Local SEO for Berks County: How to Build a $1M/Year Service Business Using SEO + AI

If I were to grow a $1M/year local service business today, here’s exactly how I’d use SEO and AI to do it—and how you can apply it to your own business in Berks County, PA.

1. Optimize for Local ‘Near Me’ Searches

Here’s the truth: People don’t bother typing exact locations anymore. Google knows their location and automatically serves up relevant results. If you want your business to show up when someone searches for “best plumber near me” or “roof repair in my area,” you need to optimize for these local searches.

Here’s how I would do it:

• Leverage AI to create localized service descriptions: This means writing content that’s specific to Berks County. For example, if you’re a landscaper in Reading, PA, you could have descriptions like “Best Lawn Care Services in Reading, PA” that resonate with your local audience.
• Use AI-powered keyword clustering: This is a technique that groups similar search terms together to reveal high-value, hidden local opportunities. You can discover what people are actually searching for in your area.
• Auto-generate city-specific landing pages: For instance, if you offer plumbing services, create a page specifically for each town you serve, like “Plumbing Services in Wyomissing, PA” or “24/7 Plumbing Repair in Fleetwood, PA.”
• Embed Google Maps and list local landmarks: By adding local features such as parks or popular streets in your content, you can signal to Google that your business is relevant to a specific area, boosting your local rankings.

2. Claim and Optimize Your Google Business Profile

This is one of the most important steps. If you haven’t claimed your Google Business Profile yet, stop what you’re doing and take care of it right now. (This is one of the most important SEO services that we provide our Berks County clients).

Here’s what you need to do:

Ensure your business info is accurate

This means your Name, Address, and Phone number (NAP) should be consistent across the web. If your address is listed as “123 Main Street” on your website, it better be listed the same way on your Google Profile and anywhere else online.

Add high-quality photos

Show off your work. Whether you’re a landscaper in Reading or a roofer in Fleetwood, photos can make a huge difference in your local ranking.

Update your hours

Make sure your hours are up-to-date, and don’t forget to include a detailed description of your services.

Post updates regularly

Google loves fresh, active profiles. Post weekly updates that reflect your business in action, whether it’s a completed project or a new promotion.

But wait, there’s more! Here are additional tips for getting your Google Business Profile in tip-top shape for Berks County:

Pick the Correct Category

Choosing the right category is critical. It’s pretty straightforward for most businesses, but sometimes it gets tricky. For example, if you’re a cleaning company, you might need to choose between “house cleaning company” and “cleaners.”

If the bulk of your business comes from house cleaning, go with “house cleaning company.” Take a look at the top 3 Google Business Profiles in Berks County that offer the same service as you—what categories are they using? It’s a great way to ensure you’re on the right track.

Fill Out Your Profile Completely

Fill out your profile from top to bottom. This means including relevant keywords and the locations you serve. For instance:

• “Premier Roofing is the top roofing contractor in Reading, PA.”
• “Clean Teeth Dental is the leading dental practice in Berks County.”

This should be reflected in your description and updates. When you post, include your keyword and location. Something like: “Just wrapped up a beautiful roof replacement in Wyomissing” or “Jasmine got these awesome new veneers at our office in downtown Reading.” Make sure your services tab is filled out too.

Build Consistent Citations with Your NAP

Consistency is key when it comes to your Name, Address, and Phone number (NAP). You want to list your business in local directories like YellowPages, Yelp, and the Better Business Bureau (BBB). The NAP on these listings must be exactly the same as what you have on your Google Business Profile. If you find discrepancies, take the time to go through and correct them.

Aggressively Collect Reviews

Reviews are a huge factor in local SEO. And, guess what? You can likely get 3-5 new reviews per day without any issues. But it’s important that these reviews come from people in your area. The more local your reviews are, the better.

If you’re asking for reviews from a real customer, encourage them to leave a thorough review with a photo. A review like “These are the best pest control guys in Reading!” can really make a difference. Plus, having reviews from local guides gives them more weight.

Get Your Friends to Help with CTR

Here’s a little hack: Have your local friends help you with click-through rate (CTR) tasks. Ask them to search for your business using your target keyword, like “top roofer in Fleetwood,” and have them scroll through the results until they see your Google Business Profile.

Have them interact with it—click on your profile, request directions, and visit your website. Spending about 30 seconds doing this will send a signal to Google that your business is legitimate and being actively interacted with in the local area.

3. Fix Your Internal Linking Structure (A Simple but Powerful Technique)

Internal linking isn’t sexy, but it’s super important. If Google can’t follow your links, it won’t understand what your pages are about.

