When looking to connect with buyers online, modular homebuilder Shorten Homes’ attention to detail reaped big benefits.
• The company modernized its marketing by combining SEO and SEM to dominate regional modular searches.
• Google reviews, accurate citations and researched blogs built visibility, credibility and higher-quality local leads.
• Traffic, leads and sales nearly tripled, proving that a sound digital strategy is the way to drive growth in modular homebuilding.
A digital marketing strategy that focuses solely on online ads without first investing in Search Engine Optimization (SEO) can be shortsighted. But Shorten Homes, a modular builder in Scranton, Pennsylvania, adopted a more comprehensive approach by pairing SEO with Search Engine Marketing (SEM). This approach yielded significant results.
Since its founding in 1977 by James Shorten, the company has served northeastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and New York, and has become a trusted name in modular construction.
Like many long-established builders, the company has weathered market fluctuations — from the 2008 recession to the COVID-19 pandemic — emerging leaner and more efficient. The business now operates with 10 full-time employees and uses between 80 and 100 subcontractors for home completion.
Outbound to Inbound
Coming from the car dealership industry, Shorten brought with him an outbound, sales-driven mindset. When he passed away in 2017 at age 90, his son, Barry, took over operations. Today, Barry’s son, Jamie Shorten, serves as Vice President and oversees the day-to-day operations.
Until about 2015, Shorten Homes relied on legacy media such as radio jingles, billboards and event sponsorships. “Aside from having a website, because it’s what businesses are supposed to do, our strategy was mostly traditional media,” says Jamie Shorten.
When he joined the company in 2000, after a career in business consulting, Shorten began steering the firm toward digital marketing, aiming to dominate the modular home space in the Northeastern US.
“Most of our competitors hadn’t embraced digital marketing,” he explains. “They didn’t realize that staying visible throughout the homebuying journey is key to making a sale.”
The Importance of Visibility
In 2022, Shorten Homes partnered with Steve Morse of SEM by Design in Topeka, Kansas, to formalize their SEO and SEM strategy. Leveraging the company’s decades-long reputation, they developed a plan to strengthen online visibility and lead generation.
According to Morse, Google Business Profile reviews are even more critical than social media reviews because they directly influence search rankings, visibility and credibility. The first step was to optimize Shorten Homes’ Google Business Profile with accurate information and professional photos.
At the start of the campaign, Shorten Homes had 44 reviews with an average rating of 3.9. That number has since grown to 77 reviews with an average rating of 4.4.
“A high concentration of positive reviews signals to Google that your business is authoritative,” Morse says, “which helps push your listing higher in search results.”
SEM by Design also conducted citation research and repair to ensure the company’s name, address and phone number were consistent across all online directories. Accurate citations strengthen local SEO, verify the business’s legitimacy and improve the likelihood of attracting qualified leads.
AI Blogs Did Not Perform
Shorten Homes also launched a robust content strategy featuring blog posts and localized landing pages to improve search performance. While the company did experiment with AI-generated content, Morse notes that “the clear winners are fully researched blogs with great content.”
One blog post from 2022 about acquiring land remains among Shorten Homes’ top 10 mostvisited webpages.
“Posts that answer common questions about services, processes and costs tend to perform best, and consistency is key,” Morse says.
Localized landing pages also helped improve lead quality. “We were getting too many inquiries from outside our service area,” Shorten says. “Now, with local targeting, our leads are both higher quality and more relevant.”
Google Ads and Remarketing
To reach active buyers, Shorten Homes implemented a targeted Google Ads campaign designed to appear when users searched for modular homes. They also launched a remarketing initiative to engage past visitors and boost conversions.
A long-term SEO strategy requires multiple elements — citations, on-page optimization, link building and technical improvements such as site speed and mobile responsiveness, Morse explains.
For Shorten Homes, the impact has been substantial. Organic traffic rose from about 800 to 900 monthly visitors in 2022 to 1,900 to 2,000 visitors today. Within eight months, home sales increased from 28 to 51, and by the end of the second year, Shorten Homes had completed more than 80 builds — nearly tripling pre-strategy performance.
The Future
Shorten Homes plans to refresh its model home lineup at its sales center in the coming year, and Jamie Shorten will receive ownership of the business from his father, Barry.
Jamie Shorten remains optimistic about the company’s digital trajectory. “We’re pleased with how far our SEO and SEM efforts have taken us,” he said, “but we’re always looking for new ways to stay ahead in our market.”
Reed Dillon is a content brand specialist, marketing consultant and freelance writer that focusses on offsite and new construction. He is the owner of Creative Brand Content in Moneta, Virginia. Contact: [email protected]. Your Google Business Profile is a free tool offered by Google. It is located to the right of the general listing directory.
It is important that you claim it, make sure all information is accurate and populate all fields, including photos of homes and videos.
