7 Reasons Your Roofing Company Isn't Ranking on Google (And How to Fix Each One)

7 Reasons Your Roofing Company Isn’t Ranking on Google (And How to Fix Each One)

Search for your company on Google. Not by name—by what you do. “Roofer [your city]” or “roof replacement [your city].”

Where do you show up? Page 2? Page 3? Nowhere?

Now search for your competitors. Same problem.

Every roofing contractor we audit makes at least 4 of these 7 mistakes. Some make all 7. Here’s what’s actually killing your rankings—and exactly how to fix each one.

TL;DR: Most roofing companies don’t rank because of fixable technical issues, generic content, missing local SEO, slow websites, and lack of topical authority. Here are the 7 most common reasons contractors stay invisible on Google and the specific fixes for each.

Why Most Roofing Contractors Don’t Rank (The Real Problem)

Before we dig into the specific reasons, understand this: most roofing contractors think they need “more SEO” or “better keywords” or “more backlinks.”

That’s not the problem.

The problem is they’re trying to build SEO on a broken foundation. It’s like trying to fix a leaking roof by adding more shingles on top instead of replacing the damaged underlayment.

SEO isn’t about tricks or shortcuts—it’s about systematically building authority so Google has no choice but to show you to searchers. But if your foundation is broken, no amount of “SEO work” will get you ranked.

Here are the 7 reasons your roofing company isn’t ranking, in order from most common to most overlooked.

Reason #1: Your Website Is Too Slow

Google cares about user experience. If your site takes 5+ seconds to load, Google won’t rank you. Period.

Most roofing contractor websites we audit load in 7-12 seconds. That’s not because the web design agency did a bad job—it’s usually because:

Images aren’t compressed or optimized
Too many plugins or scripts running in the background
Cheap shared hosting that can’t handle traffic
No caching enabled
Videos auto-playing on every page

Why this kills rankings: Google’s Core Web Vitals update made page speed a ranking factor. Slow sites rank lower. But more importantly, 53% of mobile users abandon sites that take longer than 3 seconds to load. You’re not just losing rankings—you’re losing leads.

How to Fix It

Quick diagnostic: Go to PageSpeed Insights, plug in your website URL, and run the test. If your mobile score is below 50, you have serious problems. Below 30? Your site is basically broken.

The fix:

Compress all images (use tools like TinyPNG or ShortPixel)
Move to better hosting (Cloudways, WP Engine, or similar)
Enable caching and lazy loading
Remove unnecessary plugins
Optimize or remove auto-playing videos

This is foundational work. Without a fast, technically sound website, your SEO efforts are wasted.

Reason #2: You’re Not in the Google Map Pack

For roofing contractors, the Map Pack (the 3 businesses that show up with the map on Google) gets 44% of all clicks. If you’re not there, you’re invisible to nearly half your potential customers.

Most roofing contractors we work with aren’t in the Map Pack because:

Their Google Business Profile is incomplete or unverified
They have no reviews (or all 1-star reviews)
Their NAP (Name, Address, Phone) is inconsistent across the web
They’re not actively managing their profile
Google doesn’t understand their service area

Why this kills rankings: Local searches like “roofer near me” or “roof repair [city]” prioritize the Map Pack over organic results. If you’re not in the Map Pack, you’re fighting for scraps.

How to Fix It

Quick diagnostic: Search “roofer [your city]” on Google. Are you in the top 3 businesses in the Map Pack? If not, that’s problem #1.

The fix:

Claim and verify your Google Business Profile
Complete every single field (hours, services, service areas, website, photos)
Get consistent 5-star reviews (make it part of your post-job process)
Post updates weekly (photos, offers, company news)
Make sure your NAP is identical everywhere online

Your Google Business Profile is the foundation of local SEO for contractors. Fix this before spending a dime on anything else.

Want the complete local SEO strategy? Check out our SEO Strategy for Contractors resource.

Reason #3: Your Content Is Generic (You Sound Like Everyone Else)

Go to your website. Read your homepage copy out loud.

Now go to your top 3 competitors’ websites. Read their homepage copy.

Sound identical? “Quality craftsmanship.” “Licensed and insured.” “Roof replacement, roof repair, roof inspection.” “Satisfaction guaranteed.”

