Getting Your Towing Business On Google’s Front Page

92% of online searches terminate on the first page.

That means…If you’re business isn’t listed on Google’s Front Page, there’s a very slim chance you’ll get the call.

Over the last 18 months I’ve had the opportunity to help hundreds of towers throughout the country. And, through one-on-one coaching many of them have been able to shed the idea that working for motor clubs and other abusers is the only way to “make a living” in this industry.  But it wasn’t until just recently that I learned there was something missing.

I’ve always been a staunch advocate of the tow company owner, fighting the good fight, through my YouTube channel, blogging, and regular contributions to American Towman Magazine, and Tow Industry Week.  My goal is to help you build a stronger, more profitable business.

But after talking with many of you and hearing about your biggest challenges, I realized I wasn’t doing enough to help.  What I learned was that many of you do not have a properly optimized web presence, and because of this, your business isn’t doing as well as it should.

It was after this realization that I decided that, if I wanted to help you further—to get more cash calls, and be found when a search is performed, helping you with the internet was the way to go.

The problem was, I wasn’t an expert in that space. So over the last 12 months I’ve assembled a team of highly experienced and qualified Web Designers, SEO Experts, and Pay Per Click Specialists.  And through countless hours of research, and help from them I now understand what it takes to get your towing business found on Google’s First page. And now I’m finally able to bring you the help you need.

But before I get into that, I want to tell you about the time…

My Dad’s cousin came for a visit

When I was 12 years old my dad’s cousin, Bobby, came to our house for an unannounced extended visit. I remember my mother welcoming him in and being happy to see him, thinking he was only going stay for the weekend. Imagine her reaction when she later learned that, due to family issues back home—he would end up staying the entire summer.

She was not too happy.

But me, I was glad he was there—Bobby was a lot of fun.

He was like MacGyver, a guy who could solve most issues, other than family related, with a length of rope and a pocket knife.  He taught me how to build a fire, how to make a potato gun, and how to tie the world’s most secure knot.

He was also highly competitive, and, from the stories he told, he excelled at…just about everything. He could do more push-ups than me, climb higher in a tree, and beat me at checkers. But I always tried to keep up, and compete with his stories.

One day I mentioned how good I was at fishing. I told a story about a GIANT catfish that got away just as I was about to land him.  But Bobby one-upped me and told his own story. He then threw down the gauntlet and bet that he could catch more fish than me, and that the big one WOULDN’T get away. He then put out his hand, and dared me to take the bet.

So I shook his hand and said, “You’re on.”

Early the next morning I grabbed my pole and met him at his car and we headed out to my Uncle’s lake.

It was a place I knew very well.

Once there, we unloaded the car.  Bobby handed me my pole, and I watched as he pulled out his gear.  And from the looks of it he wasn’t messing around.

He had 3 poles of various sizes, 2 tackle boxes, each as big as a small suitcase, 2 fishing nets, a large one and a small one, and 1 fold-out chair.  He then proceeded to put on a fishing vest, thread a sheathed knife onto his belt, and pull out a hat from the glove compartment with the words “World’s Greatest Fisherman” embroidered onto it.  He even changed out of his cowboy boots and into a pair of fishing boots.

Who knew there was such a thing as fishing boots?

Anyway, when he was finally all decked out and had all his stuff we headed down to the lake.  And as we followed the cow-path that took us there, I took a detour and ran up to the barn to get one of the shovels that hung on the wall.

When I came back Bobby laughed and asked, “What you gonna do with that, hit the fish over the head?”

I said, “No…it’s for worms”

He just laughed and shook his head.

Twenty minutes later, while he was settling into his chair with two lines in the water, I was impaling my first worm.  I was ready.

And as I began to walk across the dam to my favorite spot, Bobby hollered out, “Remember our bet.”

I just smiled and waved, and nodded my head.

Like I said, I knew this lake very well, I knew exactly where the fish were.

I’d like to tell you that, because he was my guest, I let him catch the most fish that day, but it wouldn’t be true.

While Bobby changed from spinners, to poppers, to plastic worms, and rooster tails, and back again, catching nothing but moss soaked sticks, I reeled in bass, crappie, and a couple of catfish.  And after catching and releasing 12 in a row, to his ZERO in a row, out of mercy, and because I needed a ride home, I quit counting.

I think you understand the correlation.

If you want to catch fish you need to be where the fish are swimming

As most good fishermen will tell you, to catch fish, you need to be where the fish are swimming. And it’s the same with business. To get more customers you need to be where your customers are looking.

So where are your customers looking?

There are basically 4 ways in which stranded motorists find the services of a towing company. There are others, but these are the big 4: Law Enforcement, Motor Clubs, Referrals, and Google Online search.

The most profitable and most predominant of these is Google Online Search.

Towing related searches have more than doubled in the last two years, and that number’s only going up.

And since 92% of online searches terminate on the first page, if you’re not there you probably won’t get the call.

Not everyone plans ahead but everyone has an I Phone.  So if you want to take advantage of the massive migration from the now-defunct yellow pages to Google Online Search you need to have a properly optimized web presence.

So what do you need to have a properly optimized web presence?

To be found when and where your customers are looking, you must start with these 5 things in place. You need to have:

1. A properly structured and Search Engine Optimized website
2. An optimized and verified Google My Business Page
3. A Facebook business page
4. A streamlined method of gathering positive reviews
5. The ability to integrate your social media pages into your website
6. And learning how to get five star reviews for your towing business

There you have it.  A simple recipe for attracting the attention of both, potential customers, and Google.

There’s only one obstacle standing between you and your customers, and that’s finding someone you can trust to do the work.

This is what leads many of us, myself included, to try and do it ourselves.

But here’s the problem

These “Do It Yourself” website companies are leaving something out.

They’re leaving a lot out.

Although they may make it easy for you to create visibly pleasing pages, most of them don’t provide you with a way to properly structure your site the way the search engines want it.

Most of these companies, either don’t know what’s required to create a structured and optimized presence on the web, OR…they know, but aren’t allowing you access to the necessary tools and information so you can do it right.

If you want to be found, THE STRUCTURE OF YOUR WEBSITE IS 1000% MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE WAY IT LOOKS!!!

What’s worse is that many of these companies will string you along and allow you to make costly mistakes, knowing that after you’re thoroughly frustrated with the lack of results, you’ll be more than willing to pay them high monthly fees just to sell you services you don’t need, like blogging, videos, or ongoing SEO.

What they’re failing to tell you is that, if your website was built right the first time there’s no need to blog or add videos.  And that spending money for ongoing SEO, on a website that’s not properly structured, is like throwing money out the window.

Here’s the good news

If you want to be found where your customers are looking, you don’t need any of those companies. You just need the services of someone you can trust. Someone who understands the demands of your industry, and who’s been working hard to change it for the better.

I’ve spent a huge portion of my life in the towing business. I’ve been battered and bruised by marketing agencies, yellow page ad reps, motor clubs, and city councils.

I know, firsthand, what it’s like to go up against competitors who, frankly, don’t know their numbers.

I understand the demands on your time, the costs associated with damages and insurance, and I also know you’re severely underpaid.  What once was the golden goose of the industry, law enforcement calls, is slowly being eaten away by cash-starved, irresponsible city governments, insurance lobbyists, and third-party police dispatching companies—Who, either don’t know or don’t care about your plight.

I started The Tow Academy because I want to help you decrease your dependency on Motor Clubs and other abusers.  And the fastest way to do that is to increase your cash calls.

Increasing your number of cash calls will increase your business’s profitability and provide you with more options. So that, if you choose to, you can kick those low-paying calls to the curb.