Search Engine Optimization

How many calls are you missing out on by ranking one spot lower than your competitor on Google?

You get one chance to capture the attention of someone looking for funeral services in your community. So, how can you be in that top spot so you’re front and center with your next family?

There are many different approaches to your marketing that you can take. Stop and think about the different areas you can focus on with your initiatives, whether you’re doing everything you can to get out in front of your audience and whether it’s time to ask for help.

63% of all inquiries begin online, even if the purchase itself happens in your funeral home.

Is your funeral home ready to respond?

The question isn’t “Do you have a website?” Rather, what marketing initiatives are you taking to get families to your website? Too many funeral home owners believe a website is all that is needed to grow their business, but what is a website? Is it a professional-looking design with some words on it? Sure. But it’s so much more than that.

It’s ensuring your funeral home is utilizing proper keywords that have been correctly set up. It’s being that authoritative figure in your community by providing the answer to every single question you get asked. It’s introducing your team so prospects can put a face to the name.

Lastly, don’t be afraid to put pricing on your website. It creates trust with your audience and creates transparency so you can weed out the bargain shoppers and avoid the uncomfortable budget question. If you believe in your pricing because you’ve been honest with your audience about what makes up that cost, then don’t be afraid to show your information. With all that being said, ask yourself, ‘Is our website working to generate leads, or is it costing us money?’ If it’s costing you money, it’s not set up for success.

Are you trying to rank in Google but your content is marked as duplicate?

Most funeral homes don’t realize that when you use a marketing company that has many funeral home websites, each website is built off a clone. What does that mean? Each of those funeral homes has the exact same content and it’s left up to you to update it on your site. When you have the same content as multiple funeral homes, Google will punish your website. We’re not talking a couple duplicate sentences, but an entire page.

And hey, we get it. They have so many websites to manage that it makes sense but know it’s always a good idea to make your content unique and ensure it’s working to gain the traction you need. Great content will make Google happy, and therefore help get you in front of your target audience.

Get an audit done on your website to see how your content is affecting where you rank in the search engines. No two funeral homes are the same. Each funeral home has its own offerings in its own community. Let’s start getting your content working for you!

You know people are searching for your services, but are you ranking high enough to beat your competition? Your website needs to properly utilize search engine optimization. This is done through keyword research, competitor analysis and ensuring your on-page and off-page optimization is properly set up. By doing so, you can outrank your competition and gain more calls to your funeral home.

Advertising on Google increases brand awareness by 80%!

Running an effective online advertising campaign will guarantee you’re in the top results of the search engines. On average, 41% of the clicks go to the top three paid ads on search engine results pages. So where do you fall in the results when searching for a service you offer? Use this cost-effective return on investment to get you ranked above your competition.

89% of consumers refer to online reviews before making a purchase decision.

You heard us right - 89%. That’s huge! Are you making online reviews a priority with your marketing? If not, you’re missing out on a ton of opportunities. Having positive online customer reviews helps gain trust with people looking for your services. So what are you waiting for? Start including online reviews in your strategy by connecting with your existing families to help gain the positive feedback you deserve.

51% of funeral homes will get more than 1,000 views of searches per month with Google Business Profile.

There are still many funeral homes today that haven’t claimed their business listing on Google, which creates a huge loss in opportunity. Sixty percent of interactions on Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) lead to a website click, which is a win for your funeral home. Google Business Profile is a great source of information for your target audience. You can update it with your contact information, images, blog posts, events and more.

“My funeral home does well and everything is working for me.”

That is only true if there is no room to grow. We have a hard time believing you have hit the maximum number of families you can take care of. So, what’s your next big move? What marketing initiative are you missing out on or feel you can get more aggressive with? When you realize there is more opportunity for you out there, get creative with a marketing strategy so you can dominate your local community.

This article was originally published in the Winter 2023 issue of The Independent® magazine. Click here to read the entire issue.

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