Repeat customers are certainly important, but tree services must also attract new clients each week. And that means generating new leads on a day-in, day-out basis.
That can be tricky, though. Not only are you competing with all of the other tree-care companies in your market (including some with much larger budgets than your own), but you are also dealing with a constantly shifting landscape. Lead generation techniques that worked last year may not work as well (or at all) this year.
But we’ll try to help by sharing a few of the best lead generation ideas for tree services in 2025.
The 15 Best Tree Service Lead Generation Ideas in 2025
There are scads of different ways to generate leads for your tree service, and different approaches will work better for different companies. However, across the entire tree-care industry, the following lead generation ideas are working very well in 2025.
1. Optimize Your Google Business Profile
You should treat your Google Business Profile (GBP) as your most important overall marketing asset. It’s the first thing most potential customers will see when they start looking for tree-care services, so you want to make sure it is completely dialed in.
This means doing things like uploading weekly photos of jobs, responding to every review former customers leave, adding frequently asked questions and answers to your profile, and making sure your services are listed accurately. A well-maintained profile helps you rank higher in local search results and builds trust with potential customers.
2. Invest in Your Local SEO
Local SEO (search engine optimization) is one of the most important steps in generating leads for location-based businesses like tree care companies. When you pay attention to your local search engine relevance, you’ll show up higher in search results and potentially appear in the highly coveted map pack.
You can improve your local SEO efforts by incorporating location-based keywords in your site, ensuring that it is mobile-friendly and responsive, and building local listings. And be sure that you track your local SEO progress over time, so that you can learn what’s working and what’s not.
3. Maintain a Professional Website
Websites are no longer optional; they effectively serve as your digital business card. They also give you the chance to distinguish yourself in the local market, demonstrate your tree-care expertise, and begin building trust with potential customers.
Just be sure that your website is professionally designed. Modern customers are savvy enough to spot (and judge) a basic DIY website from a mile away. Instead, you’ll want the kind of polished website that reflects your business’ premium positioning and includes things like service pages, testimonials, and certifications.
4. Start Running Google Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Ads
In the past, basic SEO techniques would help provide a ton of online visibility for a relatively modest investment. But unfortunately, these days are long gone, and most search engines now place paid ads front-and-center, while pushing informational content farther down the page.
This means you’ll want to roll out a PPC ad campaign on Google. While there is a steep learning curve associated with PPC ads, they give you the chance to tailor your ad spend to your budget and target people specifically looking for tree-care services.
5. Roll Out a Google Local Service Ads (LSA) Campaign
LSAs are quite similar to Google PPC ads, except that you don’t pay for each person who clicks on them; you pay for every lead you receive (and Google will refund you for bogus “leads,” like spam calls). This provides an even simpler way to track the ROI you are able to generate.
LSAs also show up above PPC ads, and they tend to provide even more qualified leads, primarily from customers who are ready to hire you right now.
6. Leverage the Power of Paid Social Media Ads
Social media platforms provide a great opportunity for reaching potential customers in your area. However, in addition to posting photographs or short messages, paid ads are becoming more and more important for reaching large audiences. These ads also help to boost brand awareness, which may not yield immediate leads but will help with long-term growth.
For demographic reasons, Facebook remains the most effective platform for tree-care service providers, though Instagram and TikTok can also prove fruitful in some markets.
7. Recognize the Importance of Review Platforms
Rating and review platforms are critical for local service-area businesses in the modern world, and many people rely on the experiences and comments posted by former customers when deciding which tree service to hire.
This means you’ll want to encourage satisfied customers to leave online reviews on platforms like Google and Facebook. Just be sure to operate within the TOS and guidelines established by the platforms. You can’t, for example, target only your happy customers when encouraging reviews; you must encourage all your customers to leave reviews.
8. Capitalize on the Value of Email Marketing
Email marketing is a frequently ignored lead generation technique that more tree services should add to their marketing efforts. Email marketing is not only relatively affordable to implement, but it also generates a very high return on your investment, with many companies generating $36 for every $1 spent.
Sending out regular emails can not only generate new leads but also remind existing customers of your services and keep your brand top-of-mind throughout the year.