Here’s how to fix it:

• Link from your homepage to your most important services: Think “Best Landscaping Services in Reading” or “Top Roof Repair in Berks County.” This tells Google which services are most important on your site.
• Make sure service pages link to relevant blog posts or customer testimonials: This provides context and more information about your services. For example, a page for “Landscaping Services in Wyomissing” could link to a blog post about “How to Design a Beautiful Front Yard in Berks County.”
• Use your blog posts to link back to service pages: This signals to Google that your service pages are important and relevant to specific search queries. For instance, if your blog post is about “Winter Lawn Care Tips for Berks County,” you can link it back to your “Lawn Care Services” page.
• Link blog posts to other related blog posts: If you have a blog post titled “How to Fix a Leaky Pipe in Leesport,” think about what questions your readers may ask next. For example, they might want to know about pipe insulation or how to prevent leaks. Link to relevant posts, or create new ones to answer those questions. Always link back to the original blog post too.

Here are a few more tricks to take your internal linking to the next level:

• Use keyword-rich anchor text: When linking, try to use anchor text that includes the keywords you want to rank for. Instead of just saying “click here,” use descriptive text like “Learn more about affordable roof repairs in Fleetwood.” This helps Google understand the context of the link.
• Create a logical hierarchy for your site: Your internal links should follow a logical flow that makes sense both for your users and for Google. Think about how your pages connect and build links that guide users through a smooth navigation experience.
• Use breadcrumb navigation: This is a small detail that can have a big impact. Breadcrumbs show the path a user took to get to a specific page (e.g., Home > Services > Lawn Care > Fertilization). This not only helps users navigate but also helps Google understand the structure of your site.
• Don’t forget about orphan pages: An orphan page is a page that has no internal links pointing to it. These pages are harder for Google to find and rank. Ensure that every page on your site has at least one internal link pointing to it.

If you want to take it up a notch, run a crawl with Screaming Frog, and use AI to pinpoint broken or missing links on your website so you can fix them instantly.

4. Focus on Getting Backlinks from Local Sources

Backlinks (links from other websites to yours) are a huge factor in SEO. But not just any backlinks. You want local backlinks to establish authority in your area.

Here’s how I’d build them in Berks County:

• Local Chamber of Commerce: Get involved and earn a link from their website. Local Chambers are trusted by Google. Most you can pay an annual fee to be listed on their website. It’s worth it!
• Sponsor local events: Whether it’s the Kutztown Fair or Hamburger Festival in Hamburg, sponsoring an event means free PR and backlinks from event pages.
• “Best of Berks County” directories: Get listed in these local listings that showcase top local businesses.
• Collaborate with local bloggers: Partnering with Berks County bloggers can get you quality backlinks from local blogs.
• Guest posts and link insertions: Look for opportunities to contribute to Berks County-based blogs or websites and get a backlink in return.
• Press Releases: Completed a big job? Won an awesome contract? Have a local story? Write up a press release about it and make sure to include local elements. Feel good stories are perfect. Then identify journalists at the local news stations or newspapers and send it to them. They are always looking for something to write about.

5. Use Content to Build Local Authority

It’s time to debunk a myth: blogging isn’t useless. Far from it. It’s one of the best ways to build authority and trust with Google and your audience.

Here’s the trick: Create hyper-local content that speaks to the specific needs of your community. For example:

• “How to Fix a Leaky Pipe in Berks County Homes (Tips from Your Local Plumber)”
• “5 Roof Repair Mistakes Homeowners in Reading Should Avoid”
• “How Often Should You Service Your AC in Fleetwood? A Local Expert’s Guide”

Google loves content that’s tailored to a location, so use AI tools to help you create outlines and generate ideas based on local search patterns.

6. Create a ‘Money Page’ for Your Core Service

Most local businesses make the mistake of creating a generic service page that doesn’t stand out. Instead, I’d create a power page that targets high-intent keywords. For example, instead of just a generic “Plumbing” page, I’d create a page titled “Affordable Drain Cleaning Services in Reading – Fast & Reliable.”

Make sure your power pages target local keywords like:

• “[Service] in [City]”
• “Best [Service] near me”
• “Affordable [Service] in [City]”

The goal is to create pages that speak directly to what your customers are searching for in Berks County.

7. Forget Nationwide Rankings – Focus on Local Intent

Here’s where a lot of businesses go wrong: they spend all their time trying to rank for broad, competitive keywords like “best plumber.” But here’s the thing—those keywords don’t usually result in local customers. What you want are local intent keywords.

Focus on keywords like:

• “Emergency HVAC Repair in Reading, PA”
• “Affordable Landscaping Services in Kutztown, PA”
• “Top-Rated Plumbing in Fleetwood, PA”

By going all-in on these, you’ll attract customers who are actually in your area and ready to buy. None of this will work if you don’t put in the effort. Excuses don’t rank websites. Action does.

Start today, implement these strategies, and watch your business take over Berks County.

Struggling to get leads for your local business? Let’s work together for 90 days, and I guarantee you’ll:

• Rank higher on Google
• Drive more local traffic
• Get consistent calls and inquiries

Bookmark this post and come back to it daily. Your Berks County business is about to dominate the local market.