This content is brought to you by Build Media Group in collaboration with Supermove.

Most moving companies treat SEO like a set-it-and-forget-it checkbox. They launch a site, list their services, maybe run a few ads, and wonder why their calendar’s still half-empty.

Here’s the truth: Ranking on Google isn’t about having a website. It’s about proving to Google that you're the best option in your area, week after week.

The SEO strategies below are built to help you rank higher, earn more visibility, and turn searches into scheduled moves.

Before anything else, claim or create your Google Business Profile (GBP)

If your Google Business Profile (previously Google My Business) isn’t set up right, you’re not showing up, period. When someone searches for movers in your area, this profile can help your business appear on Google Local Pack. 

This is how the Google Local Pack looks after typing in “moving companies near me”:

Your GBP profile is what customers see before they ever hit your website - your hours, reviews, photos, and if you’re legit. For local businesses like movers, this is essential to get more calls and quote requests.

Before you can optimize your Google Business Profile, you need to make sure you actually have one.

If you don’t have a GBP, customers won’t see you as a reputable company. Movers with verified profiles are 3x more likely to get called. Not because you’re better, but because you showed up and looked trustworthy.

Here’s how to claim your spot:

1. Go to Google Business Profile Manager
2. Search your business name. If it appears, claim it. If not, create a new listing.
3. Add your business name, category ("Moving Company"), and service areas
4. Choose whether you want your address visible (more on this below)
5. Verify your business via postcard, email, video or phone call

What if you don’t have a physical office?

No problem. Set yourself as a Service Area Business and list every ZIP code you serve. Just make sure you verify and fill it out. You don’t need to display a storefront address to create a GBP, but having an address with the pin helps a lot. 

1. Optimize your Google Business Profile (GBP)

If your GBP is half-filled or missing photos, you're telling customers you're not legit, even if you are. When someone in your area types in "movers near me," and if your listing isn’t optimized for the right keywords, you’re leaving money on the table. Here’s how to make your profile actually bring in leads (not just exist):

• Complete every field. Especially your hours, service areas, and description. These help Google rank you.
• Keep your NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number) consistent with your website and other listings.
• Consistently upload high-quality, professional photos of your trucks, team, equipment, and completed jobs.
• Choose the correct primary category (e.g., "Moving Company") and add all applicable secondary categories. 
• Enable messaging and booking features if available.
• Reply to all the reviews that are coming in, ideally within the first 24 hours.
• Regularly post GPB updates on your profile about relevant promotions or featuring helpful blog posts from your website.

Hyperlocal keywords matter

When filling out your business description and services, don’t just say ‘affordable movers.’ Say ‘affordable movers in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.’ That’s how you show up for people who are ready to book in your city.

Add company photos

High-resolution photos on your GBP signal trust and professionalism. Movers with real photos get more clicks, more calls, and more trust. Include before/after shots, branded trucks, and images of your team working to create authenticity.

Categories = Ranking Power

Your categories tell Google what kind of jobs to send you. Get it wrong, and you’re invisible. Your primary category tells Google what your core business is, while secondary categories describe what else you do.

For movers, start with:

• Primary: Moving Company
• Secondary: Mover, Self Storage Facility, Piano Moving Service, Delivery Service (if applicable)

If you want to know what categories your top competitors are using, see these tools:

• PlePer’s Free Chrome Extension
• GMB Everywhere

These tools let you inspect any Google Business Profile to see which categories they're using. This helps you target the same (or better) categories to stay competitive in your local market.

2. Use keywords that match users’ search intent

Not every Google search means someone’s ready to book. If you don’t know the difference, you’ll waste time chasing clicks instead of customers.

Are they looking to hire a moving company right now? Comparing prices? Just researching? Google tries to serve the most relevant results based on that search intent.

