Landscaping Company SEO Expert | Real Examples, Real Expertise

Why Your Landscaping Company Needs a Real SEO Expert to Maximize Leads in 2025

If you’ve been trying to figure out how to get more landscaping leads online, you’re in the right place. Many lawn & landscape business owners I talk to are frustrated with the complexity of SEO and digital marketing. They’re either getting zilch from their website or paying an agency that doesn’t really understand our industry.

Here’s the deal – most digital marketers have never run a service business like yours (or like the lawn company I owned before getting into marketing). They don’t understand the seasonal nature of our business, the importance of targeting the right neighborhoods, or how to craft messages that resonate with homeowners looking for your specific services.

After working with hundreds of lawn and landscape businesses across the country and generating millions in revenue for our clients, I want to break down what REAL landscaping SEO expertise looks like and why it matters for your bottom line.

If you have a Lawn or Landscaping SEO challenge, book a call with me for free.

The Foundation: Landscaping & Lawncare On-page SEO

On-page SEO is the foundation of any successful digital marketing campaign for lawn and landscape businesses. I consider this the cornerstone of everything else we do. Most business owners overcomplicate this, so let me break it down into actionable steps.

Let’s talk about the most critical places your “hero keywords” need to appear:

1. SEO Title (Or Meta Title) – This is what shows up in Google’s search results and is the most powerful on-page factor
2. H1 (Heading One Tag) – The main heading users see when they land on your page
3. Body Content – Naturally incorporated throughout your content
4. URL – The web address of your page should include your keyword

Here is an example of a website design project for a lawn care business that we optimized with SEO best practices.Here’s an example: If you’re a landscape company in Columbus, Ohio, and your research shows “landscape design Columbus” is your best keyword, you’d want:

• SEO Title: “Professional Landscape Design Columbus | Your Company Name”
• H1: “Columbus Landscape Design Services”
• URL: yourcompany.com/landscape-design-columbus
• Body content that naturally uses this phrase several times

But here’s where most lawn companies get this wrong – they try to target EVERY keyword on their homepage. 

That’s not how Google works. Google ranks PAGES, not websites. Each page needs to focus on a specific service or geographic area.

Pro Tip: If you already have a site with rankings, be extremely careful when changing URLs. Always set up proper 301 redirects to avoid losing your existing SEO equity. I’ve seen companies lose years of ranking progress by making sloppy URL changes.

✅ Action Step: Audit your website and make sure your top 3-5 money-making services each have their own dedicated page with the proper keyword placement.

The Secret Weapon: Landscaping Backlinks (Off-page SEO)

Let’s talk about backlinks – the hidden reason why your competitors might be outranking you despite having a worse website. Backlinks are essentially votes of confidence from other websites, and they’re absolutely critical to ranking well in Google.

I’ve analyzed hundreds of landscaping websites across the country, and here’s what I consistently see: The companies dominating the first page of Google typically have 3-5x more quality backlinks than those stuck on page two or three.

Here are some backlink truths specifically for lawn and landscape businesses in 2025:

1. More is generally better – In almost all practical cases, having more backlinks is better than having fewer. The only exception is if you’re getting spammy links from sketchy sites.
2. Relevance matters significantly – A link from another lawn care website or a local business directory is worth WAY more than some random site with no connection to your industry or location. Google’s algorithm is sophisticated enough to understand context.
3. Not all links are created equal – A link from the National Association of Landscape Professionals (which has 79,000 backlinks) is exponentially more powerful than a link from a brand new lawn blog that nobody visits.
4. Cross-linking is fine on a small scale – Trading links with other local businesses isn’t a problem when done naturally and in moderation. Don’t go overboard with link exchanges.
5. Anchor text matters – The clickable text in your backlink should contain your keywords when possible. “Columbus landscaping company” is much more valuable than “click here.”

You might be wondering how to actually GET these backlinks. Here are the most effective strategies I’ve seen work for lawn and landscape businesses:

• Sign up for all of your local Chamber of Commerce and networking groups
• Join industry associations that list members on their website
• Get listed in local business directories (not the spammy ones)
• Sponsor local events that will list your business online
• Create helpful resources that other sites will naturally want to link to
• Guest post on industry blogs (offering genuine value, not just self-promotion)

One of our clients in Tennessee increased their backlink profile from 12 to 78 quality links over six months, and their organic traffic jumped by 312%. These aren’t just vanity metrics – they translated directly into a 46% increase in form submissions and calls.

✅ Action Step: Set up Google Search Console (it’s free) to see what backlinks Google currently recognizes for your site, then create a plan to add at least 3-5 new quality links each month.

The Key to Effective SEO: Lawncare Keyword Research

I consider this the most important step for any lawn or landscape SEO campaign – if you target the wrong keywords, nothing else matters.

Let me share something that might surprise you. I recently analyzed keyword data for a client in Chicago and found that “lawn care service” had 2,400 monthly searches while “lawn maintenance” only had 720. Yet, the client had built their entire site around “lawn maintenance” because that’s what they called their service internally.

This is a classic example of why you need to speak your customers’ language, not your industry jargon.

Here’s my proven framework for lawn care keyword research:

1. Assign “Hero Keywords” to Each Page

Every successful SEO strategy begins with focus. You must assess your current website pages and designate a “HERO Keyword” group for each page. The homepage can’t and won’t rank for all of your keywords.

This may seem incredibly basic, but you’d be amazed at the number of professional digital marketers that don’t understand that Google doesn’t rank websites, it ranks PAGES of websites. Each page can be designated to target an individual keyword or keyword group.

