Long-distance and interstate moves are bigger jobs, planned further ahead, and the customer often compares several movers before booking. Marketing for long-distance movers has to reach people in two places, where they live now and where they are going, and it has to follow a federal advertising rule that local movers do not face. This page covers lead generation for interstate movers: the rule, the pages, the ads and the leads.
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The federal rule comes first
Under 49 CFR 375.207, interstate household goods movers are told: “You and your agents must publish and use only truthful, straightforward, and honest advertisements.” Every advertisement must include the name or trade name as it appears on your USDOT registration document and your U.S. DOT number. The number goes in the form “U.S. DOT No.” followed by the assigned number. Build both into your search ads, social ads and print from the start, show them on your landing pages too, and use the registered name exactly. The rule also names “your agents”; ask a lawyer whether an agency or a lead seller that advertises for you counts as one, and whether your website, profiles and trucks count as advertisements. The USDOT number in your ads article explains it in more detail.
Route pages, not doorway pages
Long-distance movers often want pages for the routes they run, such as moves from their home city to another state. These can help customers, as long as each one has something real to say: how a move on that route works with your company, how inventory and loading are handled, storage on the way if you offer it, and the questions customers on that route ask. Google’s spam policies name doorway abuse, “pages targeted at specific regions or cities that funnel users to one page”, so a hundred route pages with the same text and swapped place names are a risk. Fewer, real pages are better.
Ads aimed at movers’ two audiences
Google Ads lets you target countries, cities or a radius, and its “Presence or Interest” setting reaches people in, or showing interest in, the places you target. For a long-distance mover, that means you can reach people already in your area who are planning to leave, and people elsewhere showing interest in your area. Give long-distance searches their own campaigns and send them to the long-distance page, not the home page; Google’s Quality Score rates ad relevance and landing page experience. See Google Ads for moving companies.
Want a plan for more long-distance moves? An independent agency that works with movers can prepare a written proposal.
Get a proposalLong-distance leads you own
Many long-distance movers buy leads. Bought leads are often shared, and you cannot see how the seller advertised them. Leads from your own route pages, search ads and Google listing are yours alone and are advertised the way you approve. A sensible plan builds those while measuring any bought leads by the jobs they actually book. See moving leads and is buying moving leads worth it?.
What the site needs for interstate customers
- A long-distance page that explains how your interstate moves work, start to finish.
- The registered name and USDOT number where every page and ad can show them.
- A quote form that asks origin, destination, rough dates and home size.
- Storage, packing and specialty-item pages if you offer them on long moves.
- Real photos of your trucks and crews on long jobs.
Answering long-distance leads
A long-distance customer often asks several movers at once and may book with the one that answers most clearly. Reply with the questions that make a real quote possible: full inventory, access at both ends, dates and any storage on the way. Keep a record of where each lead came from and which ones booked, so the next dollar goes to the source that works.
Reviews and trust
A customer trusting a company with everything they own for a trip across the country reads carefully. Ask every customer for an honest review after delivery, offer nothing for it, and reply to every review. See reviews for movers. To get a written proposal for marketing your long-distance moves, send the form. Asking is free and you never have to hire anyone.
Questions movers ask
Do long-distance movers need their USDOT number in every ad?
Interstate household goods movers do: 49 CFR 375.207 says all advertisements must include the registered name and U.S. DOT number.
Should I make a page for every route I run?
Only for routes where you have something real to say. Google’s spam policies treat near-identical pages for many places as doorway abuse.
Can Google Ads reach people moving to my area from elsewhere?
Google’s Presence or Interest location option reaches people in, or showing interest in, the places you target. An agency can set up campaigns for both.