There are four types of searches, but only two really matter if you want leads now. Here’s how they break down - and what to do with each:

• Transactional – They’ve got the boxes packed and the credit card ready. You want to rank for these. Keywords: "hire movers near me", "moving quote Los Angeles", "book movers in Dallas today"
• Commercial – They’re shopping around, reading reviews, comparing prices, checking licenses. Show up here with proof you’re the best. Keywords: "best long distance moving company", "top-rated movers Atlanta", "reviews for NYC moving companies"
• Informational – They’re not booking yet. They’re just trying to figure things out. Teach them something useful now, and they’ll remember you later. Keywords: "how much does moving cost", "how to pack a kitchen", "moving tips for families"
• Navigational – They already know who they’re looking for - like U-Haul or PODS. You don’t chase these, but you can still learn from what shows up.

Why does search intent matter for moving companies?

Ranking for informational queries like ‘how to pack a kitchen’ won’t fill your calendar, but it can get you in front of the right people before they book. 

However, If you rank for transactional or commercial terms with high buying intent, you are putting your business in front of people who are ready to book now. The roadblock here is that these terms are typically much more competitive and, therefore, harder to rank for. 

“Most movers get SEO wrong because they try to rank every page for everything. But a solid strategy means knowing which keywords drive bookings, and which ones just build credibility,”  says Kristina Frunze, Director of SEO at Build Media Group. “You need both, but you need to separate them. Your service and location pages should go after high-intent, transactional keywords - the ‘money terms’ from people ready to book. That’s where your leads come from. Your blogs and guides should tackle the questions movers hear every week - that’s how you earn trust and show up when people start their research. When you get this mix right, your content stops being just traffic and starts driving real jobs.”

Here’s how to put this into practice:

1. Start with this: What are your customers typing into Google right before they book? That’s your money list. Use tools like:
   
   • Google’s autocomplete and "People also ask"
   • Semrush Keyword Magic Tool
   • Ahrefs Keyword Explorer
   • Google Keyword Planner

Ahrefs “Keyword Explorer” tool shows information related to the “moving company Portland” keyword.

2. Group keywords by intent, and then match each group to a page type:
   
   • Service pages for transactional keywords ("local moving companies in Portland")
   • Blog posts for informational keywords ("how to prepare for a long-distance move")
   • Comparison pages or testimonials for commercial keywords ("best moving companies in Portland")
3. Map keywords to individual pages to avoid keyword cannibalization. One page = one keyword goal. Don’t make Google guess.
4. Use keywords naturally. Don’t stuff keywords into your pages. Instead, use variations and synonyms to help Google understand the context.

Pro Tip: Use a mix of short-tail ("movers Portland") and long-tail keywords ("affordable licensed movers in East Portland") to balance volume with specificity. Long-tail terms convert better because they show higher intent.

Treat your service page like the hub and build blog posts around it like spokes. Link everything back to the hub with smart anchor text. It’s how you build topic authority and rank faster. For example:

• Primary keyword: "long distance movers in Portland"
• Related content: "how to move from Portland to NYC", "packing tips for long hauls", "cost to move a 2-bedroom apartment cross-country"

3. Build optimized location pages

If you serve multiple cities but only have one ‘Service Areas’ page, you’re leaving money on the table. Create dedicated location pages for each city, town, or major neighborhood you operate in. Start with the cities that have the highest search volume.

What is a location page?

A location page is a standalone landing page that focuses on a single area you serve. It’s not just a list of ZIP codes, it’s built to tell Google (and your customer) that you’re the go-to mover in that area.

Your “Movers in Richmond, VA” page should talk like a local. Name neighborhoods, quote actual customers from that city, and write like someone who’s moved 20 apartments off the same block.

Why these pages matter for local SEO

Google wants to show the most relevant result to a searcher. If someone searches “apartment movers in Tacoma,” and your website has a whole page titled “Tacoma Apartment Movers” with reviews, local content, and a CTA, Google will prioritize it over a generic "Washington State Movers" page.

Need to move fast? Here’s how to make a lot of pages without writing each from scratch:

• Use page templates in your CMS to scale quickly
• Track rankings by city using BrightLocal or Whitespark
• Pull testimonials by location from your CRM or Google reviews

Pro tip: Add internal links from each blog post or service page back to the relevant location page. This helps to boost its SEO strength and allows visitors to work through your website smoothly.

