At least a third of the Murray Dare team have had washing machine repairs in the last 6 months!
In fact, one of the team afflicted with washing machine woes fixed theirs following how-to videos on YouTube. However, it seems the rest of us were far too unskilled (or lazy!) to do that. So, we went straight to Google to seek professional help.
As always, our own searches often inspire us. So, we got curious about the number of searches for “washing machine repair”. We discovered that in November 2020, there were 16,000 searches in the UK for this keyword.
Introduction
Initially, our analysis of the search intent behaviour of people searching for our target keyword uncovered the following FAQs:
- How much does it cost to repair a washing machine?
- Is it worth getting a washing machine repair?
- How can I fix my washing machine?
- Who do you call to fix a washer?
- How many years does a washing machine last?
Of course, we will get into the answers to those questions – and most importantly which websites are answering those questions – a bit later in this report.
But first, let’s get an overview of the competitive landscape and introduce our main organic competitors.
Top 10 Organic Competitors
Here are the top 10 pages ranking for the keyword “washing machine repair” in the UK from weakest to strongest.
Organic Competitor #10: First Serve UK
First Serve UK “is a professional domestic appliance repair company based in London and since 2002”
And website visitors clicking on the search result: firstserveuk.co.uk are sent to the website homepage.
In November 2020, at the time of the report, this page ranked for 66 keywords.
And the top keyword for this page was “washing machine repair”.
This page received an estimated 432 website visitors.
As well as 9,181 backlinks from 45 referring domains.
Organic Competitor #9: Repair and Protect
Repair and Protect consider themselves “…the UK’s leading specialist warranty provider”. And “broken boilers and kitchen appliances…” are their speciality.
And website visitors clicking on the search result find themselves on a service landing page: repairandprotect.co.uk/appliances/washing-machine-repairs. It is designed to encourage people to book a “one-off repair” or purchase a “repair & care plan”.
In November 2020, at the time of the report, this page ranked for 181 keywords.
The top keyword for this page was “washing machine repair”.
All in all, this page received an estimated 515 website visitors.
And it had 24 backlinks from 13 referring domains.
Organic Competitor #8: 0800 Repair
0800 Repair “is one of the largest professional appliance repair companies in the UK.”
Website visitors that click on the search result are sent to a service landing page: 0800repair.com/appliance-repairs/washing-machine-repairs. This page features a “request a call back” call-to-action.
In November 2020, at the time of the report, this page ranked for 363 keywords.
Unsurprisingly, the top keyword for this page was “washing machine repair”.
And this page received an estimated 1,761 website visitors.
As well as 241 backlinks from 32 referring domains.
Organic Competitor #7: Repair Aid
Overall, Repair Aid “is London’s first choice for the repair, maintenance and installation of commercial and domestic appliances.”
Website visitors that click through find themselves on a localised (London) service landing page: repairaid.co.uk/washing-machine-repairs.
In November 2020, at the time of the report, this page ranked for 22 keywords.
Naturally, the top keyword for this page was “washing machine repair”.
And this page received an estimated 42 website visitors.
As well as 4 backlinks from 4 referring domains.
Organic Competitor #6: The Spruce
The Spruce offers “practical, real-life tips and inspiration to help you make your best home.”
However, The Spruce is a blog and does not provide repair services.
And website visitors who click on this search result are sent to a blog post: thespruce.com/washing-machine-repair-guide-4154046. The post is entitled DIY 7-Step process for repairing a washing machine.
In November 2020, at the time of the report, this page ranked for 73 keywords.
And the top keyword for this page was “washing machine repair”.
This page received an estimated 567 website visitors.
As well as 589 backlinks from 31 referring domains.
Organic Competitor #5: Checkatrade
Checkatrade “is the most searched for website for finding tradespeople in the UK.”
While Checkatrade is a respected comparison website, it does not provide direct washing machine repair services.
And any website visitors that click on this search result are sent to a directory: checkatrade.com/Search/Washing%20Machine%20Repair/in/London. It lists 54 washing machine repair services in London.
In November 2020, at the time of the report, this page ranked for 32 keywords.
