I’m starting a new project: building a contractor directory for Austin, Texas from scratch. In this series, I’ll show you everything – the setup, SEO strategy, importing listings, and we’ll track the traffic and leads over time.
This first post covers setting up the directory site, creating categories, and configuring the initial SEO settings.
Contractors need leads. Homeowners search Google for “plumber near me” or “Austin roofer” all the time. A directory that ranks for those searches can monetize that traffic through paid listings, featured placements, or lead generation. Companies like Angi, Thumbtack, and HomeAdvisor have built entire businesses on this model.
I'm using My Directory Kit, a platform I built specifically for directories. It makes it simpler to manage and automate them with AI.
To set up:
The site is created as a subdomain initially - you can connect a custom domain later. Once checkout is complete, click "Access Your Site" to log into the WordPress dashboard.
The site comes with demo content pre-loaded. For a fresh start, I removed the existing categories and created my own.
Categories I added:
To add categories:
Some listings will belong to multiple categories - we'll handle that when importing.
Under My AI SEO Kit → Site Setup, you'll configure the information that AI uses to generate content throughout your directory.
Use the Overview Generator to quickly fill this out:
The generator creates a description based on your answers. You can edit it or use it as-is.
You can add keywords manually, bulk import them, or use the AI Suggest feature. I used AI Suggest to generate relevant keywords and added them all. These keywords guide the AI when generating content for listings, category pages, and blog posts.
Remove any demo blog categories and use AI Suggest to generate relevant ones for your niche. I added categories like Home Improvement Tips, Contractor Guides, and Austin Local.