That’s why you’re not ranking. Google doesn’t know who to rank when everyone says the exact same thing.

Most roofing contractor websites have:

Generic service descriptions copied from competitors
Thin content (200-300 words per page)
No depth or expertise demonstrated
Stock photography everyone else uses
No answer to “Why should I choose you over the other 10 roofers I’m comparing?”

Why this kills rankings: Google’s E-E-A-T update (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trust) prioritizes content that demonstrates real expertise. Generic content that could have been written by anyone ranks lower.

How to Fix It

Quick diagnostic: Go to a competitor’s website. Copy their main headline. Paste it into your website. Does it still work? If yes, your content is too generic.

The fix:

Rewrite service pages with specific processes, methodologies, or guarantees that differentiate you
Add depth—aim for 1,000-1,500 words per service page covering everything a homeowner needs to know
Use real customer language from reviews and testimonials
Include custom photos of your actual crews, trucks, and projects
Answer the questions homeowners actually ask (What does a roof inspection include? How long does replacement take? What’s covered under warranty?)

Professional content that demonstrates expertise outranks generic content every time.

Reason #4: You’re Chasing the Wrong Keywords

Most roofing contractors target keywords they’ll never rank for. “Roofing” or “roof replacement” with no location modifier. These are national keywords with massive competition.

You’re a local contractor. You serve specific cities or regions. Targeting “roofing” when you should be targeting “roof replacement [your city]” is like trying to rank for “pizza” instead of “pizza delivery near me.”

Common keyword mistakes we see:

Targeting broad, high-volume keywords with no local modifier
Ignoring service area pages (every city you serve needs its own optimized page)
Not targeting long-tail intent keywords (“how much does roof replacement cost in [city]”)
Missing emergency keywords (“emergency roof repair [city]”)
No seasonal keyword strategy (storm damage, hail damage, winter prep)

Why this kills rankings: You’re competing against national companies, manufacturers, and informational sites. You’ll never win. Local keywords with lower competition are where contractors actually rank.

How to Fix It

Quick diagnostic: What keywords are you currently targeting? If they don’t include your city, service area, or local modifiers, you’re targeting the wrong terms.

The fix:

Target “[service] + [city]” keywords (roof replacement Chicago, roof repair Denver)
Create dedicated pages for every city/area you serve
Target long-tail keywords that show purchase intent
Build content around questions homeowners search (“cost of roof replacement [city]”, “best roofing companies [city]”)
Use seasonal and emergency keywords strategically

Keyword strategy matters more than keyword volume for local contractors.

Reason #5: Your Site Isn’t Mobile-Optimized

Over 70% of roofing searches happen on mobile. If your site doesn’t work perfectly on phones, you’re losing the majority of your potential customers.

Most roofing contractor websites fail mobile optimization because:

Text is too small to read without zooming
Buttons are too small to tap accurately
Click-to-call button isn’t prominent
Forms don’t work properly on mobile
Site layout breaks on smaller screens
Pop-ups block the entire screen

Why this kills rankings: Google uses mobile-first indexing. That means Google ranks your site based on the mobile version, not desktop. If your mobile site is broken, your rankings tank.

How to Fix It

Quick diagnostic: Pull out your phone right now. Go to your website. Can you easily read everything? Can you tap buttons without accidentally hitting the wrong thing? Can you call you with one tap? If any answer is no, you have problems.

The fix:

Use responsive design that adapts to any screen size
Make phone numbers click-to-call on mobile
Increase text size to at least 16px
Make buttons large enough to tap easily (minimum 44x44 pixels)
Remove or redesign intrusive pop-ups
Test your site on actual phones, not just desktop browser simulators

Mobile optimization isn’t optional anymore—it’s foundational.

Reason #6: You Have No Topical Authority

Google doesn’t just want to see that you do roofing. Google wants to see that you’re an authority on everything related to roofing in your area.

Most roofing contractor websites have:

One page per service (roof replacement, roof repair, roof inspection)
No blog or resources
No depth on any topic
Nothing that demonstrates expertise beyond “we do this work”

Compare this to your competitors who are ranking. They likely have:

Comprehensive service pages (1,500+ words)
Supporting blog content answering homeowner questions
Local content for every service area
Resources, guides, or FAQs demonstrating expertise
Regular fresh content being added

Why this kills rankings: Google’s algorithm looks for topical clusters—groups of related content that signal you’re an authority on a subject. One thin page per service doesn’t cut it.

