like Boise ($1.03) or Pittsburgh ($1.96).

Long-Tail Keywords

Long-tail phrases are four words or longer; typically lower volume but easier to rank for and often more specific to what the searcher needs. These keywords work well in blog posts, FAQ pages, and service subpages where you can answer niche questions or target specialized services. A phrase like “thermal imaging camera for home inspectors” (1,900 searches, $2.79 CPC) attracts inspectors shopping for equipment, not homebuyers, so it’s not a conversion keyword; but “4 point home inspection” (880 searches, $9.54 CPC) is a Florida-specific service search that converts well in that market.

Question Keywords

Question-based searches reveal what homebuyers and sellers are researching before they book. These phrases belong in FAQ sections, blog posts, and service page subheadings. The most common questions focus on cost (8,100 monthly searches for “how much does a home inspection cost”), process (“what do home inspectors look for” at 3,600 searches), and career information (“how to become a home inspector” at 8,100 searches). Answer these questions thoroughly on your site and you’ll rank for informational searches that build trust and capture buyers early in their research phase.

Comparison Keywords

Comparison searches indicate a buyer weighing options or trying to understand the difference between related services. The most common comparison is “home inspection vs appraisal” (390 monthly searches, $4.73 CPC), a question that confuses many first-time homebuyers. Other comparisons involve inspection types: 4-point vs full inspection, pest vs home inspection, structural vs home inspection. Create dedicated comparison pages or FAQ answers that explain these distinctions clearly, and you’ll capture buyers at the consideration stage who are trying to figure out what they actually need.

Seasonal Keywords

Home inspection demand follows real estate market cycles. Spring and summer (April through August) see the highest search volume as buyers compete in the peak home-buying season. Keywords like “home inspection” spike 36% in June, “termite inspectors” surge 60% in May, and “home inspectors chicago” more than doubles in August. If you’re in a seasonal market, ramp up your Google Ads budget and content publishing in March and April to capture buyers before the rush. In markets with year-round activity (like Florida and Texas), seasonal variation is less pronounced but still present.

Negative Keywords

Negative keywords are searches you should exclude from Google Ads campaigns because they attract the wrong audience. These phrases come from job seekers, aspiring inspectors researching training programs, DIY homeowners, or people looking for free resources. Someone searching “how to become a home inspector” (8,100 monthly searches) isn’t hiring an inspector – they’re researching a career change. “Home inspector salary” (6,600 searches) attracts job seekers. “Free home inspection checklist” (210 searches) attracts DIYers who won’t pay for a professional service. Add these to your negative keyword list in Google Ads to stop wasting budget on clicks that never convert.

How to Use These Keywords on Your Website

Keywords only work if you place them in the right spots on your site. Google’s ranking algorithm looks at specific on-page elements to determine what a page is about and whether it deserves to rank. Here’s where each keyword type belongs and how to implement them without over-optimizing or keyword stuffing.

Title Tags

Your title tag is the single most important on-page SEO element. It appears in search results as the blue clickable headline and tells Google what the page is about. Keep it under 60 characters so it doesn’t get cut off. For your homepage, use a commercial keyword plus your city: “Home Inspectors in Austin, TX | Licensed & Insured.” For service pages, lead with the service: “Pre-Purchase Home Inspection Services | [Company Name].” For location pages, use the city-specific keyword: “Houston Home Inspectors | Same-Day Scheduling Available.” Every page needs a unique title tag; never duplicate them across pages.

H1 Tags

The H1 is the main headline visitors see when they land on your page. It should match the intent of the title tag but can be slightly longer and more conversational. Homepage H1 example: “Licensed Home Inspectors Serving Austin and Surrounding Areas.” Service page H1: “detailed Pre-Purchase Home Inspections.” Location page H1: “Houston’s Most Trusted Home Inspection Company.” Only one H1 per page – it’s the top-level heading that frames everything below it.

H2 and H3 Tags

H2 and H3 tags structure your content into scannable sections. They also give you opportunities to target secondary keywords. On a service page for “new home inspections,” your H2s might be: “What’s Included in a New Construction Inspection,” “Why New Homes Need Inspections,” “Common Issues We Find in New Builds,” and “How to Schedule Your New Home Inspection.” Each H2 naturally incorporates related keywords like “new construction inspection” and “new builds” without forcing them. H3s break down H2 sections further, under “What’s Included,” you might have H3s for “Foundation and Framing,” “Electrical and Plumbing,” and “HVAC and Insulation.”