9. Partner with Other Local Businesses
You may want to consider collaborating with related businesses in your area, including landscapers, realtors, and property managers. This will often result in cross-referrals and increase your visibility throughout the local community.
These partnerships can also help you benefit from the trust other high-quality businesses have established with local residents. If potential customers already trust Joe’s Landscaping Service, they’re more likely to trust Joe’s local tree-service partner too. If this doesn’t come naturally, consider joining a BNI or other networking group to get started.
10. Take Advantage of Offline Marketing Opportunities
While most modern marketing efforts focus on web- and social-media-based channels, you don’t want to completely ignore traditional marketing methods. In fact, there are a variety of printed marketing products — ranging from A-frame signs and door hangers to rack cards and banners — that are especially effective for tree-service companies.
It’s also worth pointing out that this kind of physical marketing doesn’t work for all industries, but it certainly works for tree services. Take advantage of that; your competitors surely are. These are some of the cheapest, most reusable, and cost-effective ways to get your name out there.
11. Embrace Video Marketing
Video ads and YouTube videos are incredibly effective for tree-service companies, thanks in large part to the nature of tree work. You could post drone footage of large and complicated removals, time-lapse pruning jobs, or even tree safety demonstrations — the possibilities are nearly endless.
Best of all, videos are not only highly engaging, but they can rank well in Google search results and help boost your overall SEO performance.
12. Roll Out a Retargeting Ad Campaign
Not every visitor books right away. You’ll often have potential customers click on your website a time or two before deciding that the ailing oak tree in their yard really needs to go. But you don’t have to depend on these types of potential customers remembering your site and returning – you can nudge them with retargeting ads.
Essentially, advertisements that are specifically shown to people who’ve already visited your site or clicked on one of your ads help keep your brand in front of prospects until they’re ready to schedule service. Facebook and Google are easy platforms to get started with retargeting ads.
13. Submit Your Business to Niche Directory Listings
It’s important to remember that not every potential client will turn to Google or social media channels when they need tree care services. Many prefer researching niche-specific directories, like ISA’s “Find an Arborist,” HomeAdvisor, NextDoor, or Angi. Whether you like them or not, oftentimes homeowners will trust a 3rd party recommendation or review over your self-proclaimed “best in the market statement.”
These probably won’t ever be your biggest lead sources, but they provide invaluable backlinks and help boost your credibility.
14. Sponsor Local Events and Youth Sports Teams
One of the best ways to increase your brand awareness (while also earning some general goodwill from the community) is by sponsoring local youth sports teams, farmers’ markets, or community events. And to leverage as much synergy as possible, combine your sponsorship with targeted social media promotions.
While it can be tough to measure your exact ROI for these kinds of sponsorships, they’ll almost always end up being worthwhile, given the fact that they keep your business’ name out in the public eye for an extended period of time.
15. Provide Free Tree Health Clinics
You’re an expert in your field, so you should take advantage of every opportunity you have to demonstrate that. One great way to do so is by hosting seasonal “Ask an Arborist” events at local nurseries or community centers. Go set up a booth at your local farmers’ market or next festival. You can even opt to put on virtual workshops that are hosted online – just be sure to target the people in your service area while doing so.
Keep in mind that these types of events not only help you to position yourself as a local authority, but they also give you the chance to connect with potential clients and start building trust with them.
ORB Tree Service Marketing: Lead Generation Made Easy
You’re probably already implementing a few of the strategies outlined above, but if you want your tree care company to grow, you’ll want to incorporate a few of the ones you’re not already doing into your overall marketing efforts. And be sure to experiment over time; lean into the ones that work well and let the ineffective strategies fall by the wayside.
This will obviously take quite a bit of time, and you’ll likely have to learn a lot about modern marketing along the way. But your success as a tree-service provider depends on it, so it’s an investment you’ll simply have to make.
Unless, that is, you’d rather just hand these tasks over to the professionals at ORB Tree Service Marketing. We offer a variety of lead generation services that’ll have your phone ringing and inbox overflowing.
Contact us today to find out how our online-ready blueprint can help your business scale.
