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SEO for general contractors

People who hire a general contractor are about to spend a lot and are nervous about it.

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Typical searches

What owners look up before they ask for bids

Typical searches read:

  • “general contractor vs subcontractor”
  • “how to compare contractor bids”
  • “who pulls the permit contractor or homeowner”
  • “what is a change order”
  • “construction draw schedule” with a town name

Research follows the project types on your website, residential or commercial.

Why it matters

Before they ask for bids, they look up how a GC differs from hiring the trades directly, who pulls the permits, what a fair payment schedule looks like, why bids for the same plans can differ so much and what a change order is. Commercial owners ask about schedules, inspections and how a build is coordinated. Most of what they find comes from national sites that never mention a local builder. StrideRank writes those articles for the projects you build and the places you build them, and publishes them every week so the long decision ends with a call to you.

Common challenges

  • Bid sites and lead sellers put several contractors against each other before the first meeting.
  • Owners compare bids line by line without knowing what the lines mean.
  • Permits, inspections and change orders raise the same questions on every project.
  • Past projects sit in a gallery, but nothing explains how the work is run.
Trade talk

How your customers say it — and what you call it.

People search the symptom, not the term. The articles meet them in their words and answer in yours.

  • Your customer types: subcontractor quote for the plumbing and electricalYou call it: Sub bid
  • Your customer types: money the contractor holds back until the endYou call it: RetainageWithheld until completion — owners ask about it on commercial jobs.
  • Your customer types: payment schedule for building a houseYou call it: Draw schedule
  • Your customer types: contractor says the budget for tile ran outYou call it: Allowance overage
  • Your customer types: final sign off from the city before moving inYou call it: Certificate of occupancy
  • Your customer types: subcontractor says they weren’t paidYou call it: Mechanic’s lienLien waivers with each payment protect the owner — articles explain the idea, not state law.

General contractor keywords: the full list, grouped by intent

Your season

Your year, the way customers search it

Topics go live before the rush, not in the middle of it.

  1. Winter

    Planning and bids

    • how to find a general contractor
    • contractor bid comparison
  2. Early spring

    Permits and breaking ground

    • how long does a building permit take
    • when can construction start after permit
  3. Building season

    Inspections and changes

    • framing inspection checklist
    • change order dispute
  4. Year-end

    Finishing before the holidays

    • final inspection before move in
    • punch list walkthrough
Example topics

Example: titles a general contractor might publish

Illustrative titles

  • Example

    Comparing contractor bids that look nothing alike

  • Example

    Who pulls the permit, and why it matters

  • Example

    Change orders: how they work and how to avoid surprises

  • Example

    What a general contractor coordinates on a build

  • Example

    Inspections from footings to final

The real plan follows the keywords you approve.

Inside knowledge

Things we write around in your trade

  • Subs follow the GC’s schedule

    Owners rarely see how the trades are sequenced. Articles explain why one late delivery can move several crews.

  • Allowances cause the budget surprises

    Fixtures and finishes priced as placeholders get questioned at the end. Articles explain how allowances work in general terms.

  • Bids differ by what they leave out

    Exclusions decide whether two bids are comparable. Articles show owners where to look, without judging anyone’s price.

How the articles handle it

Licenses, bonds and insurance as you state them

Licensing rules for contractors differ by state and often by city. Articles describe your license, bonding and insurance only as your website shows them, explain permits in general terms, and never promise costs or completion dates your site does not back up.

Rules the articles respect

  • Lead-safe work in older homes

    EPA requires firms paid to disturb painted surfaces in homes, child-care facilities and preschools built before 1978 to be lead-safe certified, sole proprietors included. Articles about older homes mention lead-safe practices and name your certification only if your website does.

    SourceEPA — Renovation, Repair and Painting Program (opens in a new tab)

Where rules vary by state, check yours — this is not legal advice.

FAQ

Common questions

Run the free audit
Does it work for commercial contractors?

Yes. Keyword research follows the project types on your website, residential, commercial or both.

Will articles state construction costs?

No, unless your website publishes them. Costs depend on the project, so unsupported numbers are removed by the fact check.

Can our project managers review articles?

Yes. Approval mode holds each article until someone on your team approves, edits or rejects it.

Related

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