Body Content

Write for humans first, search engines second. Your target keyword should appear naturally in the first 100 words, then 2-3 more times throughout the page depending on length. A 500-word service page might use the main keyword 3-4 times total. A 2,000-word blog post might use it 6-8 times. Avoid exact-match repetition; vary the phrasing. If your target keyword is “home inspection services,” also use “residential inspection,” “property inspection services,” and “pre-purchase inspections.” Google understands synonyms and related terms. Focus on answering the searcher’s question thoroughly rather than hitting a keyword density target.

Meta Descriptions

Meta descriptions don’t directly affect rankings, but they influence click-through rate from search results. Keep them under 160 characters. Include your target keyword and a clear value proposition. Example for a Houston location page: “Houston home inspectors with same-day availability. Licensed, insured, and trusted by 500+ local buyers. Book your inspection online in 60 seconds.” The keyword “Houston home inspectors” appears naturally, and the rest of the description gives searchers a reason to click.

URL Structure

Clean, keyword-rich URLs help both users and search engines understand page content. Use hyphens to separate words, keep it short, and include your target keyword. Good examples: yoursite.com/home-inspection-services, yoursite.com/houston-home-inspectors, yoursite.com/new-construction-inspection. Bad examples: yoursite.com/page-id-47392, yoursite.com/services/category/inspections/residential/new-homes (too long and nested). Avoid dynamic parameters like ?id=123, they look messy and don’t communicate what the page is about.

Image Alt Text

Alt text describes images for screen readers and search engines. It’s also an opportunity to include keywords naturally. If you’ve a photo of an inspector checking a crawl space, the alt text might be: “Home inspector examining foundation in Houston crawl space.” If it’s a photo of your team, use: “Licensed home inspectors in Austin, Texas.” Don’t keyword-stuff, describe what’s actually in the image and work in a relevant keyword where it makes sense.

Internal Linking

Link between related pages on your site using keyword-rich anchor text. If you mention “radon testing” in a blog post, link that phrase to your radon testing service page. If you reference “new construction inspections” on your homepage, link it to the dedicated service page. Internal links help Google understand your site structure and pass authority between pages. Aim for 2-4 internal links per page, linking to your most important service and location pages.

Keyword Mapping Strategy

Keyword mapping means assigning specific keywords to specific pages so you’re not competing with yourself. Each page should target one primary keyword and 2-3 related secondary keywords. Here’s how to map keywords across your site architecture based on search intent and page type.

Homepage

Your homepage should target the broadest commercial keyword for your market: “home inspection” or “home inspectors” plus your city. Secondary keywords might include “home inspection services,” “licensed home inspectors,” and “residential inspection company.” From the data above, target “home inspection” (74,000 monthly searches, Commercial intent) and “home inspection companies” (9,900 searches, Commercial intent) on your homepage. These are awareness-stage keywords from buyers who know they need an inspection but haven’t narrowed down to a specific company yet. Your homepage copy should explain what you do, who you serve, and why buyers should choose you over competitors.

Service Pages

Each specialized service gets its own page targeting a specific service keyword. Create separate pages for “new home inspections” (2,900 searches, Commercial intent), “termite inspectors” (60,500 searches, Commercial intent), “mold home inspectors” (1,900 searches, Commercial intent), “radon testing home inspection” (1,600 searches, Commercial intent), and “mobile home inspectors” (1,900 searches, Commercial intent). Each page should explain what the service includes, why it’s important, what you look for, how long it takes, and how to book. Use the service keyword in the title tag, H1, first paragraph, and 2-3 times throughout the body.

Location Pages

If you serve multiple cities, create a dedicated location page for each one. Target city-specific keywords like “home inspectors chicago” (4,400 searches, Local intent), “houston home inspectors” (1,900 searches, Local intent), “orlando home inspectors” (1,600 searches, Local intent), “home inspectors in dallas” (1,300 searches, Local intent), and “atlanta ga home inspectors” (1,300 searches, Local intent). Each location page should include the city name in the title tag, H1, and first paragraph. Add local details: neighborhoods you serve, average response time, local licensing info, and testimonials from buyers in that city. Embed a Google Map showing your service area.

Blog Posts

Blog content targets informational and question keywords that attract buyers earlier in the research phase. Write posts answering common questions: “What do home inspectors look for” (3,600 searches, Informational intent), “How much does a home inspection cost” (8,100 searches, Transactional intent), “What do home inspectors do” (880 searches, Informational intent), and “Home inspection vs appraisal” (390 searches, Informational intent). Each post should be 1,500 to 2,500 words, thoroughly answer the question, and link to relevant service pages. Blog posts build topical authority and capture traffic from buyers who aren’t ready to book yet but will remember your site when they’re.

