How Roofing Companies Actually Get Leads from Google

Let me guess: You're a roofer. You do great work. Your customers love you. But getting those customers in the first place? That's the hard part.

Maybe you're:

• Spending $3,000+ a month on Google Ads and barely breaking even
• Paying Angi's List or HomeAdvisor 30% of every job
• Door knocking after storms like it's 1995
• Praying someone sees your truck and writes down your number

Meanwhile, that other roofing company across town - the one that doesn't even do as good work as you - is booked solid for the next month. Their phone rings off the hook.

What's the difference? They figured out local SEO.

Why Roofing SEO Is Different (And Why Most Roofers Get It Wrong)

Here's what makes roofing different from other trades:

1. People Don't Search for a Roofer Until They Need One

Nobody's casually browsing for roof options. Their roof is leaking, shingles are missing after a storm, or they've got water damage in the attic. They need someone NOW.

This means two things:

• You NEED to show up when they search
• The keywords that matter are urgent: "emergency roof repair," "roof leak fix," "storm damage roofer"

2. The Ticket Size Makes Every Lead Valuable

A roof replacement is $8K-15K+. Even a repair is $500-2,000. You don't need 100 leads a month. You need 10-15 good ones.

But at $200+ per click on Google Ads, that's $2,000-3,000 in ad spend just to get those leads. And half of them are just price shopping.

3. Storm Season Changes Everything

After a big storm, everyone needs a roofer. The phone rings nonstop... if you're ranking on Google. If you're not, all those customers are going to your competitors.

What Actually Works for Roofing SEO

Stop wasting time on Facebook ads and networking events. Here's what gets roofing companies to #1 on Google:

Priority #1: Google Business Profile (The Map Pack)

When someone searches "roofer near me" or "emergency roof repair [city]," that map pack at the top of Google is where all the action is.

Getting into the top 3:

• Categories matter. Primary: "Roofing contractor." Add: "Roof repair service," "Roof inspection service," "Emergency roof repair"
• Photos sell jobs. Upload 3-5 photos every week. Before/after roof jobs, your crew working, storm damage you fixed, completed projects
• Reviews are gold. Every happy customer gets a text with a review link. Aim for 3-5 new reviews per month
• Post weekly. "Just completed a roof replacement in [neighborhood]" with photos. Google loves activity

Priority #2: Service-Specific Pages

Your homepage says "We do roofing." Cool. So do 50 other companies in your area.

You need individual pages for:

• Roof repair [city]
• Roof replacement [city]
• Storm damage roof repair [city]
• Roof leak repair [city]
• Commercial roofing [city]
• Emergency roof repair [city]

Each page should answer:

• What the service is
• How much it typically costs (even a range helps)
• How long it takes
• What's included
• Before/after photos
• Your phone number prominently displayed

Priority #3: Neighborhood-Specific Content

Stop saying "Serving Pittsburgh and surrounding areas."

Say "Serving North Side, South Side, Oakland, Squirrel Hill, Mt. Washington, Shadyside..." and create content for each.

Why? Because when someone in Mt. Washington searches "roofer Mt. Washington," you want to show up with a page specifically about roofing in Mt. Washington.

What Doesn't Work (Stop Wasting Time On This)

Blog posts about "roof maintenance tips." Nobody searching for a roofer wants tips. They want their roof fixed TODAY.

Generic "about us" content. Nobody cares how long you've been in business unless you're the one they're already calling.

Stock photos. Use real photos of your actual work or don't use photos at all.

Waiting for SEO to "mature." Local roofing SEO works in weeks, not months. If you're not seeing results in 30 days, something's wrong.

The Storm Season Strategy

Here's a play most roofers miss:

Before storm season hits, get your SEO dialed in. Rankings, GMB optimized, content ready.

When the storm hits, everyone's searching. The top 3 businesses in the map pack get 90% of those calls.

After the storm, all those customers remember you and refer you because you showed up when they needed you.

The Honest Timeline

Week 1-2: GMB optimization complete, photos uploaded, you'll see more profile views

Week 3-4: Rankings improving, maybe 2-3 more calls per week

Month 2: Noticeably more calls, 10-15 extra leads

Month 3+: Consistent 25-40 leads monthly, picking and choosing jobs

This isn't theoretical. This is what happens when you actually do the work instead of hoping Google Ads will save you.

What You Need To Do This Week

If you're serious about getting off the lead-buying hamster wheel:

Monday: Clean up your Google Business Profile. Right categories, current hours, good description.

Tuesday-Thursday: Upload 10 photos of recent jobs. Before/afters if you have them.

Friday: Text your last 5 happy customers asking for Google reviews. Include direct link.

Next week: Do it again. And again. And again.

Or hire someone who knows what they're doing and let them handle it while you focus on roofing.

Takes 2 minutes. No sales call. Just a real report showing where you stand and what needs fixing. Most roofers are surprised how easy the fixes actually are.