Your Service Pages Are Super-Important For SEO, So Why Are They So Neglected?
Having managed many website projects over the last decade, one of the most common SEO mistakes I see service-based businesses make is to cram all of their services onto a single page, or worse yet, just list them out on the homepage.
I’m not sure I know why this is the case. Perhaps because services change often, or it can simply be a lot of work to produce a detailed account of every service a company offers. It might also be that services are usually laid out in sales meetings or pitch decks and the website is not seen as an important place to have those conversations. Whatever the reason, if your service based business doesn’t have landing pages for your core services, it usually means your competitors (the ones who have service pages) are the ones bringing home the leads.
Are You Wearing Homepage Goggles?
I think one of the reason “service page neglect” happens is our homepage-centric view of websites. It’s easy to imagine that most site visitors land on your homepage, absorb everything, and then maybe browse the rest of your website like flipping through a magazine before giving you a ring. This view makes all other pages dependent on the homepage for context. It’s dangerous because most people don’t land on homepages. It’s usually far less than 50% of a site’s traffic.
The whole reason Google exists is to get people directly to the page they want. That means skipping the front door and landing straight in the drawing room. This is why it’s important to give your service pages just as much care and feeding as your homepage. In fact, they are likely more valuable in capturing new business than your homepage.
But there’s more to this then just creating a great service section. You’ve got to create service pages that will attract traffic. And to do that, we’ve got to talk a bit about how people use search engines.
Understanding Search Queries
Google searches can be broken down into three basic categories: informational, transactional, and navigational.
- Informational queries
When users are looking for information or answers to a specific question. Examples include “what is SEO?” or “How many pints are in a quart?” - Transactional queries
These are searches where users are looking to complete a specific action, such as making a purchase or booking a service. Examples include “buy iPhone 13” or “hire a web developer.” - Navigational queries
These are searches where users are looking for a specific website or brand. Examples include “Facebook” or “Amazon.”
For our purposes we can throw out Navigational queries and talk a little bit about the other two. Transactional and Informational. Both of these query types can be charted along a buyers journey.
The Buyer’s Journey
The buyers journey (or buyers funnel) typically involves stages such as:
- Awareness: The customer becomes aware of a problem or need.
- Consideration: The customer researches and evaluates potential solutions.
- Conversion: The customer makes a purchase or takes a desired action like making a phone call.
An informational query is likely going to fall into stage 1 or 2. While a transactional query would fall into stage 3.
The Role of Service Pages
Now, here’s the crucial part: if you offer a service, but only list it on your homepage, the chances of people finding you in search when searching for that specific service are basically zero. Why? Because in general, search engines like Google won’t rank you for a search query if you don’t have a dedicated web page that addresses it.
When someone someone searches for “Oven repair in New York,” they are probably ready to get their credit card out and pay somebody for that service. It’s a transactional search. But if you want to show up for that search, Google needs a specific page on your website that matches that query. If all you have is a services page that lists 35 different repair services, it’s unlikely you will compete with a competitor that has a detailed page about how amazing their oven repair services are.
Optimizing Your Service Pages for SEO
So if it isn’t obvious by now, to capitalize on transactional queries, you need to create dedicated service pages that target specific keywords and phrases. This means:
- Creating separate pages for each service you offer
- Optimizing each page with relevant keywords, meta tags, and descriptions
- Providing detailed information about each service, including benefits, features, and pricing
- Ensuring each page is mobile-friendly, fast, and secure
By doing so, you’ll increase your chances of ranking for transactional queries, attracting more qualified leads, and ultimately driving more conversions.
Service pages might be your most important SEO asset because they allow you to target specific transactional queries, attract high-intent users, and drive conversions. So give them the love they deserve!