Google Business Profile for Home Inspectors

Your Google Business Profile is the most important local SEO asset you’ve. It controls whether you appear in the local pack; the map results that show up for “home inspector near me” searches. Claim and verify your profile at business.google.com if you haven’t already. Choose “Home inspection service” as your primary category. Add secondary categories like “Building inspector,” “Real estate inspection service,” and “Property inspection” if they apply. Fill out every field: business name, address, phone number, website, hours, service area, and business description.

Upload at least 10 high-quality photos: your team, inspection equipment, company vehicles, work in progress, and completed reports. Google prioritizes profiles with recent photos. Post updates weekly – share inspection tips, seasonal reminders (like “Spring is peak termite season – schedule your inspection now”), or customer testimonials. Enable messaging so buyers can contact you directly from your profile. Respond to every review within 24 hours, even negative ones. Profiles with high engagement and frequent responses rank higher in the local pack.

Use the Q&A section strategically. Seed it with common questions and detailed answers: “Do you offer same-day inspections?” “What’s included in a standard home inspection?” “How long does an inspection take?” This content appears in your profile and helps you rank for question-based searches. Update your service area to include every city and zip code you cover, Google uses this to determine when to show your profile. If you serve a 30-mile radius around Austin, list every suburb and neighboring town.

Local Citations and Link Building

Local citations are online mentions of your business name, address, and phone number. They signal to Google that you’re a legitimate local business. Start with the major directories: Yelp, Yellowpages, Angi, Better Business Bureau, and Manta. Make sure your NAP (name, address, phone) is identical across every listing – inconsistencies confuse Google and hurt your rankings. For home inspectors, industry-specific directories matter more than generic ones. Get listed on the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) directory, InterNACHI’s “Find an Inspector” tool, and your state’s home inspector association directory.

Join your local chamber of commerce and get listed in their online directory. Sponsor a Little League team or local charity event and ask for a link back to your site from their sponsors page. Reach out to real estate agents you’ve worked with and ask if they’ll add you to their “preferred vendors” page. Offer to write a guest post for a local real estate blog on “What Buyers Should Know About Home Inspections” with a link back to your site. Quality matters more than quantity – one link from a local real estate agency’s website is worth more than 50 links from random directories.

Technical SEO Basics

Technical SEO ensures Google can crawl, index, and rank your site. Start with page speed. Run your site through Google’s PageSpeed Insights tool. If your score is below 70 on mobile, you’ve work to do. Compress images using TinyPNG or ShortPixel. Enable browser caching and use a content delivery network (CDN) like Cloudflare. Lazy-load images so they only load when a visitor scrolls down. Core Web Vitals; Google’s speed metrics, directly affect rankings. A slow site loses both rankings and conversions.

Make sure your site is mobile-responsive. Over 60% of home inspection searches happen on mobile devices. Test your site on a phone, if text is too small, buttons are hard to tap, or pages take forever to load, you’re losing leads. Use Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test tool to check. Add LocalBusiness schema markup to your homepage and location pages. This structured data tells Google exactly what you do, where you’re located, and what areas you serve. It helps you appear in rich results and the local pack.

Secure your site with HTTPS. Google flags non-HTTPS sites as “Not Secure” in Chrome, which scares visitors away. Most hosting providers offer free SSL certificates through Let’s Encrypt. Clean up your URLs – remove unnecessary parameters, fix broken links, and redirect old pages to new ones using 301 redirects. Submit an XML sitemap to Google Search Console so Google knows which pages to crawl. Check for crawl errors monthly and fix them immediately.

Tracking Your Results

Set up Google Search Console and Google Analytics 4 if you haven’t already. Search Console shows which keywords you’re ranking for, how many impressions and clicks you’re getting, and your average position. Check it weekly. Look for keywords where you rank on page 2 (positions 11-20), those are low-hanging fruit. Add more content targeting those keywords, build a few internal links to those pages, and you can often jump to page 1 within a month.

In Google Analytics, track organic traffic, bounce rate, and conversions (form submissions, phone calls, online bookings). Set up goals for each conversion action so you can see which keywords and pages drive the most leads. Monitor your Google Business Profile insights, it shows how many people found your profile through search vs. maps, how many clicked your website link, requested directions, or called you. If calls are up but website traffic is flat, your profile is working but your site needs improvement.