Of course, the top keyword for this page was “washing machine repair”.
Overall, this page received an estimated 1,963 website visitors.
This page had 0 backlinks.
Organic Competitor #4: Fantastic Services
Fantastic Services describes itself as the “one-stop-shop for 25+ professional home cleaning and maintenance services, provided within London and the UK. ”
However, we’ve come across Fantastic Services before in a website analysis of cleaning company, Go Cleaners. As such, we know that this company does not specialise solely in repair services.
Website visitors that choose to click on the search result are sent to a local service page for washing machine repair in London: fantasticservices.com/washing-machine-repair.
In November 2020, at the time of the report, this page ranked for 65 keywords.
And the top keyword for this page was “washing machine repair”
Overall, this page received an estimated 923 website visitors.
This page had 1 backlink from 1 referring domains.
Organic Competitor #3: NAC Repair
Site users that click on this search result find themselves on a landing page: nacrepair.co.uk/appliance-repairs/washing-machine-repair. This service landing page is one that sells “Nationwide Washing Machine Repair.
In November 2020, at the time of the report, this page ranked for 27 keywords.
Note: This is the same amount of keywords as the website’s homepage.
And the top keyword for this page was “washing machine repair”.
Overall, this page received an estimated 1,972 website visitors.
This page had 0 backlinks.
Organic Competitor #2: Glotech Repairs
Glotech Repairs describes themselves as one of the “leading domestic appliance repair [companies] in the country”. They provide coverage across London and Hertfordshire. However, they also describe themselves as “perfectly placed to help every household.”
However, Glotech Repairs provide more than repair services.
When website visitors click on this 2nd position search result, they are sent to a landing page: glotechrepairs.co.uk/washing-machine-repairs.php. This service landing page is for locations “London & Nationwide”.
In November 2020, at the time of the report, this page ranked for 45 keywords.
And the top keyword for this page was “washing machine repair”.
Overall, this page received an estimated 1,245 website visitors.
In addition, this page had 155 backlinks from 20 referring domains.
Organic Competitor #1: Domex UK
Domex UK are “award-winning appliance repair specialists in London”.
Website visitors who click on the number one search result are sent to a service landing page: domex-uk.co.uk/appliance-repairs/washing-machine-repairs. In particular, this page features several calls-to-actions to encourage visitors to book a repair.
In November 2020, at the time of the report, this page ranked for 42 keywords.
Unsurprisingly, the top keyword for this page was “washing machine repair”.
In fact, this page received an estimated 1,272 website visitors.
Overall, this page had 10 backlinks from 6 referring domains.
Top 10 Organic Competitors Performance Awards
What follows is a list of the top 10 pages ranking for the keyword “washing machine repair.” However, please note this was accurate at the time of writing – 19 November 2020:
- Domex UK
- Glotech Repairs
- NAC Repair
- Fantastic Services
- Checkatrade
- The Spruce
- Repair Aid
- 0800 Repair
- Repair and Protect
- First Serve UK
So, let’s take a closer look at these pages and see how they perform for the following:
- Traffic
- Keywords
- Backlinks
- Referring Domains
Most Traffic
- First place goes to NAC Repair (1,972 website visitors).
- Second place goes to Chekatrade (1,963 website visitors).
- Third place also goes to 0800 repair (1,761 website visitors).
Most Keywords
- Two first-place positions go to 0800 Repair (363 keywords)
- Second place goes to Repair and Protect (181 keywords)
- Third place also goes to First Serve UK (66 keywords)
Most Backlinks
- First place goes to First Serve UK (9,181 backlinks. That's a lot of backlinks!)
- Second place goes to The Spruce (589 backlinks)
- Third place also goes to 0800 Repair (241 backlinks)
Most Referring Domains
- First place goes to First Serve UK (45 referring domains)
- Second place goes to 0800 Repair (32 referring domains)
- A very close third place goes to The Spruce (31 referring domains)
The Winners
To conclude, most awards go to First Serve UK. Clearly, this was unexpected. As this repair service company is our 10th place competitor overall for the keyword “washing machine repair”.
