13 Steps to Implement SEO for Moving Companies and PODS Services

Outranking
by Outranking
Updated On: April 4, 2024
13 Steps to Implement SEO for Moving Companies and PODS Services

Trends have changed since the pandemic, and moving companies and PODS providers – like most businesses – rely on a strong online presence now more than ever. As 90% of Google results get traffic from the first page of search engine result pages (SERPs) and to get to the first page of search engines, moving companies have to implement SEO best practices so they get the maximum organic traffic, resulting in increased leads.

But how can your moving company or PODS service best implement SEO practices, and what steps can you take toward a successful online presence? With Outranking’s help, let’s discuss how your online visibility can skyrocket and generate revenue you only imagined possible.

Why is SEO Important for Moving Companies and PODS Service Providers?

In the highly competitive and saturated moving industry, moving companies and PODS providers face numerous challenges in attracting and retaining clients. With the evolution of digital marketing, search engine optimization (SEO) has emerged as a crucial strategy for improving online visibility and increasing organic traffic to your website. SEO involves optimizing your moving company website and online content to rank higher in SERPs when relevant keywords are searched. Your moving company or PODS service can greatly benefit from a comprehensive SEO strategy through:

Increased Online Visibility

SEO helps moving companies and PODS providers to rank higher in SERPs when potential customers search for relevant keywords. This increased visibility can lead to more website traffic and ultimately results in more leads and conversions.

Competitive Advantage

In a highly competitive industry, having a strong SEO strategy can give moving companies and PODS providers a competitive advantage. By ranking higher in SERPs, you can attract more potential customers and ultimately increase your market share.

Cost-Effective

SEO is a cost-effective marketing strategy compared to other forms of digital advertising. When you focus on gaining more organic traffic, you can save money on paid advertising and still achieve significant results.

Increased Client Acquisition

Through helpful, informative content that is optimized for search engines, you can attract more website visitors who are interested in what you have to offer. This can lead to increased client acquisition and ultimately, business success.

How to Implement SEO for a Moving Company or PODS Website

This comprehensive guide walks you through each step of building a successful SEO strategy for your moving company or PODS service website. By following these practices, your website can rank higher and reach more potential clients than ever before.

Step 1: Define the core services of your moving company to create a website architecture

Step 2: Make a list of keywords that align with the services your moving company offers

Step 3: Cluster keywords in each moving company service area to determine what topics to create

Step 4: Create a content calendar and prioritize your moving company’s SEO efforts

Step 5: Establish a content production process, SOPs, and content briefs, or hire an agency to help

Step 6: Create SEO-optimized content for service pages and blogs for your moving company website

Step 7: Optimize internal linking for your moving company website

Step 8: Acquire backlinks and local references for your moving company’s website

Step 9: Optimize page speed and website experience

Step 10: Track rankings using Google Search Console

Step 11: Optimize your moving company’s Local Google My Business account

Step 12: Invest in the right tools to set up the structure, create a process, and optimize content

Step 13: Focus on the ultimate goal: leads and conversions

Step 1: Define the Core Services of Your Moving Company to Create Website Architecture

The first step to implementing better SEO for moving companies or PODS businesses is understanding your core areas. This is important because it helps to identify the key areas where keyword research can be conducted and a plan can be developed. 

To break down the website architecture into core offerings and its extended list of sub-areas, identify your industry’s main services and the areas that resonate the most with your core offering.

This table lists some examples of possible core service areas and subareas for your moving company or PODS business:

Core Service AreasExtended List of Sub-Areas
Residential Moving1. Local Moving
2. Long-Distance Moving
3. International Moving 
4. Small Moves 
5. Large Moves
Commercial Moving1. Office Moving
2. Corporate Relocation
3. Industrial Moving
4. Hospitality Moving
5. Educational Moving
Storage Solutions1. Short-Term Storage 
2. Long-Term Storage 
3. Climate-Controlled Storage
4. Business Storage 
5. Warehouse Storage
Packing and Unpacking1. Full-Service Packing
2. Fragile-Only Packing 
3. DIY Packing, Unpacking 
4. Crating 
5. Specialty Item Packing
Specialty Services1. Vehicle Shipping
2. Piano Moving 
3. Fine Art Moving
4. Antique Moving
5. Electronics Moving

As shown in the table, the core service areas for a moving company or PODS business can be broken down into residential moving, commercial moving, storage solutions, packing and unpacking, and specialty services. Each core service area has an extended list of sub-areas that can be used for keyword research and developing a plan.

