Landscape architects and designers should not use keywords and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to the exclusion of promoting the uniqueness of their brand and identity.  Why would we say this? Because keywords should support the brand identity of your firm so that they work to attract the type of client you want to work for. As part of an overall marketing strategy, blogging with a specific long tail keyword ( keyword phrase) in mind is a best practice. It is important to remember to demonstrate your uniqueness and promote your work with images with captions as well as keyword based written content. Landscape design is hard work and the last thing most built environment professionals want to do on the weekend or afterhours is marketing. Ensuring your blogging efforts have both highly searched keywords and brand driven blogs will ensure success.

Built Environment Marketing Trends

For some reason, search engine optimization on a website has become the thing that most professionals ask about when it comes to marketing. I'm here to say it's a little like a client only caring that a landscape architect uses special ground cover while completely ignoring the overall palette, organizational structure, screening and properties topography.  

Keywords are the basis for good online marketing, but it's a single tool in an array of marketing tactics that should be considered. When working with landscape architects as an example, we would begin by researching keywords to determine how often they are being used in search and then determining if our landscape company has a chance in hell of attaining a usable search engine rank position (SERP). We would build upon these words to ensure we get found not just on website pages but in blogs and on social media platforms like Houzz, BeHance, LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

Keep these steps in mind when developing an overall marketing strategy - attract, convert, close and delight.

Attract Prospects

Write keyword-rich blog posts and share them on social media platforms.  Blogs help get your website to be found on search engines and helps deliver quality leads to landing pages where they'll find answers.

Convert Leads

Through the use of the call to actions on a landing page, your goal is to persuade the visitor to leave their details so you can provide them with further marketing materials. You can increase the conversion rate by offering a valuable incentive like a free e-book.

Close Customers

Using an automated email marketing process will nurture a qualified lead until they become a client. Emails are sent to segmented lists of prospects. Define these lists by the recipient's interest and speak to them about that interest. Encourage them over a sequence of contacts to use your service.

Charm Clients

By providing further practical and valuable information that the new client receives, you can delight them and encourage them to advertise your services on your behalf through social media and in their peer groups.

Inbound marketing enables landscapers to know what SEO tactics drove visitors to your website, what pages they landed on and it will even tell you where they came from. This allows you to improve the keyword phrases used on your website. Wouldn't it be great to know if the words, ecological design, sustainable development, or the repeated mention of Frederick Law Olmsted on your blog drove traffic? You bet. So how does inbound or content marketing work?

Choosing the right keyword is essential but it is not the only thing. Your brand is important as well. Come up with a list of words that best describes your business, your aesthetic and ask the question what people are looking for when they want to hire you. Shorter keywords are better as they're searched for more but include "long tail" keywords as well, "How to hire a Landscape Architect" or "The Influence Of Frank Lloyd Wright on Mid-Century Modern Landscape Design" as an example. Go through your keyword list and ascertain which keywords are highly searched using a tool like Wordtracker or Hittail and then ensure the keywords that you utilize on your website are driving traffic to your site with Squarespace metrics. If you get it right, your website will see higher traffic.

About Michael Conway

I'm the owner and strategist at Means-of-Production. My firm builds Squarespace websites, Houzz profiles, and content marketing and advertising solutions for architects, interior designers, design-build contractors and landscape design firms. Our all-in-one marketing tactics attract the right clients with exceptional architectural photography and brand messaging that sets you apart from the competition.