4. Make your website mobile-friendly and fast

Most customers find you on their phone. If your site doesn’t work there, you’re invisible. Google uses the mobile version of your website to index and rank your pages. 

If your homepage takes more than 3 seconds to load, you’re losing jobs, not just clicks.

What does 'mobile-friendly' actually mean?

Mobile-friendly means fast, clear, and tap-to-call simple. Here’s how to get there:

• Use a responsive design that adjusts the layout for every screen size
• Avoid pop-ups that cover key content or buttons
• Include large, easy-to-tap buttons (like "Call Now")
• Break up long text into bite-sized paragraphs and bullet points
• Make your phone number a click-to-call link
• Optimize forms for mobile so users can request quotes with minimal effort

Speed matters for SEO and conversions

Google confirmed that page speed is a ranking factor. A 0.1-second improvement in mobile site speed can increase conversion rates by 8.4% for retail and 10.1% for lead generation.

That means a slow homepage could be costing you dozens of booked jobs each month.

Images should help your performance

Don’t let raw, high-resolution images bog down your site's performance.

• Use image compression tools (like TinyPNG or WebP format)
• Set proper image dimensions
• Lazy-load images so they appear as users scroll

You can test your performance with:

• Google PageSpeed Insights: Run your URL and get specific recommendations from Google on what needs fixing
• Mobile-Friendly Test: Make sure your layout meets Google’s standards

Pro tip: Your quote form or ‘Call Now’ button should be the first thing mobile visitors see. Don’t make them scroll to book you. 

5. Improve on-page SEO fundamentals

Your site needs to scream who you are, where you work, and what you do. If it doesn’t, Google won’t send you leads. And if your site doesn’t have strong on-page signals, even the best backlinks or fastest page speed won’t save your rankings.

What is on-page SEO for moving companies?

It’s everything you can control directly on your website to help it rank better. Core elements of strong on-page SEO include:

• Title Tags: This is the headline Google shows. If it doesn’t say what you do and where you do it, you’re wasting space. For bottom-of-funnel pages, like location pages or the homepage, the title should include your target keyword + city. Example: “Long Distance Movers in Boston | [Your Company]”
• Meta Descriptions: This is a summary of the page that shows up under the title tag in search results. Doesn’t help rankings, but it does get the click. Make it sharp, useful, and clickable. Example: “Looking for reliable long-distance movers in Boston? Get your free quote today.”
• Header Tags (H1, H2, H3): Your H1 should be the main topic of the page (e.g., “Trusted Boston Moving Services”). Use H2s and H3s to break up sections and go into the details about the key topic.
• Alt Text for Images: Don’t let your photos be dead weight. Add alt text so Google knows what’s in them.
• URL Structure: Use URLs like /movers-boston, not /page123. Google and your customers both prefer it.
• Internal Linking: Link from blog posts to service pages or between related pages. This helps distribute page authority and improve navigation around your website.
• Schema Markup: This is how you show up with stars, hours, and extra details in Google. Use LocalBusiness and Review schema.

Example page structure for movers:

• H1: "Reliable Apartment Movers in Denver, CO"
• H2: "Why Choose Our Denver Moving Services"
• H2: "Customer Testimonials from Denver"
• H2: "Moving Tips for Local Residents"
• CTA Button: "Get a Free Quote"

Tools to help with on-page SEO:

• Yoast SEO or RankMath (for WordPress users)
• Screaming Frog SEO Spider (for technical audits)
• Google Search Console (to monitor keyword performance and indexing)

Visual tip: Your homepage photo should show your actual truck and crew. Customers can smell stock images from a mile away.

6. Get citations on high-authority sites

Citations are mentions of your business on third-party websites like directories, organizations, news, etc. They validate your business’s existence and location for both customers and search engines. More citations = more trust. Google sees your business listed all over the web and says: yep, they’re legit. 

Top directories for movers:

• Yelp
• Angi
• Better Business Bureau
• Thumbtack
• MovingCompanyReviews.com
• HireAHelper
• Local chamber of commerce or business association sites

Pro Tip: List your company on hyperlocal directories specific to your city or region. These smaller but location-focused sites can help boost local relevance.

