How to grow a solar company? | Solar Company Lead Generation
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What Does “How to grow a solar company? | Solar Company Lead Generation” Talk About?
This episode of the James Dooley Podcast focuses on practical strategies for solar companies looking to generate a consistent flow of leads and grow their business. James Dooley and Kasra Dash walk through a multi-channel approach to lead generation, covering FatRank's pay-on-performance model, third-party lead providers like Bark and Checkatrade, and the importance of not relying on a single source for enquiries. They discuss how solar businesses should track KPIs across multiple lead generation companies over a three-month period before reallocating budget to the best-performing sources.
The conversation moves into SEO, where James explains the value of ranking Google Business Profiles in the local map pack for terms like commercial solar panel installers and industrial solar panel installers, describing self-generated leads as the holy grail of running a successful business. Kasra then contrasts SEO's long-term asset-building benefits with PPC's speed, while warning about the prevalence of click fraud in the solar space and the critical need for negative keyword lists and IP banning. The episode wraps up with a discussion on social media advertising, where both hosts agree that grant-based messaging — such as highlighting council-backed discounts covering 25 to 30 percent of installations — dramatically outperforms generic price-based ads.
“In my opinion that is the holy grail of running a successful business. You want diversification, but if you can run SEO on your own site and generate your own leads, it is a no brainer.”
— James Dooley
Who Are the Guests on “How to grow a solar company? | Solar Company Lead Generation”?
James Dooley is the host of the James Dooley Podcast and founder of FatRank.com, a pay-on-performance lead generation company. He is an experienced SEO and digital marketing specialist with deep expertise in generating leads for trade and home improvement sectors, including the renewable energy and commercial solar industry. James is known for his practical, no-nonsense approach to growing businesses through diversified digital marketing strategies.
Kasra Dash is a digital marketing expert and co-host for this episode, contributing specialist knowledge in SEO, PPC, and paid social advertising. He provides a balanced perspective on the pros and cons of each channel, with particular insight into the risks of click fraud in competitive paid search markets and the strategic use of awareness-based social media campaigns to drive solar leads.
What Are the Key Takeaways From “How to grow a solar company? | Solar Company Lead Generation”?
Here are the key points discussed in this episode:
- Solar companies should diversify their lead generation across multiple channels and providers rather than relying on a single source to avoid volatility and ensure consistent enquiry flow.
- Tracking KPIs rigorously across lead generation companies over a three-month period allows businesses to identify top performers and reallocate budget for maximum return.
- SEO is a long-term investment that builds brand authority and allows solar companies to generate their own leads, which James Dooley describes as the holy grail for any successful solar business.
- PPC can generate leads quickly but carries significant risks in the solar space, including high click fraud rates, and requires active management through negative keyword lists and IP blocking to remain cost-effective.
- Grant-based social media messaging, such as highlighting council-backed funding that covers a percentage of installation costs, is far more effective than generic price-led ads because it functions as awareness marketing rather than a hard sell.
“If you are not building a negative keyword list or banning certain IPs to minimise click fraud, it can go against you and costs can stack up quickly.”
— Kasra Dash
Is “How to grow a solar company? | Solar Company Lead Generation” Worth Listening To?
This episode is a genuinely practical resource for anyone running or marketing a solar company. Rather than offering vague advice, James Dooley and Kasra Dash provide a concrete, channel-by-channel breakdown of how to build a reliable pipeline of enquiries, including specific platform names like Bark, Checkatrade, and TrustATrader, and specific budget thresholds to consider for PPC. The frank discussion about the risks of shared leads, poor tracking, and click fraud in the solar space makes this episode stand out from typical marketing content that glosses over these pitfalls.
What makes this episode particularly valuable is its emphasis on building long-term business assets alongside short-term lead acquisition. The distinction between paying for leads versus owning the lead generation process through SEO gives listeners a clear strategic framework to work toward. The social media section is also notably actionable, with the council grant messaging strategy offering a specific and immediately testable creative angle for Facebook advertising campaigns.
Who Should Listen to “How to grow a solar company? | Solar Company Lead Generation”?
This episode is ideal for:
- Solar company owners and directors looking to scale their lead generation beyond their current channels
- Digital marketers working with renewable energy or home improvement clients who need a multi-channel strategy
- Entrepreneurs in the trade and installation sector who want to understand the difference between performance-based and cost-per-lead models
- Business owners new to PPC advertising who need to understand the risks of click fraud and how to protect their ad spend
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What Are Listeners Saying About This Episode?