Understanding the core areas of your moving company or PODS business is crucial in developing an effective SEO strategy. By defining your website architecture into core offerings and sub-areas, your company can identify the most important keywords and phrases to target and prioritize them accordingly. This will help to improve your website’s ranking on search engines and drive more traffic to the site.

Infographic displaying the core service areas of a moving company's website and the corresponding subareas relating to each one.
Which keywords best represent your moving or pod services?

Step 2: Make a List of Keywords That Align With the Services Your Moving Company or PODS Service Offers

When performing keyword research, there are three key things to keep in mind:

  1. Build out the extended research for sub-areas and gather the list of keywords in each of the core areas of your website. For this example, let’s use “Residential moving” as your core area.
  1. If you have multiple core areas, you’ll need to repeat the keyword research step for each area.
  1. If each core offering area has multiple sub-areas of focus, perform the keyword research step again for each sub-area, excluding any irrelevant or outdated keywords.

You can use tools like Semrush or Outranking to help with keyword research for your moving company or PODS website.

Method 1: Use Semrush

 1. Open the Semrush keyword research tool and enter your chosen core offering area – in this case, “Residential moving”.

Screenshot of Semrush's Magic Keyword Tool with the generated keywords relating to "Residential moving".
Take your time to choose the best keywords for your moving or PODS company.

2.  Be sure to select relevant filters like location, search volume, and keyword difficulty to narrow down your results.

3. Analyze the results and exclude any irrelevant or outdated keywords to focus on the most important ones.

Screenshot of Semrush's keyword filter.
Keep your keyword lists clear of any unnecessary clutter.

4. Export the CSV file with the desired data.

Screenshot of  selected keywords related to the core offering area "Residential moving".
Take this opportunity to think – What does your moving company do best?

5. Repeat this process for each core offering area and sub-area to create separate CSV files. Combine all CSV files into one for easier management.

Method 2: Use Outranking

  1. Go to Outranking’s available keyword generator and enter “Moving services” or “PODS services”.
  1. Avoid any extra hassle with Outranking’s streamlined cluster analysis.
  1. Gather and analyze the keywords generated by Outranking.
  1. Export the CSV file with the desired data.
  1. Repeat this process for each core offering area and sub-area to create separate CSV files. Then, combine all CSV files into one for easier management.

Once the keywords for each sub-group in a core service area are collected, you’re on to keyword analysis. This involves analyzing the search volume, competition, and relevance of each keyword to determine which ones to target in your content strategy. To create a successful SEO content strategy, you can also use Outranking as it helps in prioritizing tasks, identifying content gaps, and tracking results. It also saves you time and helps in doing the researching, writing, and editing part for you.

By following these steps, you can gather a comprehensive list of keywords to optimize your website for search engines and drive traffic to your moving company or PODS website.

Step 3: Cluster Keywords in Each Service Area to Determine What Topics to Create

Keyword clustering is a process of grouping similar keywords together based on their semantic meaning and intent. It helps to identify the most relevant and important keywords for a website’s content strategy and SEO efforts. Your moving company website can use keyword clustering to identify the most relevant keywords for your business and create a content strategy around those keywords.

For example, you might compile a list for your moving company that includes keywords like “moving services”, “packing and unpacking”, “local moving”, “long-distance moving”, “storage solutions”, and “moving supplies”. By clustering these keywords together, you can easily identify the most important topics to focus on for your content strategy, such as “moving services” and “packing and unpacking.”

Three groups of clustered keywords relating to moving service keywords.
Do you see the similarities within these groups?

To pick a primary keyword for each group of clusters, you should consider factors like your ability to create better content than your competitors, the number of backlinks your competitors have, any knowledge gaps or underserved areas in the intent, and your topical authority and common SERP competitors. Using tools like Outranking to analyze your competitors’ coverage of a topic, compare your topical authority to theirs, and check your competition’s minimum backlinks to understand their importance can make you stand out.

