These are the questions moving company owners ask most about SEO, ads, leads and reviews, answered from Google’s, the FTC’s and the FMCSA’s own published rules. If yours is not here, send it through the contact page.
Moving Company SEO is an independent referral service, not a marketing agency. When you send the form, your details go to an independent marketing agency that prepares any proposal and does any work.
Why there are no prices or results on this site
Many questions movers ask are about cost: what SEO, a website or Google Ads should cost. There is no published standard price, and figures vary with the area, the number of locations and what a proposal includes, so any number printed here would mislead. The same goes for results: Google says no one can promise a top ranking. What this site can do is explain how each channel works, so you can judge a proposal when it arrives.
Have a question about your own moving company’s marketing? Send the form and an independent agency that works with movers can answer it in a proposal.
Get a proposalQuestions movers ask
Is Moving Company SEO a marketing agency?
No. It is an independent referral service, not a marketing agency. When you send the form, your details go to an independent marketing agency that prepares any proposal and does any work.
Does asking for a proposal cost anything?
No. Asking is free and you never have to hire anyone.
Who receives my form?
Your details are passed to an independent marketing agency that works with moving companies, which can contact you by phone or email.
What is moving company SEO?
The work of getting your moving company found when people search Google for a mover: your Google Business Profile on the map, and your website’s pages in the ordinary results. Ads are paid separately and often run alongside it.
Can I pay Google to rank higher?
No. Google says it doesn’t accept payment to rank a site higher, and that there is no way to request or pay for a better local ranking. Ads are a separate, paid placement.
Can an agency promise my moving company the top spot?
No. Google says no one can promise a top ranking, and that if an SEO promises first place you should find someone else.
Which is the best company for SEO services?
This site does not rank or review agencies. Ask any agency Google’s own questions: examples of previous work, whether it follows the Google Search Essentials, what results it expects and in what timeframe, its experience with movers, and whether it will share every change it makes.
Does Google charge to appear in search results?
No. Google says it doesn’t cost any money to appear in Google Search results, no matter what anyone tries to tell you. SEO costs the work, not a fee to Google.
What are red flags when hiring a marketing agency?
Promised rankings, a claimed special relationship with Google, a ‘priority submit’ to Google, bought links, fake or filtered reviews, bought followers, and accounts set up in the agency’s name instead of yours.
How much should I pay for local SEO?
There is no published standard price. Compare what each proposal includes, who owns the accounts, how results are reported and how long any agreement runs.
How much should I spend on Google Ads?
Google does not publish a recommended budget, and this site does not recommend one. Google says to divide a monthly budget by 30.4 to get the daily figure. What makes sense depends on your area, your searches and what a booked move is worth to you.
What is the difference between Local Services Ads and Google Ads?
Local Services Ads charge per lead, with leads coming as calls and messages through the ad. Google Ads search ads charge per click and send people to your website. See the Google Ads guide.
What is the 5 minute rule for leads?
It is a rule of thumb about replying to leads quickly, not a Google rule. What Google does say, for Local Services Ads, is that regularly failing to answer calls or respond to messages may affect your ad ranking.
Can I have a Google Business Profile for each town I serve?
No. Google says not to create more than one profile for each location of your business, and a service-area business cannot list a virtual office unless it is staffed during business hours. Use service areas on your one profile, and real city pages on your website.
Should I hide my address on Google?
No. Google lets a business that serves customers at its address and travels to them enter both the address and a service area. Keep your real address and add the areas you serve.
Can I offer a discount for reviews?
No. Google’s policy bans incentives such as discounts or free services in exchange for any review, and asking only happy customers.
Do interstate movers have to show their USDOT number in ads?
Yes. Under 49 CFR 375.207, an interstate household goods mover’s advertisements must include its registered name and U.S. DOT number, and must be truthful, straightforward and honest.
What is a good slogan for a moving company?
One that is true. Interstate movers must publish only truthful, straightforward and honest advertisements, so a slogan that promises what a crew cannot always deliver is a risk.
What should I keep in my own name?
Your Google Business Profile, your ad accounts, your domain, your website and its content, and your analytics. Give an agency access rather than ownership, and get it in writing.
Does this site work with long-distance and storage companies?
Yes. Local, long-distance, commercial, and moving and storage companies anywhere in the United States can ask.