Award | Winner |
---|---|
Most Traffic | NAC Repair |
Most Keywords | 0800 Repair |
Most Backlinks | First Serve UK |
Most Referring Domains | First Serve UK |
Frequently Asked Questions Related to The Keyword
“Washing Machine Repair”
At the start of this report, we looked at some frequently asked questions from searchers.
Then using alsoasked.com, we can get a map of questions broken into two categories:
– Commercial Intent Searches
– Informational Searches
Commercial Intent Searches use words and phrases linked to the buying process.
For example, someone that searches for “What are common problems with washing machines?” wants information.
Whereas, someone that searches “How much does it cost to repair a washing machine?” is very likely in need of an urgent repair.
As such, it is important that businesses that are serious about selling washing machine services create good content. Specifically, content that answers commercial intent questions.
So, how well do the top 10 competitors do when it comes to providing answers to these questions?
First, let’s pick a couple of example commercial intent questions:
- How much does it cost to repair a washing machine?
- How much does it cost to replace a drum in a washing machine?
Analysis Method
First, we will open an incognito tab on Google. Then we will use Google Search to conduct a search for each question. Finally, we will see who we find in the top 3 search results.
Of course, we will look to see if any of the top 10 competitors show up.
If so, we’ll make a note. Because this means they are obviously doing something right. Specifically when it comes to helping people who are in the market for a washing machine repair specialist.
Ready?
The Results
Question 1: How much does it cost to repair a washing machine?
Well done Checkatrade!
First organic search result goes to Checkatrade, our fifth position organic competitor.
And when we click through to the site, it takes us to their blog.
Overall, this page has just over 1100 words. But most importantly it features a call-to-action at the bottom: “Find a washing machine repair expert near me.”
However, this page only receives around 93 monthly visits.
Furthermore, it ranks for 28 keywords with the page’s top keyword being “washing machine repair cost”.
URL | Traffic | Keywords | Top Keyword |
---|---|---|---|
https://checkatrade.com/blog/cost-guides/washing-machine-repair-cost/ | 93 | 28 | washing machine repair cost |
And, of those 28 keywords, just 4 of them rank in top 3 search positions:
Keyword | Traffic | Search Position |
---|---|---|
washing machine repair cost | 45 | 1 |
washing machine repair cost uk | 18 | 2 |
how much does it cost to repair a washing machine | 15 | 1 |
washing machine circuit board repair cost | 7 | 3 |
As we can see, the bulk of the traffic to this page is attributed to the top keyword “washing machine repair cost”.
In fact, this top keyword brings 48% of the traffic to the page. And it seems 45 out of 93 website visitors use the search term.
Question 2: How much does it cost to replace a drum in a washing machine?
Firstly, the featured snippet at the top of the results page is Homeadvisor.com. And the same Checkatrade blog post we saw previously is in second place.
Clearly, Homeadvisor.com is a direct competitor to Checkatrade.
The featured snippet link takes us to a section of a page entitled: “Average Cost of Washing Machine Repair”.
And the featured snippet is from a section with the heading: “Washing Machine Drum Bearings Replacement Cost”.
In conclusion, all the companies in the top 10 organic search positions that specialise in direct repair services need to reassess. In fact, they should take a leaf from the content strategies of comparison websites like Checkatrade and Homeadvisor.
Not only do the pages rank well for keywords – with a decent amount of search volume. But they also do a good job to convert their website visitors. For example, they provide multiple call-to-actions. Like this one found on the Homeadvisor page:
Alternatively, these call-to-actions on the Checkatrade blog post:
Next, let’s move on and analyse the domains of the top 10 competitors.
And it is worth pointing out that the data below was first analysed in November 2020.
Organic Competitor Domain Ratings
Fantastic Services is the washing machine repair service provider with the highest domain rating of 62.
However, in the chart above (and the charts that follow) you will see that certain entries are greyed-out.
And this is because they do not specialise in washing machine repairs. For example, Checkatrade is a comparison website and The Spruce is a blog.
Organic Competitor Traffic From Our Analysed Keyword
Yet again, Fantastic Services is the repair service provider that received the most overall search traffic. In fact, this equates to 48,766 website visits!
