Most construction companies win their work through the bidding process so writing content is key to get the best rates. Most construction companies we have spoken with do not have a solid content strategy for their website. But writing content for construction companies is a great opportunity given many are on the lookout for a great content writer.
There are many avenues a construction company can take in order to get content for their site like writing their own content or going through a third-party service provider. So if you want to write content for construction companies this post is for you.
If you are looking for content writers that work within the construction space talk to us here.
Begin writing content for construction companies
Writing for construction companies who only want content written by you or through a third-party service provider makes it easy to get started. But if you want to compete in this market you need to have a good understanding of how construction companies operate.
First, take the time to learn how construction companies work. Take the time to research what they do and get a better understanding of their industry. Listen on the phone when they call and then try to understand their needs in terms of content marketing.
If you have little knowledge coming up with topics for the construction industry can be hard. So take the time to spend some time researching. Ask around and see what you can dig up on what construction companies are doing.
There are also some great blogs out there that can get you started in the content marketing world check out some of the websites and blogs such as :
How to Find Out What Keywords Contruction Companies Use?
When it comes to writing content for construction companies, you have to understand what keywords they want to rank for. Often times, when a construction company is looking for content marketing or SEO articles they will ask you “What are the most important keywords we should be targeting” and “what are the most important topics we need”. This is called keyword research. In this section, I am going to go over how you can find out what keywords construction companies use.
Step 1: Keyword Research and Search Analysis for construction
Use Google autocomplete and what people ask to get a baseline to search intent . Pretty much all you have to do is put in the word construction and start working with auto complete to find variations.
Start with construction and then build it out from there. See below:
There are tools you can use for keyword research such as:
- SEMRush
- Ahrefs
- Moz
You can use these tools to find which words are the most used, most searched for. Another great way is to see what people are asking. This will help give you a general idea of what they want. Look at forums and past questions asked. These are great indicators of search intent for construction companies.
Step 2: Using Google Insights For Search To Find Keywords Construction Companies Use
Google Insights is another tool you can use to find out which keywords for construction companies use. Google Insights is a great way to find out what construction companies are using. To access Google Insights for Search, just click on the Google logo in the top right of your screen and click on “Inspect.”
Here you can see this search results for “architecture” and “construction”. You can use these results to figure out what construction companies are using. You will want to look at the long tail keywords and see if there is a strong correlation between what they use.
Another way to do this is to use the search volume. Although this may not be as accurate as the Google Insights tool, but you can use it in combination. For example, if you see that construction companies use architect and architecture then you could use Google Trends. This will allow you to see how many times in the past year they used each keyword.
There are some great resources online that will give you a variety of data and insights into the construction industry. One resource I have used in the past is the Construction Industry Forecast. They have provided me with some great data and insight on what construction companies want. Learn more about this by visiting their website here:
This is just one example of how to use Google Insights and Google Trends to find out what keywords for construction companies are using. You can also use said tools to find other genres as well.
Step 3: Start writing and build a portfolio of examples
It is a great way to start writing content for construction companies. You should then focus on writing content that is very specific, and meets their needs. Make sure the content you write is very SEO friendly and will help them rank in the future. It is as easy as putting yourself in their position and writing based on the information they provide you with.
Building out a portfolio of work will help you show off your experience and will slowly begin building up your reputation in the industry. Once you are known as an authority in the construction content writing space, sky is the limit.
Step 4: Understanding potential clients needs
This is a step you might not think of in the early stages. I would advise you to start reaching out to construction companies and ask them what they want. If you are able to reach out to several of these types of construction companies then you will be able to understand their needs and what they want on a deeper level.
When you know a lot about the needs of the industry it becomes easier to write for it. So knowing this might take a little bit of time, but it is definitely worth it.
Persistence is key for writing content for construction companies
Most of the time when a construction company is looking for a content writer they are looking to hire a full-time writer so you will be competing with other writers and other companies. If you are persistent you will eventually get some work, but patience is key here. You need to keep up with the latest trends in construction companies and keep working on getting more experience.
Getting clients takes time but effort, in the end, is a lot better than waiting for clients to come to you. You need to keep your content fresh and interesting to draw clients in. If you produce good work, chance are you will get regular work from the same construction company or a new one.
There are a number of ways to approach getting clients. If you have experience in writing for construction companies, you can pitch to a variety of construction companies who might not be looking for writers, but periodically need content. They will also know that they can’t get anything done with their current staff unless the demands are met and they have already gotten used to your quality work and style.
How to write content for the construction industry
1. Understand what your client is trying to achieve.
The reality is Construction companies are in the business of building things, but construction information is tough to find.
But the construction industry can be confusing for people who don’t work in it and with a lack of accessible information on this type of site, it’s easy for potential customers to have questions.
So you will most likely need specialist construction content writers, they know what you need to make a website the go-to place for anyone looking for expert advice on building projects that suit their budget. They will tailor each piece by research and understanding your clients, clients unique needs which means that visitors stay longer – perfect if you want more leads!
