SEO for roofers: how to win more jobs through Google

In almost every large municipality, people search for “dakdekker [stad]” (roofer [city]) every month. They are homeowners with a leak, but also VvEs (condo owners' associations) planning a roof renovation and contractors looking for a roofing specialist. In this article, I show what you can do with SEO as a roofer to rank higher in Google, so you rely less on ads and word of mouth.

How customers search for a roofer

There are two moments when someone searches for a roofer. The first is urgent: a leak after a storm, water damage, a roof tile blown off. That searcher wants to talk to someone today. The second moment is planned: a VvE comparing quotes for a roof renovation, a homeowner considering insulation. That searcher takes the time to compare companies and read reviews.

Both kinds of searches start in Google. The urgent searcher types “dakdekker spoed [stad]” (emergency roofer [city]) or “lekkage dak reparatie” (roof leak repair). The planner searches “dakdekker [stad]” (roofer [city]), “plat dak isolatie kosten” (flat roof insulation cost) or “EPDM of bitumen wat is beter” (EPDM or bitumen which is better). If your company isn't visible for these searches, those customers go to a competitor.

AI tools count too. People increasingly ask ChatGPT or Gemini for a “good roofer in [city]”, and those tools build their answer from what they find online about companies. What Google can read about your company, your reviews and your mentions on other sites is therefore also the material ChatGPT and Gemini draw from.

Setting up your Google Business Profile properly

When someone searches “dakdekker [stad]” (roofer [city]), Google shows the Local Pack: three companies with reviews, address and phone number. You want to be among them, and whether that works depends largely on your Google Business Profile.

Fill in everything

Fill in your name, address, phone number, service area and opening hours, and also add which services you offer, such as roofing, repairs, insulation and gutters. Google uses that information to decide which searches your profile fits, so an empty field can cost you a search.

Choose the right categories

Choose “Roofing contractor” as the primary category. Add subcategories if you offer them: “Roof insulation company”, “Plumbing company” (if you also do gutters and zinc roof edge finishing).

Upload project photos

Photos of finished projects show what you can do. A before-and-after series of a roof renovation convinces a homeowner faster than a block of text. Also upload new photos regularly, so everyone who looks at your profile sees that your company is busy.

Set your service area

Most roofers work in a region around their base. Put the municipalities where you are active in your profile, so Google knows you also take jobs in the surrounding towns.

Collecting and answering reviews

Anyone who hires a roofer has someone climb onto their roof and has to trust a quote they can't check themselves. No wonder homeowners first read what others say about you.

Google looks at them too: in its own explanation of local ranking, Google writes that the number of reviews and the average score count. Also respond to every review, including the negative ones. A calm, polite reply to a complaint shows future customers how you handle problems, and that often carries more weight than the complaint itself.

Ask customers for one yourself. After a job is finished, send a WhatsApp with a direct link to your Google review page, so it takes them no time. Most customers are happy to leave a review if you make it easy for them.

A website that shows your work

Many roofer websites consist of a list of services, a few photos and a contact form. There is nothing wrong with that, but it gives a customer no reason to choose you in particular. After the search results, your website is often the first thing a customer really sees of your company, so that site has to do the work of a good sales conversation: show what you have made and make calling easy. That applies across construction: a website for a construction company is also judged on the craftsmanship you show.

Which pages you need

Give every service you offer its own page. A separate page like that can be indexed by Google on its own and matches exactly what people search for, which a catch-all “Services” page with five bullet points can't do. Think of pages for flat roofs (EPDM, bitumen, PVC), pitched roofs (roof tiles, slate), roof insulation, roof repair and emergencies, gutters and rainwater drainage. On every page, put an explanation, photos and a way to get in touch.

Project pages also pay off a lot: photos of a finished job with a short description of the material, the type of roof and what made it tricky. A page like that is your strongest selling point, and Google gets text that appears nowhere else. If you work in several municipalities, also make a page per region, such as “Dakdekker Haarlem” (roofer Haarlem) and “Dakdekker Amstelveen” (roofer Amstelveen). Write a separate text for each place, with projects and references from that area; the same text with only a different place name does little.

And don't forget the contact page. Put a phone number on it that you can tap on mobile, a contact form and your service area on a map, so someone with a leaking roof can reach you right away.

Keywords for roofers

The keywords for a roofing company fall roughly into three groups, and each group brings a different kind of customer.

Local search terms

This is the most important group: “dakdekker [stad]” (roofer [city]), “dakdekker bij mij in de buurt” (roofer near me), “dakdekker spoed [regio]” (emergency roofer [region]). The number of searches per municipality is limited, but people who search like this want a quote or help right away.