Why consistency matters

One thing to keep in mind for citations is that your NAP (Name of the business, Address, and Phone number) should be consistent across the web, so make sure to use the same NAP that you used on your website. 

Google compares NAP information across platforms. If you use ‘FastTrack Movers’ on one site and ‘Fast Track Moving Co.’ on another, Google gets confused - and ranks you lower.

How to build and manage citations efficiently:

• Use tools like Moz Local or BrightLocal to automate submissions and keep listings updated
• Regularly audit your listings across all platforms
• Monitor for duplicates or incorrect NAP data

7. Generate more reviews and use them to your advantage

Reviews are what get you ranked, clicked, and booked. 

The best time to ask for a review is before your truck’s even out of your customer’s driveway.

Why reviews matter so much for SEO:

• Google looks at how many reviews you have, how recent they are, and how good they are. More and better means higher rankings.
• Businesses with a higher volume of positive reviews are more likely to appear in Google’s local 3-pack - the map listings that get the most visibility and clicks.

Reviews = leads. They build trust with people and credibility with Google.

How to get more reviews consistently:

• Set up an automation in Supermove to ask for a review via text or email as soon as a job is complete.
• Text your customers the review link. Don’t make them search for it.
• Coach your crew to ask for a review right after the job, especially if it went great.
• Offer internal incentives: Give your crew bonuses or recognition when their name is mentioned in a 5-star review.

Show off your best reviews everywhere someone’s deciding to hire you:

• Google (most important for rankings)
• Yelp (especially in metro areas like LA, SF, NYC)
• Facebook (for social validation and shareability)
• Moving industry-specific platforms like MovingCompanyReviews or Thumbtack

Where to showcase reviews:

• Your homepage (via sliders or testimonials)
• Service pages (especially if the review mentions the specific service)
• Location pages (highlight reviews from customers in that city)
• Google Business Profile

Businesses that respond to just a quarter of their reviews make 35% more revenue.

8. Get high-quality backlinks

Backlinks are your digital reputation and without them, you’re not getting found. A backlink is when another website links to yours, and when that link comes from a credible source, it acts like a vote of confidence in your moving company.

Most websites get zero traffic from Google. Why? No one’s linking to them. No links and no authority means no rankings.

Pages with more high-quality backlinks tend to rank higher in search engine results.

What makes a high-quality backlink?

• It’s from a site with strong domain authority (DA). The higher the DA, the more valuable the link
• It uses natural, relevant anchor text (e.g., “long-distance movers in Miami” instead of “click here”)
• Bonus points if the site has authority and the link text makes sense - not ‘click here,’ but something like ‘local long-distance movers in Miami.

Strategies to earn powerful backlinks as a moving company

You don’t need an agency to get great backlinks. Just hustle smart. Here’s how movers are doing it:

Team up with local businesses

Partner up with realtors, storage units, and property managers. They’ve got your next customers. Trade links or write a guest post on their website.

Sponsor local events or charities

Share helpful local website content

Write stuff locals actually care about, like ‘Best Family Neighborhoods in Austin’, and share it around. People will link if it’s good.

Send out press releases

If you’re opening a new location or hit a big milestone, like your 1,000th move, write a short news update and send it to local newspapers, blogs, or TV stations. They might cover your story and link to your site.

Get featured in interviews

Tell your story in podcasts, blogs, and industry sites. They’ll often link back to you just for showing up.

Don’t buy garbage links or stuff your site into spammy directories. Google sees through that fast and you’ll get dinged for it.

Want to see who’s linking to you or who’s linking to your competitors? These tools are worth the time:

• Ahrefs: View your backlink profile and research competitors’ backlink profiles
• Semrush Backlink Gap Tool: Identify links your competitors have that you don’t
• HARO (Help a Reporter Out): Pitch stories to journalists in need of expert sources

9. Prioritize technical SEO for movers

Think your site’s fine just because it looks good? If Google can’t read it, it won’t rank. That’s what technical SEO is all about. Without it, all your keywords, content, and backlinks might never reach their full ranking potential.