Additionally, these tools can save time and provide valuable insights into the competition and keyword trends. Outranking’s keyword clustering tool can analyze a large number of keywords and group them into semantic terms and similar intent groups, making it easier for your moving company or PODS service to identify the most important topics for your content strategy.

Step 4: Create a Content Calendar and Prioritize Your Moving Company’s SEO efforts

To prioritize keywords for creating and optimizing content for a moving company or PODS website, you should first create a list of primary keywords and groups related to your business. Once you have your list, you can use Outranking’s keyword “strategy topics and planner” page to map out a plan and schedule for your content.

Outranking can help with prioritization by allowing you to set priorities for each keyword based on its importance and relevance to your business. You can set three main priorities: High, Medium, and Low.

To prioritize keywords for a moving company or PODS website, you can use the table below as a guide:

PriorityKeywords ContainingWhy
HighThese keywords can still define you as a thought leader and support your important pages for the flow of information but aren’t as important as the high and medium priority keywords.These keywords can define you as a thought leader in the industry and support your important pages for the flow of information.
MediumPODS, Portable storage, Storage units, Moving containersThese keywords can place your service among many competitors and help you stand out in the moving and PODS service market.
LowThese keywords can still define you as a thought leader and support your important pages for the flow of information but aren’t as important as the high and medium-priority keywords.How to pack for a move, Moving checklist, Moving Guide

By prioritizing keywords, you can ensure that your content focuses on the most important and relevant topics for your moving business. This can help improve your search engine rankings and attract more potential customers to your website.

Step 5: Establish a Content Production Process, SOPs, and Content Briefs, or Hire an Agency to Help

For a moving company or PODS business, implementing SEO can be a daunting task. However, putting a process in place and creating detailed SOPs or content briefs is necessary for the successful execution of an SEO strategy. Find your way through the content creation and optimization process with these three expert tips:

Screenshot of Outranking's "on-page local SEO" widget
Your local online presence is what can make your moving company or pod service stand out among the rest.

1. Create solid content briefs

It’s important to have a clear understanding of what you want to achieve before you start creating content. A good content brief should outline the purpose of the content, the target audience, the necessary keywords, and your desired outcome.

2. Establish a proper content calendar

Sticking to a schedule is essential for keeping track of all the content that needs to be created and published. Your content calendar should keep you on track with deadlines, topics, keywords, and the stage of the content creation process.

3. Set up a workflow for the tasks

Know what stage your content is in every step of the way with a clear SEO workflow in place. A well-defined plan ensures that everyone involved in the content creation process knows what they need to do and when. It should include tasks, deadlines, and the assigned person responsible for each task.

Screenshot of Outranking's customizable kanban view.
We know that moving season is right around the corner, so let’s help your content stay organized and on schedule.

Using Outranking’s content planner is a surefire way to keep your moving company’s content on schedule. With its predefined workflow status that can be customized to fit your needs and a Kanban view that allows you to see the stage of your documents at a glance, Outranking keeps it simple. 

Additionally, Outranking’s integrated tool can be used to build content briefs or create content directly in your SEO content strategy, making it easy to access any of your documents in no time at all, and ensuring that you stay organized and focused.

If you don’t have an in-house team, it may be beneficial to hire an expert agency or Outranking to help you make this plan come to fruition for your moving company. Running a bustling moving company is a lot of work, and it can be challenging to find the time to do everything yourself. Working with an expert agency or Outranking can ensure that your SEO strategy is executed successfully, allowing you to focus on what matters – running your business.

Learn more about Outranking’s features here.

Step 6: Create SEO-Optimized Content for Service Pages and Blogs for Your Moving Company or PODS Website

Creating SEO-optimized content for each service page and blog is crucial for ensuring that your moving company or pod service is spending money on content that will yield results. Improve your website’s search engine rankings and attract more organic traffic, which can ultimately lead to more leads and conversions.

Screenshot of Outranking's SEO details for the article "SEO for Moving Companies"
Optimizing your content can make it easier to reach your future clients.