Realistic timelines: SEO takes 3 to 6 months to show meaningful results. You might see small ranking improvements in 4 to 6 weeks, but significant traffic growth takes longer. Local SEO moves faster than national SEO; if you’re targeting “home inspectors in boise,” you could rank in the top 3 within 8 to 12 weeks with consistent effort. If you’re targeting “home inspection” nationally, expect 6 to 12 months. Track your rankings monthly using a tool like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Moz. Focus on your top 10 target keywords and watch how they move over time.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Targeting the wrong keywords. The biggest mistake home inspectors make is optimizing for informational keywords that don’t convert. Ranking #1 for “what do home inspectors look for” brings traffic, but those visitors aren’t booking inspections, they’re researching the process. Focus on commercial and local keywords first: “home inspector near me,” “home inspection services,” and city-specific phrases. Informational content belongs in your blog, not on your homepage or service pages.
2. Ignoring Google Business Profile. Your Google Business Profile is more important than your website for local search. If you’re not in the local pack, you’re losing 40% of potential clicks. Claim your profile, fill out every field, upload photos monthly, post updates weekly, and respond to every review. Inspectors who treat their profile as an afterthought rank below competitors who actively manage it.
3. Duplicate content across location pages. If you serve 10 cities, don’t copy the same paragraph and swap out the city name. Google sees that as thin content and won’t rank any of the pages well. Write unique content for each location page: mention specific neighborhoods, local real estate trends, common issues in that area’s housing stock, and testimonials from buyers in that city. Aim for at least 500 unique words per location page.
4. Neglecting mobile optimization. Over 60% of “home inspector near me” searches happen on mobile devices. If your site isn’t mobile-friendly, you’re losing more than half your potential traffic. Test your site on a phone. Can visitors easily tap your phone number to call? Is the contact form simple to fill out on a small screen? Does the site load in under 3 seconds? If not, fix it before you do anything else.
5. Keyword stuffing. Repeating “home inspector” 50 times on one page doesn’t help – it hurts. Google’s algorithm is sophisticated enough to understand synonyms and context. Write naturally. If your target keyword is “home inspection services,” also use “residential inspections,” “property inspection,” and “pre-purchase inspection” throughout the page. Vary your phrasing and focus on answering the visitor’s question thoroughly.
6. No internal linking strategy. Your homepage, service pages, and location pages should all link to each other using keyword-rich anchor text. If you mention “termite inspections” in a blog post, link that phrase to your termite inspection service page. Internal links help Google understand your site structure and pass authority between pages. Inspectors who don’t link internally have pages that never rank because Google doesn’t see them as important.
7. Inconsistent NAP across directories. Your business name, address, and phone number must be identical on every directory listing, your website, and your Google Business Profile. If your website says “123 Main St” but your Yelp listing says “123 Main Street,” Google doesn’t know which is correct and may not show your profile for local searches. Audit every listing and fix inconsistencies immediately.
8. Ignoring negative reviews. Negative reviews hurt, but ignoring them hurts worse. Respond to every negative review within 24 hours. Acknowledge the issue, apologize if appropriate, and explain what you’ll do differently. Potential customers read your responses, they want to see that you care about feedback and fix problems. Inspectors who respond professionally to negative reviews convert more leads than those who ignore them.
9. No schema markup. Schema markup is structured data that tells Google exactly what your business does, where you’re located, and what services you offer. It helps you appear in rich results and the local pack. Most home inspector websites don’t have it. Add LocalBusiness schema to your homepage and location pages. It takes 20 minutes and can improve your local rankings quite a bit.
10. Not tracking conversions. Traffic doesn’t matter if it doesn’t convert. Set up conversion tracking in Google Analytics for every lead source: contact form submissions, phone calls, online booking clicks, and email inquiries. Track which keywords and pages drive the most conversions. You might find that “mobile home inspectors near me” converts at 15% while “home inspection cost” converts at 2%. Double down on the high-converting keywords and stop wasting effort on the low-converting ones.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to rank for home inspection keywords?

Local keywords like “home inspector near me” or city-specific phrases can rank in 8 to 12 weeks with consistent effort – optimized Google Business Profile, location pages with unique content, and 10 to 15 local citations. Broader commercial keywords like “home inspection services” take 4 to 6 months because competition is higher. National informational keywords like “what do home inspectors look for” can take 6 to 12 months. SEO is a long game. Start now and you’ll see meaningful traffic growth by the time next spring’s busy season hits.

Should I pay for Google Ads or focus on organic SEO?

Both. Google Ads gives you immediate visibility while your organic rankings build. Run ads for your highest-intent keywords, “home inspector near me,” city-specific phrases, and service keywords like “pre-purchase home inspection.” Set a daily budget of $30 to $50 and track cost per lead. Meanwhile, invest in SEO so you’re not paying $5 to $15 per click forever. The goal is to rank organically for the keywords you’re currently paying for, then shift your ad budget to new markets or services.

