Solar-Related Keywords: Understanding What Solar Customers Want

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Introduction

Solar energy is one of the fastest growing sectors of the economy, and its popularity in online searches is growing right along with it. 

By 2021, solar energy grew to represent 54% of all new grid capacity added in the US, up from just 4% in 2010. Likewise, “solar” keyword searches have skyrocketed as more and more customers turn to Google to learn more. 

With competition growing each day, understanding how customers search — specifically the keywords they search for — is quickly becoming a key way for solar installers to generate leads in this accelerating market.

But, the ins and outs of targeting keywords can be mystifying. To help you get started, we’ve sifted through the research and cut out the fluff to identify the top keywords you need to know to get your business in front of eager potential customers.

In this article, we’ll cover everything you need to know for solar-related keywords and search engine optimization (SEO) — from the top questions and leading drivers of your solar-seeking customers, to how you can best target those questions and drivers for maximum engagement through your website.

What Are The Leading Topics of Interest in Solar Energy?

It would be a monumental task to break down every potential solar technology topic customers are interested in, but what we can do is look at the leading Google searches around solar-elated terms. 

This gives us a look at what we call search intent, or the purpose behind people’s searching in the first place. It shows us the major areas of interest your potential customers are moving towards so we can know exactly which keywords to use to best reach them where they’re at naturally. 

Based on our research, the best topics to focus on for your solar SEO efforts fit into the following 5 categories:

  • Cost
    • How much do solar panels cost? How long will it take me to see a return on my investment, or break even? Are solar panels worth it?
  • General Information
    • How do solar panels work? How long do solar panels last? How do you clean solar panels?
  • Benefits and Drawbacks
    • What are the advantages of solar panels? What are the disadvantages? How are solar panels better for the environment?
  • DIY Viability
    • How do you install solar panels? Can you build your own? Where can I find a solar panel kit?
  • Best Of
    • What are the best solar companies near me? What is the best solar company in my specific area?

In this article, we’ll investigate some of the top keywords for each of these topics so that you can help potential customers find your brand online while they’re searching. 

We’ll focus mostly on the actual keywords and ideas around content that can help address them. Here are a few resources to help you get started learning more about how to develop your specific marketing strategy — around keywords, search engine optimization, and other channels:

Cost

One of the largest concerns (if not the largest) for customers considering the switch to solar energy is cost. After all, depending on how customers finance it, solar can be a large investment. 

However, you can turn this concern into a great opportunity to educate potential customers on the costs associated with a solar installation, the types of savings they can expect, and how you can work with them to keep costs as low as possible — and even guarantee production.

Here are some of the top keywords related to the cost of solar.

(Note: The number in parenthesis is the monthly search volume [MSV]. This simply means the number of times a certain term gets searched per month. It’s important because, if a term has 10,000 MSV and you’re in one of the top positions on the results page, you could receive 10,000 new visitors to your site.)

  • cost of solar panels (10,000) 
  • are solar panels worth it (6,000)
  • cost to install solar panels (2,200)
  • average cost of solar panels (1,500)
  • how much are solar panels for a house? (1,000)

Targeting these solar-related keywords with your content will help drive potential customers to your website, and give you the chance to show them how an investment in solar can pay off. 

General Information

A critical truth to remember is that the general public’s knowledge about solar energy and technology is still pretty limited. For every solar-savvy person out there, there are far more who know little to nothing about it — from the associated costs, to how it works, how it’s maintained, what the installation process looks like, and even the very basics of why they should want solar in the first place. 

This also presents the perfect opportunity to both educate visitors to your website, and turn them into customers. By posting engaging, educational content you show expertise, build authority, and enhance your reputation. This improves your chances of converting those clicks into sales opportunities. 

Here are some of the top keywords related to solar energy and general solar information, along with their monthly search volumes:

  • how do solar panels work (9,600)
  • how many solar panels do i need (7,100)
  • how long do solar panels last (5,300)
  • how to clean solar panels (3,300)
  • types of solar panels (2,000)

Establishing yourself as a reliable and thorough source of information at the beginning of a customer’s solar journey is a great opportunity to be their go-to for all things solar, including purchase and installation, and even maintenance. 

Benefits and Drawbacks

As with anything, many customers are curious about the benefits and drawbacks a solar installation provides. Saving on utility bills and helping the environment are some clear advantages potential customers may think they already know about, but what are they missing? 

There must be some kind of hidden drawback among all the headlines like “Lower Your Utility Bill” and “Cut Your Carbon Footprint,” right? When you target these kinds of searches, you can help present the information in the most convincing way possible, highlighting the benefits of your specific services.

Pros and cons are popular search topics for notable products, especially when customers and the market are both new. This presents a fantastic opportunity for you to become an authority and educator. After all, who doesn’t prefer doing business with a brand that’s honest about the risks or drawbacks of a certain investment, and who went through the effort to help educate their audience. Here are some top driving keywords for the benefits and drawbacks of solar power:

  • pros and cons of solar panels (1,200)
  • solar panel benefits (250)
  • disadvantages of solar panels (200)
  • leasing solar panels pros and cons (200)
  • benefits of solar panel of roof (150)

By establishing your company as a trusted source of information, you can be first in line for those that are convinced to buy — and be a resource they refer to friends and family down the road.

DIY Viability

From bargain hunters, to hobbyists, to people that just like to work outside with their hands, some potential customers are likely to be interested in the DIY side of solar technology. 

But, many people who search DIY solar topics will likely find it’s too difficult, or time-consuming — or both — and decide to go with a solar installer instead. Wouldn’t it be nice if they were on your website when they made that decision?

Whatever the case, the DIY crowd shouldn’t be ignored. Here are some of the top driving solar related terms and keywords related to DIY:

  • diy solar panels (8,000)
  • how to install solar panels (1,700)
  • solar panel kits (1,200)
  • how to make solar panels (1,000)
  • how to wire solar panels (350)

If you can provide relevant information for the DIY crowd on the pros and cons of installing their own system you may just happen to convince them how much faster and simpler it would be for them to have an installer do the job.

A solar panel being madeBest Of

Sometimes what pushes consumers over the line is knowing that something is the best. Everyone enjoys a good “best of” list that’s done all the work for them. While “best” is obviously subjective, what isn’t subjective is the clear and widespread search intent of answering this question. 

Many customers will search for the best of a product without actually knowing anything about it, however. This gives you the chance to drive customer interest and engagement while building your brand’s and site’s reputation.

Not only does this give you an opportunity to establish yourself as the best provider or installer of solar panels, but comparison and list-style articles are very popular in search — this can help drive consumers who are Googling the “best of” solar energy solutions towards you and your related solar content. 

On that note, here are some of the best performing “best of” keywords for solar energy:

  • best solar panels (14,000)
  • best solar companies (3,800)
  • most efficient solar panels (3,500)
  • best portable solar panels (1,100)
  • best place to buy solar panels (350)

Focusing some of your content around keywords like these can encourage many new visitors to your website — giving you the chance to inform them about some of the best solar options available and establishing your authority in the options you offer. 

Key Takeaways

Now that you know some of the top driving solar-related keywords for different search intents, you can begin naturally attracting more traffic and engagement. 

But before you do, here are a few key takeaways to consider while implementing these bits of solar SEO into your sales and marketing strategy.

Solar SEO Tips:

  • Make sure you understand search intent when you build out your content.
  • Use the right keywords to match the reader’s intent.
  • Try to diversify, with original pieces focusing on different intents.
  • Know your target audience: Try to pick a content focus that will appeal to them the most!

Further Reading:

 

Featured image by NisonCo PR and SEO.