Outranking’s SEO content optimization and writing platform can help busy business owners like yourself to write and optimize their service pages and blog posts for the highest possible organic exposure. Outranking offers a range of real-time optimization benchmarks and features, including title and descriptions, outlines, word count, common NLP terms checks, unique entities, lists and tables, statistics, competitor visualization, media, internal and external links, and featured snippet optimizations.

Create engaging and informative content for your moving company that ranks every time without having to hire an agency, consultant, or freelancer.

Step 7: Optimize Your Internal Linking

Optimizing your moving company’s existing pages with better internal linking can help improve the overall traffic of your website by borrowing authority from pages that are already ranking and transferring it over to the page that needs to rank for more keywords. By clicking on the internal linking icon next to URLs with a lot of light and dark green, which are the pages ranking between 1 and 10, suggestions for internal linking will load. Using pages that already have some authority can give your existing content the boost it needs to reach its target audience.

For your moving company or PODS service’s website, look to optimize pages that rank for keywords related to your services, such as “Local moving”, “long-distance moving”, or “short-term storage”. If these pages are ranked between 1 and 10, they’ll be able to improve traffic to your page.

Outranking can connect to Google Search Console and identify these pages by analyzing the positions of existing pages. It can then show internal linking opportunities for moving companies or pods by suggesting which pages to link from and rewriting passages with anchor text added to the keyword. This can help improve the website’s ranking and overall traffic.

Step 8: Acquire Backlinks and Local References for Your Moving Company’s Website

92% of users will choose a company that shows on the first page of Google. Acquiring local citations and backlinks is crucial for the local SEO of a moving company or pod website. Local citations are mentions of your business’s name, address, and phone number (NAP) on other websites. Backlinks, on the other hand, are links from other websites that point to your website. Both of these factors are important ranking signals for search engines, especially for local queries.

Acquiring local citations can improve your local online presence and local SEO in several ways. Firstly, it can help search engines verify the existence, legitimacy, and trustworthiness of your business. If the same details appear across many relevant and trusted websites, then search engines like Google are likely to have increased confidence that your business exists, is operational, and that what you say about it’s true. Secondly, citations can help people discover your business online. Business directories often dominate search results for local queries, so being cited on these directories can help your business get found by potential customers.

Screenshot of Larro's Moving Services' Yelp page.
Provide as much information about your moving or pod company as possible!

There are two types of citations – structured and unstructured. Structured citations list your business’s NAP information, while unstructured citations are contextual mentions of your business. Both types of citations are important for local SEO.

To build citations for your moving or pod company, follow these four steps:

  1. List with the ‘big three’ data aggregators: Acxiom, Data Axel, and Localeze distribute business information to a wide range of directories and websites, ensuring that your NAP information is consistent across the web.
  1. Submit to other core sites: This includes popular business directories like Google Business Profile, Bing Places, and Yelp. 
  1. Submit to popular industry and local sites: Look for relevant directories to the moving and pods business and uncover local websites where you can list your company. For example, a moving company could submit its information to sites like HomeAdvisor, Angie’s List, and Thumbtack.
  1. Pursue unstructured citations: Reach out to local bloggers and journalists who may be interested in writing about your moving or pod services.

According to a survey by Moz, citations are the fifth most important ranking signal for local queries, as it improves the domain authority. This highlights the importance of acquiring local citations for local SEO.

In terms of data aggregators, businesses should aim to get citations from the following websites:

Data AggregatorWebsites to Get Citations From
AcxiomYellowpages, Superpages, Citysearch
Data AxelLocal.com, ExpressUpdate, Factual
LocalezeYahoo Local, Bing Local, Yelp

Step 9: Optimize Page Speed and Website Experience

Your moving company or pod website needs to optimize page speed and website experience for better rankings in 2024 as it directly affects user experience and can lead to higher bounce rates. This can result in lower search engine rankings and ultimately, lower website traffic and conversions.