How to Fix It

Quick diagnostic: How many pages on your site are related to roofing? If the answer is “just my service pages,” you have no topical authority.

The fix:

Expand service pages to cover everything about that service
Create location-specific pages for every city you serve
Build supporting blog content around questions homeowners ask
Add FAQ sections that answer common objections or concerns
Create resource pages or guides (roof maintenance tips, how to file insurance claims, etc.)
Update and add content regularly

Building topical authority takes time, but it’s how you dominate your market long-term.

This is the foundation of real SEO strategy. See the complete roadmap at our SEO Strategy resource.

Reason #7: You Don’t Have a Real SEO Strategy (Just Random Tactics)

This is the big one that ties everything together.

Most roofing contractors don’t have an SEO strategy. They have a collection of random tactics:

Paid someone to “do SEO” for 6 months
Wrote some blog posts
Built a few backlinks
Optimized some title tags

None of it connected to anything. None of it part of a complete system.

Here’s what actually happens: An agency sells you “SEO services.” They do some technical fixes, write some content, build some backlinks, send you a report every month showing “activity.”

Your rankings don’t move. Or they move temporarily and drop again after the next Google update.

Why? Because tactics without strategy don’t compound. You’re spending money on individual services that don’t work together or build on each other.

Why this kills rankings: Real SEO is about systematically building authority in your market. Technical foundation → local SEO → content authority → backlinks and signals. Each piece feeds the others. Random tactics are just activity without results.

How to Fix It

Quick diagnostic: Can you explain your current SEO strategy in 2-3 sentences? If not, you don’t have one—you just have tactics.

The fix:

Stop buying individual SEO services. Start building a complete system where every piece works together:

Phase 1: Foundation (Months 1-2)

Fix technical issues (speed, mobile, indexability)
Optimize Google Business Profile
Ensure NAP consistency across the web
Set up proper tracking

Phase 2: Local SEO (Months 3-4)

Build location-specific pages
Implement local schema markup
Generate consistent reviews
Build local citations

Phase 3: Content Authority (Months 4-6)

Expand service pages with comprehensive content
Launch supporting blog content
Build topical clusters
Target long-tail keywords

Phase 4: Authority Building (Months 6-12)

Earn quality backlinks
Build brand mentions and signals
Continue content expansion
Optimize based on data

That’s a strategy. Not a list of services—a system where each piece compounds the others.

Want the complete roadmap? Our SEO Strategy for Contractors breaks down exactly what happens each phase and why.

What Happens When You Fix These Problems

Here’s what we see with roofing contractors who actually fix these issues:

Months 1-2: Rankings may drop temporarily as Google re-indexes your improved site. This is normal.

Months 3-4: You start appearing in the Map Pack. Local rankings improve. Organic traffic grows slowly.

Months 5-6: Rankings stabilize and climb. You’re showing up on page 1 for your main local keywords.

Months 7-9: Organic leads start flowing consistently. Cost per lead from paid ads drops because you’re getting free traffic.

Month 12+: You dominate local search in your market. Competitors are chasing you instead of the other way around.

But this only happens if you fix the foundation first and build a complete strategy—not if you keep throwing money at random tactics.

The Bottom Line: Fix the Foundation First

Most roofing contractors stay invisible on Google because they’re trying to build SEO on a broken foundation.

Your site is slow. Your Google Business Profile is incomplete. Your content is generic. You’re chasing the wrong keywords. Your site doesn’t work on mobile. You have no topical authority. And you don’t have a real strategy—just random tactics that don’t connect.

Fix these 7 things and your rankings will improve. It won’t happen overnight. Real SEO takes 6-12 months to fully kick in. But once you’re winning, you keep winning.

Or you can keep paying for SEO that doesn’t work and wonder why you’re still invisible.

Ready to build a real SEO strategy? Check out our SEO Strategy for Contractors resource that walks through the complete roadmap.

Or if you want to see how SEO fits into a complete marketing system (because SEO alone isn’t enough without traffic and conversion optimization), schedule a strategy call and we’ll walk through your specific situation.

Your call.