Search terms per service or material

“Plat dak laten isoleren kosten” (flat roof insulation cost), “EPDM dakbedekking prijs per m2” (EPDM roofing price per m2), “dakpannen vervangen offerte” (replace roof tiles quote), “bitumen dak levensduur” (bitumen roof lifespan). People who search this specifically for a material or service have often already decided something has to be done and are comparing companies.

Questions from people still looking around

“Wat kost een nieuw dak?” (what does a new roof cost?), “hoe herken je een daklekkage?” (how do you recognize a roof leak?), “verschil EPDM en bitumen” (difference between EPDM and bitumen), “dakisolatie verplicht 2026” (roof insulation mandatory 2026). With good content, articles that answer questions like these, they end up on your website anyway, and when they need a roofer later, they already know your name.

Articles that bring homeowners to your site

Most roofer websites have no blog or knowledge base, even though people search a lot for information about roofs, insulation and maintenance. Every article that answers a question like that well brings in visitors who see right away that you know your trade. A few topics to start with:

• “Wat kost een nieuw plat dak?” (What does a new flat roof cost?) Price is often the first thing people search for. Give estimates per material (EPDM, bitumen, PVC), say what the price depends on and invite readers to request a no-obligation quote.
• “EPDM of bitumen: wat is beter?” (EPDM or bitumen: which is better?) Homeowners often hesitate between the two. As a professional, explain the pros and cons and say when you would recommend which material yourself.
• “Hoe vaak moet je dak onderhouden?” (How often should you maintain your roof?) Give maintenance tips per roof type. The reader gets something useful right away, and your company gets considered for maintenance contracts.
• “Wanneer is dakisolatie verplicht?” (When is roof insulation mandatory?) Because of the energy transition, this topic comes up more and more. With current information on it, you attract homeowners who are already working on making their homes more sustainable.

Write for homeowners and explain technical terms, because a fellow roofer isn't going to call you anyway. People who find a clear answer to their question on your blog already have an impression of you before they get in touch.

Strengthening your local findability

Local SEO is the most important part of your online strategy as a roofer, because your customers search in the region where you work. Besides your Google Business Profile and local keywords, these points help:

• NAP consistency. Your company name, address and phone number (NAP for short) must be exactly the same everywhere: on your website, in Google, on Werkspot (a Dutch platform where people find tradespeople), on Bouwgarant.nl and on social media. Small differences, like “straat” versus “str.”, can make Google doubt whether it is the same company.
• Listings on industry platforms. Think of VEBIDAK, BouwGarant, Werkspot, Bouwinfo.nl and Houzz: sites Google takes seriously and where customers themselves also look for a professional. Make sure your profile there is complete.
• Local content. Write about projects in your service area. A roofing project in Haarlem-Noord with photos and an explanation helps you with searches from that neighborhood.
• Schema markup. Add LocalBusiness structured data to your website: a piece of code that hands Google your service area, services and contact details in a fixed format.

Backlinks from your own industry and region

Backlinks (links from other websites to yours) help Google judge the reliability and relevance of your company. For a local business like a roofer, they are one factor next to your profile and your reviews, and they show Google that you are a serious player in your service area.

The easiest opportunities are with organizations you already belong to. A listing on the website of VEBIDAK, BouwGarant or your regional construction association earns a link that fits your trade exactly. The same goes for suppliers: manufacturers of roofing materials often have a “Partners” page you can be listed on. Do you work with contractors, plumbers or insulation companies? A mutual listing on each other's websites makes sense and strengthens you both.

With a special project, you sometimes make the local news. A roof renovation on a historic building or the energy upgrade of a VvE complex is the kind of story local news sites pick up, and an article like that earns name recognition plus a link from your own region.

A fast site that Google can read

An outdated WordPress theme that loads slowly and lacks the basic settings for Google is a common sight on roofer sites. It costs you customers: speed counts toward how Google ranks pages, and on a phone, people click away from a slow site faster.

Aim for a load time under 2 seconds; a well-built website easily gets there. Test your current site with the free website speed test. Pay particular attention to the mobile version, because people who search “dakdekker spoed” (emergency roofer) usually have a phone in hand.

Also use the free SEO checker to see whether Google can find your pages. You won't notice a page that is blocked for search engines by accident, but Google skips it.

SEO for roofers at a glance

In many regions, only a few roofers really work on their findability. If you take the steps from this article, you often already have a head start on the rest.

Start with a complete Google Business Profile and a professional website with service pages per roof type and project pages. Then build reviews, local listings and articles that answer homeowners' questions. With a well-thought-out SEO strategy, your jobs come less and less from ads or Werkspot.