However, it was First Service UK (our 10th position competitor) that received the majority of its website traffic from our target keyword.
In fact, 42.3% of all its website traffic comes from this keyword.
Organic Competitor Top Organic Keywords
WEBSITE | TOP KEYWORD | KEYWORD TRAFFIC | % of OVERALL TRAFFIC |
---|---|---|---|
Domex UK | washing machine repair | 1,733 | 25.4% |
Glotech Repairs | washing machine repair | 1,386 | 9.04% |
NAC Repair | washing machine repair near me | 1,420 | 15% |
Fantastic Services | fantastic services | 8,748 | 18% |
Checkatrade | checkatrade | 126,913 | 22% |
The Spruce | adult games | 12,306 | 25% |
Repair Aid | washing machine not spinning | 854 | 6.45% |
0800 Repair | 0800 repair | 1,468 | 27.3% |
Repair and Protect | washing machine repair | 232 | 10.59% |
First Serve UK | washing machine repair | 186 | 42.7% |
On the whole, the majority of the direct service providers have top keywords. And each link directly to washing repair services.
Yet, Fantastic Services gets most of its traffic from searches of their brand name.
And, First Serve UK has the highest amount of overall traffic from its top keyword: “washing machine repair”.
Organic Competitor Top 3 Search Positions
Overall, Fantastic Services is the repair service provider with the highest number of keywords ranking in the top 3 search positions.
In fact, they have a whopping 23,668 keywords that rank in the top 3 search positions.
Organic Competitor Backlinks
Once again, Fantastic Services comes out on top. Because it is the washing machine repair service provider with the highest number of backlinks (8,447).
However, First Serve UK has the highest percentage of dofollow backlinks (98.2%).
Organic Competitor Content Gap
Finally, let’s analyse the content of the first five top washing machine repair service providers.
Note: the brackets show their ranking positions for the keyword “washing machine repair”:
- domex-uk.co.uk (1)
- glotechrepairs.co.uk (2)
- nacrepair.co.uk (3)
- fantasticservices.com (4)
- repairaid.co.uk (7)
First, we’ll conduct a Content Gap Analysis.
To begin, we will pick a target website e.g. domex-uk.co.uk. Then, we’ll compare it against the remaining four websites in the list.
Of course this will allow us to see the keywords that more than one of the comparison websites rank for. But that our target website doesn’t.
Domex UK Vs The Rest
Overall, there are 4,326 keywords that at least one of the competing sites ranks for in the top 10. But domex-uk.co.uk doesn’t rank anywhere in the top 100.
And, 1,703 (39%) of those keywords have a monthly search volume over 100.
The keyword related to “washing machine repair” with the highest search volume is “washing machine repair near me” (8,900 monthly searches).
And the website with the highest-ranking position for this keyword is nacrepair.co.uk (1st).
Glotech Repairs Vs The Rest
Overall, there are 3,390 keywords that at least one of the competing sites ranks in the top 10. But glotechrepairs.co.uk doesn’t rank anywhere in the top 100.
And, 1,347 (40%) of those keywords have a monthly search volume over 100.
Furthermore, the keyword related to “washing machine repair” with the highest search volume is “washing machine not spinning” (2,900 monthly searches).
Finally, the website with the highest-ranking position for this keyword is repairaid.co.uk (1st).
NAC Repair Vs The Rest
All in all, there are 4,376 keywords that at least one of the competing sites ranks in the top 10. But glotechrepairs.co.uk fails to rank in the top 100 for.
And, 1,758 (40%) of those keywords have a monthly search volume over 100.
The keyword related to “washing machine repair” with the highest search volume is “washing machine not draining” (3,500 monthly searches).
Finally, the website with the highest-ranking position for this keyword is repairaid.co.uk (1st).
Fantastic Services Vs The Rest
Overall, there are 1,958 keywords that at least one of the competing sites ranks in the top 10. But fantasticservices.com doesn’t.
And, 733 (37%) of those keywords have a monthly search volume over 100.