Google’s got to find, read, and understand your pages before it can rank them. If your site’s slow, broken, or messy, it won’t bother.

Also, people are more likely to trust and stay on websites that load quickly and are secure (using HTTPS). Slow, glitchy websites don’t just lose rankings. They lose customers. If your page takes forever to load or looks shady, people bounce.

Here’s how to make sure your site runs clean and ranks strong:

• Site speed: As mentioned earlier, your moving company website should load in under 3 seconds. Run your URL through PageSpeed Insights. Fix what slows you down.
• Mobile-friendliness: A responsive layout makes sure your site looks great and functions well on all mobile devices.
• Secure connection (HTTPS): Having an SSL certificate is a must these days, as Google favors secure websites.
• XML sitemap: Submit one via Google Search Console so search engines can easily discover your pages.
• Robots.txt file: Controls what Google sees and skips.
• Clean URL structure: URLs should be short, descriptive, and contain relevant keywords.
• No broken links or errors: Use tools to fix 404s, redirects, and server errors.
• Structured data (schema markup): Helps Google display rich snippets like reviews, service information, and contact details directly in local search results.

Tools to help you stay on top of technical SEO:

• Google Search Console: Monitor crawl issues, submit sitemaps, and track performance.
• Semrush Site Audit: Flag technical errors and get recommendations.
• Ahrefs Site Audit: Check crawlability, internal linking, and site performance.

10. Publish local content that solves problems

Ever had a customer ask, ‘Do I need a permit to move here?’ Local content is your way to answer those questions and show up when people Google them. It’s a core pillar of SEO for movers who want to build topical authority by answering real customer questions in their area. 

What is local content?

Local content is web pages, blog posts, videos, or guides that are specific to the cities, neighborhoods, and communities you serve.

Why it works:

• Google loves content that sounds local because it proves you know the area. So do your customers. (e.g., "moving permit Brooklyn")
• Customers are more likely to click on and trust moving businesses that show local knowledge.
• Write enough quality content about your area and Google starts seeing you as the local expert. That’s how you win search engine rankings.

Don’t write just to fill your blog. Write stuff that solves problems or answers questions movers actually ask:

• How-to guides (e.g., "How to Get a Moving Permit in San Francisco")
• Local tips (e.g., "The Best Times to Move in Chicago to Avoid Traffic")
• Cost breakdowns (e.g., "What It Costs to Move a 3-Bedroom Home in Miami")
• Neighborhood spotlights (e.g., "Top 5 Family-Friendly Areas in Charlotte")
• Seasonal advice (e.g., "Moving in Winter: What Denver Residents Should Know")

Get your content in front of the people who matter. Post it here:

• Your blog or resource center
• Email newsletters
• Google Business Profile updates
• Social media channels (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn)
• Community forums or local Facebook groups

Tools to help generate ideas:

• Google Trends
• AnswerThePublic
• AlsoAsked
• Keyword research tools (Semrush, Ahrefs)

Final Takeaway

Visibility wins jobs. You can have the best crew in town, but if you don’t have any online presence, you’re losing to someone who just knows how to rank.

But all the website traffic in the world won’t help if your systems can’t keep up. Supermove is your all-in-one moving company software for running a modern moving company. Use it to track leads, book jobs, manage crews, collect payments, and turn every move into a 5-star review.

Book a demo today.

Frequently asked questions

How long does SEO take to show results for moving companies?

It depends on your market and competition, but most moving companies start to see measurable SEO improvements within 6-9 months. Local SEO updates (like optimizing your Google Business Profile) can sometimes deliver quicker wins.

Do I need a Google Business Profile if I don’t have a physical location?

Yes. If you're a service area business (SAB), you can still create a Google Business Profile. Simply hide your address and enter the ZIP codes or cities you serve.

Can SEO services help with long-distance or interstate moving leads?

Absolutely. By targeting long-tail keywords like “long distance movers from [City] to [City]” and building content clusters, you can improve visibility for long-distance moving services.