How many keywords should I target on one page?

One primary keyword and 2 to 3 closely related secondary keywords. Your homepage might target “home inspection” (primary), “home inspection services” (secondary), and “licensed home inspectors” (secondary). A service page for new construction might target “new home inspection” (primary), “new construction inspection” (secondary), and “builder’s warranty inspection” (secondary). Trying to rank one page for 10 unrelated keywords dilutes your focus and confuses Google. Create separate pages for separate topics.

Do I need a blog if I’m a home inspector?

Yes, but only if you’re committed to publishing consistently. A blog with 2 posts from 2022 looks worse than no blog at all. If you can publish 1 to 2 high-quality posts per month – 1,500+ words, thoroughly answering a common buyer question – a blog builds topical authority and captures informational searches. Write about “What to expect during a home inspection,” “Common issues found in [your city] homes,” “How to prepare for your home inspection,” and “Red flags buyers should never ignore.” Each post should link to relevant service pages.

How do I rank in the Google local pack?

The local pack is the map section that shows the top 3 home inspectors for “near me” searches. To rank there, you need a fully optimized Google Business Profile (complete info, weekly posts, 20+ reviews, 4.5+ star rating), consistent NAP across 15+ local citations, a mobile-friendly website with location pages, and LocalBusiness schema markup. Proximity matters too; Google favors businesses closer to the searcher. You can’t control proximity, but you can control everything else. Inspectors who actively manage their profile and respond to reviews rank higher than those who don’t.

Should I target “home inspector” or “home inspection”?

Both, but on different pages. “Home inspector” (74,000 searches) and “home inspection” (74,000 searches) have identical volume and similar intent, but slight differences in usage. “Home inspector” is often used with location modifiers (“home inspector near me,” “chicago home inspector”), while “home inspection” pairs with service descriptors (“home inspection services,” “pre-purchase home inspection”). Use “home inspector” on your homepage and location pages. Use “home inspection” on service pages. Google understands they’re related and will rank you for both if your content is relevant.

How important are online reviews for SEO?

Critical. Google uses review quantity, recency, and rating as ranking factors for local search. Inspectors with 50+ reviews and a 4.8-star rating rank higher than those with 10 reviews and a 4.2-star rating, even if the latter has a better website. Ask every satisfied customer for a Google review immediately after the inspection. Send a follow-up email with a direct link to your review page. Respond to every review, positive and negative – within 24 hours. Reviews also improve conversion rate: 88% of buyers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.

What’s the difference between on-page and off-page SEO?

On-page SEO is everything you control on your website: title tags, content, internal links, page speed, mobile optimization, and schema markup. Off-page SEO is everything outside your site: backlinks, local citations, Google Business Profile, and online reviews. Both matter. You can’t rank with great content and no backlinks, and you can’t rank with tons of backlinks and terrible content. For local home inspector SEO, prioritize on-page optimization first (your site and Google Business Profile), then build citations and earn links from local real estate sites, chambers of commerce, and industry directories.

Can I rank for keywords in cities I don’t have an office in?

Yes, if you serve those areas. Create a dedicated location page for each city you serve, even if you don’t have a physical office there. Explain your service area clearly: “We serve Houston and surrounding areas within 30 miles, including Katy, Sugar Land, Pearland, and The Woodlands.” Add each city to your Google Business Profile service area. Google will show your profile for searches in those cities if your NAP is consistent and your location pages have unique, relevant content. You won’t rank as high as inspectors with a physical address in that city, but you can still capture traffic.

How do I compete with big national home inspection franchises?

Focus on local. National franchises have big budgets and strong domain authority, but they’re weak on local relevance. You can outrank them for city-specific searches by optimizing your Google Business Profile, earning local reviews, and creating location pages with neighborhood-specific content. Mention local landmarks, common housing issues in your area, and testimonials from buyers in specific neighborhoods. Franchises use generic templated content, you can write better, more relevant content because you actually work in that market. Local beats national for “near me” searches.

Should I hire an SEO agency or do it myself?

Depends on your budget and time. Basic local SEO, claiming your Google Business Profile, building citations, optimizing your homepage and service pages, you can do yourself in 10 to 15 hours using the guidance in this. Advanced SEO – technical audits, link building, content strategy, schema markup, ongoing optimization – is easier to outsource. A good local SEO agency charges $1,000 to $2,500 per month. If you’re booking 20+ inspections per month and each one nets you $300, the ROI is there. If you’re just starting out, DIY the basics first, then hire help once you’re generating enough revenue to justify the cost.