To quickly optimize page speed and website experience, consider using better and lighter themes available on marketplaces like Codecanyon. Using WordPress plugins like Nitropack-like that optimize website performance. The table below lists the different elements that can be optimized and a brief description of how to optimize each element:

Element to OptimizeDescription of Optimization
Content Delivery Network (CDN)Use a CDN to distribute web content across various geographical locations to ensure faster delivery of content to users.
HostingChoose a fast web host such as VPS or dedicated server to ensure better optimization.
Image SizeCompress images using tools like ImageOptim, JPEGmini, or Kraken to reduce their size without compromising quality.
PluginsCheck all installed plugins and delete unnecessary ones to reduce the resources needed to run them.
CachingConsider caching plugins like WP Super Cache or W3 Total Cache to store frequently accessed data and reduce the time needed to load pages.
Minify CSS, JavaScript, and HTMLUse plugins like Autoptimize or WP Minify to remove unnecessary characters from code and reduce file size.
Optimize DatabaseUse plugins like WP-Optimize or WP-Sweep to clean up and optimize the database to improve website performance.
Lazy LoadingUse lazy loading plugins like Lazy Load or BJ Lazy Load to only load images when they are visible on the screen, reducing the initial load time.
Remove Render-Blocking ResourcesUse tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to identify and remove render-blocking resources like JavaScript and CSS that delay page loading.

Step 10: Track Rankings Using Google Search Console

To track the ranking of your moving company or pod website, connect to Google Search Console. By having a content plan for the next few months, you can use the ranking data to optimize your existing content, uncover new areas to create fresh content, and expose underperforming pages.

To interpret the website ranking data and take appropriate actions, you can use the following table:

ScenarioInterpretationAction
Pages with keywords in the top 4-14 positionsThese pages have the potential to improve Pagerank with a better internal linking structureOptimize internal linking
Pages with no ranking keywords in the top 20 positions that don’t align with the user’s search intentThese pages have no topical authority and need fresh content to rankFind new opportunities to build topical authority
Pages with no ranking keywords in the top 20 positions that don’t align with the user’s search intentThese pages are underperforming and need improvement or redirectionFind underperforming pages

By taking these actions, you can improve your SEO content strategy and attract more potential customers to your moving company or pod service.

Step 11: Optimize Your Moving Company’s Local Google Business Profile Account

Google Business Profile is a free service that allows businesses to provide more information about their business when it appears in search results. It includes features like a business description, location, hours, photos, videos, and links to reservation services.

Screenshot of the Google result page for "moving services Boston".
Keeping your Google Business account updated can make all the difference.

Here’s how to improve your moving company or pod services Google Business listing:

  1. Claim and verify your Google Business Profile listing with accurate and up-to-date information about your business, including your address, phone number, and website.
  1. Choose the most relevant category for your business, such as “Moving Company” or “Storage Facility”.
  1. Add high-quality photos of your moving trucks, storage units, and team members to showcase your services and professionalism.
  1. Encourage customers to leave reviews on your Google Business profile listing to improve your local search ranking and attract more customers.
  1. Use Google Posts to share updates, promotions, and events with your potential customers.

Personalized examples could include using keywords in your business description and throughout your listing, such as “local moving services” or “climate-controlled storage units”. Filling out Google Q&A to answer frequently asked questions about your moving services, such as “Do you offer packing and unpacking services?” or “What is your pricing for long-distance moves?”, and using Google Business Profile Insights to track your listing’s performance and adjust your strategy accordingly. For example, if you notice that most of your website clicks are coming from mobile devices, you may want to focus on optimizing your mobile website for a better user experience.

With so many pieces involved, consider hiring a digital marketing agency that specializes in local SEO to ensure that your Google Business Profile listing is fully optimized and up-to-date. They can also help you create a comprehensive digital marketing strategy that includes social media, email marketing, and paid advertising to reach even more potential customers.

Screenshot of the Yellow Pages profile for "El Cheapo Movers Ltd."
Keep your profiles up-to-date to maintain your local online presence.

Step 12: Invest in the Right Tools to Set up Structure, Create Process, and Optimize Content

Investing in the right tools like Outranking can put your moving company or pod service on the path to success. Outranking is an all-in-one SEO platform that streamlines the entire SEO content strategy, including on-page optimization. Outranking provides keyword research, content optimization, and performance tracking, which helps optimize pages efficiently. This tool offers keyword suggestions, content optimization recommendations, and performance metrics, which can help the company improve its online presence.

