Blog / How Contractors Can Use Google Business Profile to Get More Local Leads

How Contractors Can Use Google Business Profile to Get More Local Leads

By Scott Rehnberg, Google Business Profile specialist.

If a homeowner searches for your trade in your town, the first thing they usually see isn't a website. It's a handful of Google Business Profiles on a map. This guide covers what a Google Business Profile is, where it shows up, how to claim and verify yours, and how to read the numbers it gives you.

Understanding Google Business Profile

What is a Google Business Profile listing?

Google Business Profile, called Google My Business until 2021, is the free profile that shows your business on Google Search and Google Maps. It holds your name, phone number, hours, service area, photos and reviews.

For a contractor, it's often the first impression a homeowner gets. A complete, accurate profile helps you show up in local searches and gives people what they need to call you.

Where Can Your Google Business Profile Be Seen?

Your profile shows up in a few places:

1. In the local map pack - The map pack is the set of three businesses Google shows on a map near the top of results for local searches like "HVAC contractors near me."

2. In Google Maps - When someone searches Maps for your category, like "plumber" in your town, your profile can appear with your location or service area, reviews and a call button.

3. When people search your business name - Your profile shows up on the side of the results on desktop, or near the top on a phone, when someone searches for your company by name.

4. For businesses that sell products, Google Shopping - If you sell products, you can add them to your profile, or connect a Google Merchant Center account, so they can show in shopping results. Most service contractors can skip this.

With a Google Business Profile you can create and manage a listing for your business, or several if you have more than one location. With it, you can:

✅ Keep your business information accurate: - Make sure your name, address and phone number, known as NAP, are correct and match what's on your website and other listings. - Add your hours, the services you offer and the areas you serve.

✅ Connect your website and booking links: - Link your profile to your website or a specific service page. - Add an appointment or booking link so homeowners can schedule an estimate.

✅ Link your social profiles: - Add links to your Facebook, Instagram or other social pages so homeowners can see more of your work.

✅ Share updates and photos: - Post updates about finished jobs, seasonal offers or news. - Add photos and videos of your crew, trucks and completed projects to build trust.

✅ Collect and respond to Google reviews: - Reply to every review to show homeowners you care how the job went. - Ask happy customers for reviews. Google says review count and rating factor into local ranking.

✅ Track how people find you: - The Performance section shows how homeowners found your profile, what they searched and what they did next, like calling you or clicking to your website.

A note on retired features: older guides tell you to turn on messaging and use the questions and answers section. Google shut down Business Profile chat in July 2024 and has since removed the questions and answers section too. Your phone number, website link and booking link are how homeowners reach you now, so make sure all three are right.

Setting Up Your Google Business Profile

Claiming Your GBP Listing

Before you create anything, check whether Google already has a profile for your business. Google often creates them automatically from public information, and a duplicate causes problems later.

1. Search your company name on Google or Google Maps. If a profile exists, it'll show up on the side of the results or on the map.

2. Look for "Claim this business." Click it, then choose Manage now. You'll sign in with the Google account you want to manage the business with, then go through verification. Google's claiming help page walks through it.

If the profile has already been verified by someone else, like a former employee or an old marketing company, you won't see the claim option. You can request ownership from the current owner through Google instead. The same help page explains how.

Adding Your GBP Listing

If you search your company name and nothing comes up, create a new profile at business.google.com. You'll enter your business name, primary category, whether customers come to you or you go to them, your service area, and your phone number and website.

A tip for contractors who work out of a truck or a home office: if customers don't come to your address, choose the option that says you go to customers, and don't show your address. Google's rules call for that.

Verifying Your GBP Listing

Now it's time to verify. Until your profile is verified, you can't fully manage it, and your changes won't go live. Google may offer one or more of these methods:

• Phone or text
• Email
• Video recording
• Live video call
• Postcard

Google decides which methods you get based on your business type, the information it has about you and your location, and you can't choose a different one. Many contractors are asked for a video recording, which usually means showing your signage or vehicle, your tools or equipment, and proof you manage the business. Some businesses still get a postcard with a code mailed to the business address, though Google says postcard isn't available for everyone.

Google's verification help page explains each method. Follow the instructions exactly. A rejected video usually means something Google asked for wasn't shown clearly.

Profile Performance Data: Helpful Insights For Business Owners

Your profile also gives you data you can't get anywhere else. In the Performance section, Google shows:

• Searches: the search terms people used before your profile showed up. Google Search Console gives you more search data for your website.
• Views: how many people saw your profile on Google Search and Maps, split by mobile and desktop.
• Calls: how many times someone tapped the call button on your profile.
• Website clicks: how many times someone clicked the link to your website.
• Directions: how many people asked for directions to your business.
• Bookings: how many bookings were completed through a booking provider connected to your profile.
• Interactions: a total of the actions people took on your profile.

Google's performance help page defines each metric.

These numbers tell you where the profile is working and where it's leaking. If calls or bookings drop, check:

• Whether your phone number and booking link still work
• Whether your booking link goes to the right page on your website
• Whether you've added recent posts that point people to your services
• Whether your hours are accurate, including holiday hours
• What the contractors ranking above you in the map pack are doing that you aren't: more reviews, more photos, better categories

Your profile also matters beyond the map pack. Google Maps results come from Business Profiles, and your profile shows up when people search your company name, like "[Your Company] Roofing."

Your Google Business Profile and "Near Me" Queries

Your profile can also show up for searches that don't include your name at all: your service plus "near me." Say you run a millwork shop, your profile lists custom millwork as a service, and someone nearby searches "custom millwork near me." Google can show your profile in the map pack for that search.

If your profile doesn't list your services and service area, Google has less to go on, and you miss those searches. And if several competitors in your area haven't filled out their profiles, a complete one is a simple way to stand out.

Maximize Local Visibility and Conversions with GBP

If you want more local calls for your contracting business, set up your Google Business Profile, verify it and fill it out completely. It's free, and it's where a lot of homeowners start.

Most local marketing services bundle the profile in with websites, ads and social media. I don't. Google Business Profile work is all I do. If you're comparing local marketing services and want someone focused on just the profile, that's me. If you'd rather do it yourself, my post on optimizing your Google Business Profile walks through it step by step, and getting into the local map pack covers what it takes to show up on the map.

Start Optimizing Today and Get Ahead of Your Competition

A complete Google Business Profile helps contractors show up locally, win more calls and look trustworthy before the first conversation. Reviews, photos, posts and accurate information do most of the work.

When your profile is set up right, homeowners can:

1. Find accurate business information: your hours, phone number and service area, all current.
2. Read reviews and ratings: see what past customers said and how you responded.
3. Find you when they need you: in the map pack and in "near me" searches for your services.