2. When writing for a construction company make sure you use testimonials on their website
What you want to do is show that there are people out there who are trusting this construction company to help them with the most important project – their home. Reading reviews and testimonials is part of the decision -making process and when they hear about how their contractor is treating their customers, it’s hard to argue.
It’s very important to write content that will help the company in a positive way so that you can attract more customers.
People tend to be more likely to hire a company who seems trustworthy, so every effort must be made to show that they are. It’s ok to borrow review from platforms such Google Reviews, Product review and directing to original source to give it credibility.
Make sure you present your clients with the best possible quality of work that you can.
3. Understand what the audience is asking and create strong FAQ content.
This is a fun part of the exercise finding out the random questions people ask about the subject matter. Sometimes they ask these questions because no one has taken the time to explain or include these in the content.
To find these you can use tools like Answer the Public which does a great job showing the most common questions people ask about whatever you are writing about.
I also like to use Google Trends and see what topics are bringing people to my website. You can also use Google adwords to make an exact search term and find out which questions people have about your subject. These results will show up in your search results but you can click on the person’s original question and see what they’re asking.
As you write your FAQ’s, ensure that you include at least some of the most common questions and/or the simplest to answer. If you can’t explain it in a simple sentence or two, then the potential customer might not understand what the company is offering either.
4. Repurpose these FAQ answers for blog content.
While you have written a summarised answer of the FAQ. You can create blog style content which is an expanded version of the FAQ summarised answer.
These blog posts will be less about long copy, rather short concise answers or solutions to specific issues that may be on the minds of your clients customers. It’s ok to add related information or break down the question further to add contect.
This content can also be used on social media as a simple answer to a question people may have. Don’t forget to link directly back to the relevant part of your clients website for more detailed information.
5. Create insightful content which drives backlinks.
People love insights and data. In your research phase you will have come up with some interesting stats which you can share with your market.
These stats will be the foundation of the new blog articles and other loosely related content. These will also be what makes your clients site unique and different from other sites.
You can include these stats and information in easy to read blog posts, along with images and simple call to actions. This will attract links back to your clients website which helps SEO to help outbound links.
This works really well if you have something interesting to say. If you have something new or different to say about your clients market then people will link back to you.
6. Use guides as a form of helpful content.
You can create guides related to your clients contruction business and even ones for people who are looking for help with specific issues or problems.
These guides may be related to your clients business. They may also be guides for people who are considering buying or have already bought from you and looking for more information about that particular product or service.
If you provide a great guide then many people will be linking back to it and sharing it on social media, which helps with SEO as well as social media links. It’s also a great way to share on your clients social media channels and start the ball rolling again if your clients previous content hasn’t been working out for you.
7. Create other forms of written content
The main idea behind writing content is to establish yourself as an expert in your industry. If you can do this then people will want to read your stuff, this will help with SEO and social media.
There are many other forms of content you can write, like white papers, newsletters, ebooks, or even getting guest posts published on other high authority websites.
White papers are a great way to really share information in depth and let people know what you’re about.
Newsletters are a great way to keep in touch with people and let them know what new services, offers or products you may have coming up. Newsletters are also another way to be seen as an industry expert.
Ebooks aren’t for everyone. They can be very high level pieces of content which require a lot of work and research usually. If you’re short on time then newsletters could be more suitable for your clients needs.
Guest posts are often overlooked by many companies. If you can get your hands on a high authority website and get a guest post published then all of a sudden you have an inbound link and your content has been read by more people.
You can also use a lot of these and propose to your client as lead magnets. This is a powerful way to build leads and contacts in your market.
8. Don’t write for the search engines, write for your audience.
If you’re looking at SEO as a way to drive traffic and leads you need to maintain the quality of your content. One of the main complaints Google has is that businesses try to manipulate the search results by adding content just to rank higher in Google, instead of writing it for their readers.
9. Trending news stories
There are always new and interesting news stories to write about in the construction industry. You could find out what interesting news is happening in your market. Explore what developments are happening that might be relevant to your industry.
Something simple like a fire, flood or natural disaster is often picked up by the press and can make great content that people will want to click on and learn more about. These posts can also be written with a call to action which encourages people to visit your clients website or pick up the phone for more information about your clients contruction services.
Use Google Alerts to trigger keywords of interest that are trending and write a blog post about them. This method can help get a lot of views on your clients blog, which helps with SEO.
10. Write for your industry’s forum website
Most industries have their own forums. You can find out what people are talking about in these forums and then write an article about how the topics are relevant to your clients business, or how you could benefit from these ideas for your client.
The Wrap
There you have it, writing content for the construction industry.
We hope these tips and pointers have helped you get a better idea of what to do when writing content for your customers. If you have any questions about our tips for writing content for the construction industry, please do get in contact.
Good luck on your journey of learning about the industry if you are new to it. Start writing, prospecting and most importantly making more money.