2. Balance Search Volume with Commercial Intent

Not all keywords are created equal. “Landscaping ideas” might have huge search volume, but most of those searchers are DIYers. “Landscaping company near me” has buyers who are ready to hire someone.

I like to use a 1-5 scale for commercial intent:

• Level 1: “Retaining wall ideas” (Just browsing)
• Level 3: “Retaining wall blocks near me” (Getting serious)
• Level 5: “Retaining wall installation company” (Ready to buy)

The sweet spot is finding keywords with both decent search volume AND high commercial intent.

3. Use Geographic Modifiers Strategically

For local service businesses, your city/region name is crucial. However, don’t forget that “near me” searches have exploded in recent years. For example, “landscaping near me” gets over 300,000 searches per month nationally!

Structure your primary service pages around “[Service] in [City]” (e.g., “Lawn Mowing Services in Nashville”), but also ensure your Google Business Profile is fully optimized for “near me” searches.

4. Eliminate Keyword Cannibalization

One of the biggest mistakes I see is lawn care companies creating multiple pages or blog posts that target the exact same keyword. This causes “cannibalization” where Google doesn’t know which page to rank.

For example, don’t create a service page for “Lawn Mowing Memphis” and then also write blog posts targeting that same term. Your blog posts should target related but different keywords (like “How often should you mow your lawn in Memphis climate”).

✅ Action Step: Perform a keyword audit to identify your most valuable terms based on search volume and commercial intent, then map each keyword to a specific page on your site.

Targeted Marketing with Landscaping and Lawncare Local SEO

Local SEO is the game-changer for landscaping and lawn care businesses. When someone searches “landscaper near me” or “lawn care company in [your city],” you NEED to show up in that local pack (the map with 3 listings).

After analyzing hundreds of local markets, I’ve identified these critical factors for landscaping local SEO success:

1. Google Business Profile Optimization

This is the single most important factor for local search. Your GBP needs to be:

• 100% complete (name, address, phone, website, hours, etc.)
• Properly categorized (primary category matters most)
• Rich with photos (before/afters are gold here)
• Consistent with your website and other listings
• Regularly updated with posts and offers

I’m still shocked by how many landscape companies have incomplete or poorly optimized profiles. This is literally free real estate on Google. Check out our recent guide on how to maximize your Google Business Profile’s reach to start raking in those leads too!

2. Consistent NAP Citations

NAP stands for Name, Address, Phone Number. These need to be IDENTICAL across all your online listings. Every variation (even “St.” vs “Street”) can hurt your rankings.

Focus on quality over quantity – get listed on the platforms your customers actually use, like:

• Google Business Profile
• Yelp
• HomeAdvisor
• Thumbtack
• Nextdoor
• Angi
• Local chamber of commerce

3. Review Acquisition Strategy

Reviews are massive ranking signals for local SEO, not to mention their impact on conversion rates. You need:

• A systematic process for requesting reviews
• A focus on Google reviews first, then secondary platforms
• A strategy for responding to ALL reviews (especially negative ones)

One of our lawn care clients in Florida went from 8 reviews to 72 reviews in just three months by implementing a simple text message follow-up system. Their visibility in maps searches increased by 43%.

4. Local Content Creation

Creating content specific to your service areas is incredibly powerful. This includes:

• City-specific service pages
• Neighborhood guides
• Local lawn care calendars based on your climate
• Articles about local regulations, water restrictions, or HOA guidelines

This type of hyper-local content not only helps your SEO but also demonstrates your expertise in the specific markets you serve.

✅ Action Step: Verify your business address is optimally located in your primary service area and audit your Google Business Profile for completeness.

Numbers Don’t Lie! The ROI of Professional Landscaping SEO

Let’s talk numbers for a minute. Many lawn and landscape business owners I work with initially hesitate at the cost of professional SEO services. But here’s the reality:

• Average customer lifetime value in the lawn and landscape industry: $3,000-$10,000+
• Average cost per lead from Google Ads: $35-75
• Average cost per lead from organic search: $8-25 (after initial SEO investment)

With proper SEO, one of our clients in Texas went from spending $62 per lead on Google Ads to generating organic leads for about $14 each. When you’re talking about customers worth thousands of dollars, that ROI is absolutely massive.

But even more importantly, SEO compounds over time. While PPC stops the moment you stop paying, SEO continues to deliver results month after month, year after year.

Ready to Transform Your Landscaping Company’s Online Presence?

If you’ve read this far, you clearly understand the value of professional SEO for your lawn or landscape business. The question is: do you have the time, expertise, and tools to implement all of this yourself?

At Lawn Marketing Edge, we’re not just marketing experts – we understand the lawn and landscape business from the inside out. I’ve been in your shoes, dealing with seasonal demands, weather issues, staffing challenges, and all the other complexities of running a service business.

That’s why we’ve been able to help hundreds of lawn and landscape companies across the country dominate their local markets online. Our specialized approach combines all the elements we’ve discussed:

• Strategic keyword research tailored to your specific services
• On-page optimization that aligns with Google’s latest algorithms
• Powerful backlink building from relevant, authoritative sources
• Local SEO domination to capture high-intent “near me” searches
• Technical optimization for maximum performance
• Content strategy that establishes your authority and drives conversions

If you’re ready to stop leaving money on the table and start dominating your local market online, book a free strategy call with me. In just 30 minutes, I’ll analyze your current online presence and identify the biggest opportunities for growth.

No hard sell, no BS – just actionable insights you can use to grow your business.