It’s not just about the tools – your moving company or pod service needs the right team behind these efforts. By establishing team alignment, setting clear goals, and assigning specific responsibilities to each team member, everyone is aware of their role in the project and can work together towards a common objective. Regular check-ins and progress updates, accountability, and regular performance reviews and feedback sessions can help achieve this. Good team alignment increases efficiency, produces better-quality content, and creates a more cohesive team.

Step 13: Focus on the Ultimate Goal: Leads and Conversions

Most websites focus on organic traffic because it’s a cost-effective way to attract potential customers to their site. For example, a short-tail keyword like “moving company” may bring in a lot of traffic, but it may not be relevant to someone who is specifically looking for a “pod service” for their move. By targeting more specific and long-tail keywords like “pod service for moving” or “portable storage for moving”, your moving company or pod service can attract a smaller but more targeted audience who are more likely to convert into paying customers. Focus on leads and conversions because ultimately, the goal of a website is not just to attract traffic but to turn that traffic into paying customers.

How to Evaluate an Agency to Help With SEO for Your Moving Company

Expertise, Reviews, and Results

When evaluating a company to help with SEO for your moving company or pod’s website, consider these factors:

Look for real-world experience

Choose an SEO agency that has at least 5-10 years of experience working with websites in the moving or pod industry. They’ll have a better understanding of the competitive landscape and be more creative in their approach to strategy design. 

Check for reviews and results 

Look for reviews and case studies from other clients in your industry. A good SEO agency should be able to provide examples of how they have helped other moving companies or pod providers improve their search engine rankings and drive more traffic to their websites.

For example, you may want to find an agency that has experience working with other moving or pod companies. A good agency will have a customized approach, from industry analysis and competitive research to strategy design and implementation. Ask for case studies or references from other companies that the agency has worked with.

SEO Services Offered

When evaluating an SEO agency to help your moving company or pod website, consider:

Proven Process and Customized Approach 

Look for an agency that adheres to a proven process and principles that can be applied universally when performing website audits and search engine optimization. But, it should also apply a customized approach to analysis and strategy design tailored to the unique competitive position of your moving company or pod website. 

Creativity and Innovation 

The best SEO agencies are highly creative and innovative. Ask the agency what creative strategies they’ve implemented to help their clients stand out from the pack. Being creative is hard and expensive, but it’s far more effective than cookie-cutter, boilerplate SEO strategies.

For example, when evaluating an SEO agency for your moving company or pod website, ask them about their experience working with other moving companies or related industries – What unique strategies did they implement? Do they have a proven process for performing website audits and SEO? Also, ask for case studies or examples of successful SEO campaigns they have executed for similar clients. Look for an agency that can provide tangible results, such as increased website traffic, higher search engine rankings, and improved conversion rates.

Contract Duration and Flexibility

When evaluating a company to help with SEO for your moving company or pod’s website, here are a few key factors to consider:

Offers Flexibility

Some agencies may require long-term contracts, which may not be ideal for a moving or pod company that requires flexibility. Look for an agency that offers flexible contract durations that meets your specific needs.

Has Real-World SEO Experience

They should be able to explain their process in detail and provide a clear plan for how they’ll help improve your website’s SEO. For example, a reputable agency might follow a five-step process that includes industry analysis, competitive research, strategy design, implementation, and follow-up. The agency should also be able to tailor their approach to your specific business needs and goals.

Need an SEO Strategist to Set up the Plan and Answer all the Pressing Questions for Your Moving Company or PODS Service?

An SEO consultant can help you to assess your needs and create a customized moving plan that meets your specific requirements. They can also help you to identify any potential issues that may arise during the SEO implementation plans to address them. This can help to minimize any disruptions to your website SEO so that everything goes according to plan.

In addition to helping you with planning and strategy, an SEO consultant can also provide you with recommendations based on their experience and knowledge of the industry, and help you to negotiate the best rates and terms.

Overall, hiring an SEO consultant can be a great way to ensure that your SEO implementation goes smoothly. With Outranking’s strategist, you can get a customized SEO strategy to increase the probability of your website going to the first page of SERPs. 
What are you waiting for? Contact Outranking today and watch your moving or pod company reach new heights of success.