The keyword related to “washing machine repair” with the highest search volume is “washing machine not draining” (3,500 monthly searches).
Overall, the website with the highest-ranking position for this keyword is repairaid.co.uk (1st).
Repair Aid Vs The Rest
Lastly, there are 3,340 keywords that at least one of the competing sites ranks in the top 10, but glotechrepairs.co.uk doesn’t.
And, 1,318 (39%) of those keywords have a monthly search volume over 100.
The keyword related to “washing machine repair” with the highest search volume is “washing machine repair near me” (8,900 monthly searches).
Overall, the website with the highest-ranking position for this keyword is nacrepair.co.uk (1st).
Content Gap Analysis Summary
Website | Number of keywords the website does not rank for compared to the other four websites* |
---|---|
domex-uk.co.uk | 1,703 |
glotechrepairs.co.uk | 1,347 |
nacrepair.co.uk | 1,758 |
fantasticservices.com | 733 |
repairaid.co.uk | 1,318 |
*Only keywords with a search volume of more than 100
Overall, this means the organic competitor with the smallest content gap is fantasticservices.com.
Key Competitor Questions Answered
Naturally, anyone looking to understand or break into washing machine repair service market may ask some (or all) of the following questions:
1. Do we think that a newcomer could break into this market - or would it be really hard?
Overall, we think it would be super easy!
However, from a practical point of view, we estimate a newcomer would need backlinks from at least 8 high quality websites. Especially if they want to rank in the top 10 for this keyword. However, they would also need:
- A conversion-optimised website
- Regular and relevant search engine optimised content
- And, consistent focus on off-site optimisation
In fact, this effort would start to show after a year or so of consistent content marketing and SEO optimisation.
As such, if you were a washing machine repair business and ready to seriously invest in content marketing. Then you could topple these competitors with relative ease.
2. Are there one or more dominant players in this keyword area as we normally see?
Of course, it would be easy to look at the top 10 competitors in this report and take it for granted that the most dominant player is Domex UK. Because they are the website sitting pretty in the top spot.
However, our top 10 is based on a specific keyword: “washing machine repair”.
For instance, check this out…
Clearly, it seems Repairaid.co.uk is the real main player to beat from an organic perspective. Because the website is full of keywords that contain the words “washing machine.”
In fact, just look at the number of keywords they have in the top 3 search positions. Specifically, those that contain “washing machine”…147!
3. Is there room for growth in the market?
In short, yes. Especially if the direct repair services study websites like Checkatrade and Homeadvisor.
Overall, the vast majority do not really appear to have a content marketing strategy in place.
For example, Repairaid.co.uk which ranks for 2,022 keywords only has 63 published blog posts since August 2017.
Whereas, Checkatrade.com has 1,643 blog posts.
Of course, not all those blog posts are about washing machines. But Checkatrade definitely understands the importance of regular content creation for their audience.
4. Who do we think is in the best position for SEO / content growth?
All in all, any company that changes their current approach. It’s all to play for!
5. What are the 3 key improvements which could be applied to all washing machine repair businesses?
- Better content marketing: Especially content that focuses on answering questions about washing machines.
- Focus on the audience: Companies should focus both the homepage and main landing page copy on the reader, rather than the business.
- Increase backlinks: In particular, the number of dofollow backlinks from high domain authority sites.
Do you want us to answer another question or analyse a different industry? Then add a comment below and we will get back to you.
Outrank & Outperform Your Competitors with a Marketing Consultancy
Of course, for many business owners, our advice in this competitor analysis might be a challenge. Especially those small businesses who lack the resources and time necessary to beat their competitors.
And that’s where a marketing consultancy – like ours – could help. Because we can help you to scale your business and drive growth through SEO and content. In addition, we’ll devise and implement winning strategies that work for your business.
As a result, we’ll help you to get noticed in the ever-saturated market. So that you can outperform your competitors and increase your website visibility.
Alternatively, why not contact us for an SEO competitor analysis report, tailored specifically for your business? Discover exactly what your competitors are up to. And then learn what actions to take to beat them in the search engine results.
Did you find this competitor analysis interesting?
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