Understanding how customers are searching for facilities services

Feeling invisible in the digital jungle of facilities service providers? This blog will crack the code of search trends, seasonal fluctuations, and regional hotbeds for your services. Learn how to optimize your profiles across platforms and dominate local ads, finally turning those online clicks into loyal customers.

Facilities service search trends

Facilities services search terms:

While search terms for certain facilities services remain evergreen, recent trends have been shaped by changing circumstances, including the pandemic. Here is an analysis of key trends:

• Cleaning and Sanitization: Similar to maintenance, searches for cleaning and sanitization services have surged, reflecting the increased importance of hygiene and safety.
• Energy efficiency and cost optimization: Strategies for reducing energy consumption and costs are always in demand. Searches for "energy efficient buildings," "renewable energy sources" and "best HVAC systems" are high up.
• Financial Solutions: Searches for keywords like "cost effective maintenance" have gained momentum, suggesting that organizations are exploring financial options to manage their facilities efficiently.
• Managing hybrid work environments: Searches surrounding optimizing office space for hybrid work reflect the changing working landscape. The volume for the search term “hybrid work” has grown substantially. This could be a result of more jobs being remote since the pandemic.
• Emergency Preparedness and Risk Management: Increasing awareness around emergency preparation and risk management, especially in light of natural disasters and other emergencies, may have led to more searches related to "risk assessment in facilities," and "disaster recovery for buildings."

Facilities services search volume and seasonality:

There is a noticeable seasonal pattern in facility services searches, with peak interest typically occurring in the spring (March to May) and fall (September to November). However, that seasonality is based on what type of service is being done. For example, the search term "landscaping near me" has a clear pattern of seasonality, where it is most popular in the summertime.

Landscaping services near me search volume has been consistent but is seasonal.

Regional interest in facilities services:

Facility management services are most actively searched for in states like Kentucky, Illinois, Maryland, and Arizona. These states have a notable presence in industries such as manufacturing, healthcare, and government, which have complex facility management needs. Additionally, each state has its own set of regulations and compliance requirements for facility management, driving the need for qualified professionals and information searches. Furthermore, the diverse geographic and climatic challenges faced by these states impact their facility management needs.

Next steps 

Taking action on facilities services search terms: local listings

Providers of facilities services can take advantage of these trends by using them to optimize their local listings. 

• Google Business Profiles: GBPs are a great place to incorporate the terms clients seek. GBP attributes like owner descriptions, posts, reviews, Q&As, service descriptions, and more should be optimized with key terms.
• Apple Business Connect:  Apple Business Connect is the new player in town, but it brings a high-income audience. Attract upscale facilities clients with Apple Business Connect.
• Bing Places: While Bing Places is less well known as Google Business Profiles, facilities service providers must account for them.

Taking action on facilities services search terms: local ads.

• Google Performance Max: Google's new multichannel ad campaigns can be optimized with the terms and seasonality reelected in this analysis. Reach clients across Google Search, YouTube, Gmail and more.
• Google Local Service Ads: Google LSAs are mandatory for facilities service providers.
• Microsoft Local Service Ads: Microsoft LSAs are often overlooked but provide the same LSA experience as Google, just to a different audience.

dbaPlatform has been helping facilities service providers win with local search for six years. Please reach out below to see how we can help.