Newbuilds are getting smaller, and as people continue to buy more, the lack of storage is making space in homes feel increasingly cramped. What’s more, businesses are downsizing office space as hybrid working continues to gain popularity. These are just some of the reasons why self-storage facilities have become essential.
You’ve got space - people need space. Perfect! But how do you get in front of these people to offer up your self-storage facility as a solution to their needs?
If you’ve got empty units, you want them filled fast so you can maximise your revenue potential. In this blog, we are going to take a look at SEO marketing versus MoverAlerts marketing to see which option will bring in more customers. It’s a showdown to see who can win the crown to fill your units faster. Let’s dive in…
We’re not going to deny the power of SEO. Google is often the first stop for most people hunting for goods or services – self-storage included. If your website appears high in rankings, you’re in with a chance of customers finding you and asking for a quote. In fact, we support you in improving your SEO. That’s why we’ve put together a list of things you can do to improve your rankings:
When someone types in “self-storage facilities near me” (or something similar), is your website popping up? If not, how do you expect them to find you? It’s like having the best storage units in town but no sign on the door!
If you’re not ranking high, it’s time to work on improving your Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). SEO is the art of improving your rankings on search engines like Google. By doing so, your website will move up higher in the rankings (search engine results) and more potential customers will see your business.
This is referred to as organic search results. This means you show up high in Google without having to pay for expensive Google Ads to appear in the sponsored box at the top. When you work on your organic results, you can increase your website traffic and potentially drive more business.
Here’s how to boost your online presence:
Keywords are specific words or phrases that are relevant to your industry and are used by search engines to rank your website. Understand what keywords customers are searching for. Use tools like Google Keyword Planner to identify high-volume terms such as ‘cheap storage units near me’ or ’24-hour storage.’ You then need to add these keywords naturally to your website content headers and meta descriptions.
Local SEO is when you improve your search visibility in your local area. This means that your website will appear if someone searches with the term ‘near me’ or includes their town/city in their search term e.g. ‘self-storage near me’ or ‘self-storage facility Milton Keynes.’
Optimising for local search is crucial for any SME business but this is especially true for a self-storage unit. Your customers prefer to have a self-storage facility nearby, so they don’t have to travel far to reach their belongings. They’re unlikely to drive past another storage facility to get to yours. Your key targets are those in the immediate area. In fact, the SSA found that people will tend to only travel within a 15-mile radius, with 53% of customers they surveyed only travelling less than 15 minutes to reach their self-storage unit.
To rank high for local search you need to:
If you operate in multiple locations, create dedicated landing pages for each one. Make sure each page has unique copy and location-specific details such as nearby landmarks and photos.
Add a blog to answer common questions e.g. ‘Should I pick a climate-controlled storage unit?’ or ‘Tips for storing fragile items.’ You can include your keywords in these blogs to push your website further up the rankings. If Google thinks you’re providing value to your customers through educational content, it will reward you by ranking you higher.
Slow-loading websites turn away visitors and damage your SEO ranking. Use Google PageSpeed to analyse and improve your site’s speed. Factors such as large image files, videos, excessive plug-ins and unreliable hosting can all slow down your website.
Ensure your website works on mobiles and tablets just as well as it does on desktops. Statista reported that 96.2% of global users accessed the internet via mobile phone in Q2 of 2024. This is compared to 62.8% on a laptop or desktop. This highlights the importance of having a mobile-friendly website. Google rewards companies that prioritise mobile friendliness.
Make sure that your website has clear call to actions e.g. ‘Reserve a unit now’ or ‘Get a free quote.’ The customer must know the next step when they visit your site. This improves user engagement which signals to Google you have a strong website.
Backlinks are links to your site from another website. If this is from an authoritative website, it signals to Google that your site is trustworthy. Partner with local businesses or community organisations to get mentioned on their website and ensure your site is listed in local directories.
SEO isn’t a one-and-done task. Keep an eye on your organic traffic, keyword rankings and conversion rates. Constantly improve your SEO to stay at the top of search engine results.
With SEO, you have to play the long game. You’re also relying on the hope that people will actually go on Google and search, so it only captures those who are actively looking for self-storage units. There are potential customers who may not yet realise they need self-storage units. These individuals aren’t actively searching for solutions, but with the right content and targeted marketing, you can make them aware of the value self-storage can offer. This is where MoverAlerts steps in. One effective strategy is to target homemovers, as they are a key group who may not initially consider self-storage but often find themselves in need of extra space during the transition. By reaching out to this audience with tailored messaging, you can capture those who are moving and might require storage solutions.
MoverAlerts tracks the property market, so we know who is in the moving journey and what stage they are at. We can help you send out marketing materials to these home movers right when they’re considering using your services. The beauty is that you can send out direct mail before they’ve even considered hiring a self-storage unit. The homemover doesn’t need to do their own research as you can get your brand in front of them first. You’ll also capture customers that wouldn’t have even considered self-storage. In your marketing, highlight the benefits of renting a self-storage unit, such as reducing the stress of moving, providing extra space while decorating a new home, or being a lifesaver when downsizing and managing excess belongings. This can help to convert those who hadn’t even considered your services. We also have planning application data and can put you in touch with those that are looking to have a home extension and may need to store their belongings in the interim.
Highly targeted: You can target home movers, an audience that are highly likely to consider hiring self-storage units. The 2024 SSA report found that 32% of those surveyed were using self-storage due to move-related factors.
Measured ROI: We will analyse your ROI and demonstrate exactly how much revenue we can generate for your company.
Cost of leads: You will need to invest in our lead generation tool, while SEO itself is ‘free.’ However, consider the time and effort it takes to succeed with SEO. With our services, you can effortlessly connect with customers.
Investing in SEO is a must for self-storage companies. By optimising your website, targeting local keywords and using content marketing, you can increase your visibility on search engines and drive more traffic to your website. The drawbacks are that SEO takes a lot of time to deliver results. There are also constant algorithm changes which can affect your ranking. You’re also competing with those large nationals with huge marketing teams dedicated to improving SEO.
The winning strategy is to carry out both marketing techniques. Capture self-storage leads from organic traffic and get your brand in front of customers with a MoverAlerts marketing campaign. Sound good? Get in touch with us to find out more.