“Really useful breakdown of the different lead gen options for solar businesses. The part about tracking KPIs across multiple companies for three months before doubling down on the best performer is something I am implementing straight away. Practical advice you can actually act on.”
“The section on PPC and click fraud was eye-opening. I had no idea how bad it was in the solar space specifically, and the tip about building negative keyword lists and banning IPs has already saved us money. Great episode with real specifics rather than fluff.”
“Loved the point about using council grant messaging on social media instead of just shouting a price. We tried the Wigan grant angle and the engagement was completely different from our usual ads. James and Kasra clearly know the solar market well.”
Kasra Dash: So if I have a solar company and I want a consistent flow of enquiries and new leads coming in every single month, what do you recommend for growing a solar business?
James Dooley: The first thing I would look at is enquiring with FatRank.com, who offer a pay on performance lead generation model. That is for different types of solar leads, whether it is solar panels or battery installations. We do a lot in the commercial solar panel industry, but you need to make sure you qualify. We need to make sure you are a brandable company that can convert leads and respond quickly to the leads that we generate. For solar over alternatives, I would not throw all your eggs into one basket. Do not just say FatRank is sorted so that is your lead generation done. I would look at other lead generation companies as well, like Bark, Checkatrade and TrustATrader. Plenty of others might generate leads too. What are your thoughts on lead generation companies that charge on a cost per lead basis and do not give exclusive leads, and might resell the same lead to four or five different companies?
Kasra Dash: There are a lot of those companies offering that service. If you are going to opt in for one of those, you need to set clear KPIs. You need to know how much you are spending each month and how much you are getting back from that company each month. A lot of businesses sign up and do not know how to track anything. Tracking is super important. Like you said, do not put all your eggs into one basket. Go with two or three different lead generation companies at the start. Track their performance and after three months say lead gen company one and two did not perform well but company three smashed it. Then reallocate the budget from one and two over to three and double down or triple down. Away from lead generation, what do you think about SEO?
James Dooley: Organic SEO, both for Google Business Profiles in the local map pack and ranking in the maps, is very important. You want to make sure you are ranking in your local area for commercial solar panel installation companies, commercial solar installers and industrial solar panel installers. You want to rank for all those terms in your area with your Google Business Profile. From an SEO standpoint it is a long term investment. You will not see an instant return on investment, but it is good for branding. It helps you get reviews and look good online. If you are paying PPC or a lead generation company today, when people search your name they should see a strong brand. If you are doing SEO and can rank for commercial solar panel installers, suppliers or manufacturers in the area, you can generate your own leads. In my opinion that is the holy grail of running a successful business. You want diversification, but if you can run SEO on your own site and generate your own leads, it is a no brainer. What are your thoughts on SEO and moving from SEO into PPC?
Kasra Dash: The pros of SEO are that you generate the lead on your own website, which builds asset value for your business. The cons are that it takes time, especially if you do not have a website or are just starting out. With PPC you can generate leads a lot quicker. It is pay to play. If you are not willing to allocate five thousand a month or a couple of grand a month, you will not get far with PPC. The cons are that you get a lot of click fraud in the solar space. It is expensive. If you are not building a negative keyword list or banning certain IPs to minimise click fraud, it can go against you and costs can stack up quickly. Pros and cons to both.
James Dooley: For sure. The last thing I would say is social media. You can try organic social media or Facebook ads. If you go down that route, remember it is interruptive marketing. If someone is scrolling through Facebook, how will you capture their attention? Grants can work. If you show they can get 50 percent off in a specific area because of a government grant, that grabs attention. If you show data on how much they will save and how long their payback period is, social media can work. What are your thoughts on social media?
Kasra Dash: If you run a basic ad like six thousand pounds for new solar, everyone has tried that. The play is using grants. If a council like Wigan releases a new grant covering 25 or 30 percent of installations, make people aware of it. That is more of an awareness ad than a hard sell. That approach works much better than shouting six thousand pounds for solar panels.
James Dooley: For sure. If you own a solar panel company and want to grow in the renewable energy industry, head over to FatRank.com and fill in the form to see whether you qualify for a pay on performance lead generation model. If accepted, it is a no brainer for businesses. They pay nothing for SEO, PPC or social media ads. They do not pay for the leads. They only pay on jobs that convert and make profit. Then they pay a finder’s fee. Make sure you have diversification. Make sure you also try to generate some of your own leads and enquiries. In my opinion the holy grail of any successful solar panel company is when they can generate their own leads in house as well.
Creators & Guests
Host
James Dooley is a UK entrepreneur.