How often does your home service business appear in Google Map Pack results? We share local SEO strategies that get your business to appear more consistently in these valuable local search results.
Key takeaways
- Google shows a Map Pack result for most local searches. Your home service business can get featured in this Map Pack with the right local SEO strategy.
- You need to optimize your website for local searches and focus on getting more local citations.
- Tempesta Media can help improve your online visibility with local SEO strategies that work.
What happens when you search for “electrician near me”? Chances are, Google will show you three local contractors alongside a map.
You can repeat the same search for “plumber near me” or “roofing contractor near me,” and you’ll see similar map results for home service businesses. This section of the search results is known as the Google Map Pack, and it’s capturing a big chunk of clicks from local users.
In this blog, we share tips to help your home service business rank in the Google Map Pack to improve local SEO visibility.
Google Map Pack Checklist for Home Service Contractors
Use this quick checklist to make sure you’re taking all the right steps to get your business in the Google Map Pack:
- Claim and verify your Google Business Profile.
- Choose the most accurate primary and secondary categories.
- Add complete business details, including your phone number, website, hours, and service area.
- List your main services, such as AC repair, panel upgrades, or emergency plumbing.
- Add high-quality photos of your team, vehicles, equipment, and completed projects.
- Keep your business name, address, and phone number consistent across online directories.
- Create service and location pages for the areas you genuinely serve.
- Include local project examples, testimonials, and FAQs on your website.
- Ask satisfied customers for honest Google reviews.
- Respond professionally to every review.
- Earn links and mentions from local organizations, trade associations, and community websites.
- Track calls, website visits, direction requests, reviews, and local rankings.
- Update your profile regularly and remove duplicate or inaccurate listings.
Claim and Optimize Your Google Business Profile
First things first: You need to tell Google about your business.
The best way to do this is to claim your Google Business Profile and fill it out. Your Google Business Profile is like a calling card that Google displays when people look up your business.
It contains information like a link to your site, your hours, contact information, reviews, and a lot more. Your GBP helps users make a decision about your business when they do a zero-click search, and it’s a tool you can use to give Google more information about your home service business for local SEO.
Head to business.google.com to add your business, or look up your business on Google Maps and click “Claim this business” on an existing listing if there is one.
Once you have added or claimed your business, you should:
- Enter your full business name.
- Choose relevant primary and secondary service categories.
- Add a service description with relevant keywords.
- Upload videos and photos of your team and recent jobs.
- Make sure your service area, hours, phone number, and website are correct.
- Respond to the reviews you get.
Find more resources here for claiming your GBP.
Keep Your Business Information Consistent
Google needs multiple sources confirming your electrician, HVAC, or roofing business serves your area. If there are several directories with the same business name, contact info, services, and service area, Google knows this information is likely to be accurate, and your business is a good recommendation for users in your area.
How do you provide business information to Google?
- Make this information available on your website. You can create an about us page, a page with a list of the communities you serve, and add your hours and contact information to your footer.
- Create or claim existing business listings in directories. There are plenty of directories for the trades (Yelp, Angi, Thumbtack, or My Licensed Contractor). You can also use local directories, like your Chamber of Commerce.
- Keep these profiles up to date and make sure they have consistent information about your business name, service, contact info, hours, and more.
Your goal is to accomplish two things with these directory listings:
- You’re creating local citations. A local citation is a mention of your business that associates it with your service area, and ideally shares information about what you do.
- You’re getting backlinks. A link from a local directory or well-known website tells Google your site is trustworthy and that your business may be a good recommendation.
Getting local citations is also a good thing for getting AI models to recommend your business when users chat with AI rather than using a traditional search engine.
Optimize Your Contractor Website for Local Search
Your home service website should support your Google Business Profile by clearly explaining what services you offer and where you offer them.
Here’s how you can strengthen local SEO on your site:
| Local SEO Task | What to Do | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Target local service keywords | Use service-and-location keywords naturally in page titles, headings, content, and meta descriptions. | “Emergency HVAC Repair in Miami” |
| Create service pages | Build a dedicated page for each major service you offer. | /ac-repair/ or /electrical-panel-upgrades/ |
| Create location pages | Create useful, unique pages for the cities and communities you genuinely serve. | “Electrician Services in Fort Lauderdale” |
| Add local project examples | Highlight completed jobs, customer testimonials, and photos from the local area. | “AC Replacement Project in Boca Raton” |
| Include contact information | Display your phone number, service area, business hours, and contact options clearly. | Add this information to your header or footer. |
| Add LocalBusiness schema | Use structured data to help search engines understand your business name, services, hours, and contact details. | Add schema markup to your website’s contact or location page. |
| Link related pages | Connect service pages, location pages, blog posts, and contact pages with internal links. | Link an “AC repair” article to your HVAC service page. |
| Publish locally focused blog posts | Write helpful articles that answer common questions from customers in your service area. | “How Often Should You Schedule AC Maintenance in South Florida?” or “Common Electrical Problems in Older Miami Homes” |
Get More Google Reviews
A high review score doesn’t guarantee your business will rank in the Google Map Pack, but it can help.
Use these tips to earn more reviews and ratings:
- Ask satisfied customers for a review shortly after completing a job.
- Send a direct Google review link or QR code by text or email.
- Make the request simple and explain that honest feedback is appreciated.
- Train technicians to mention reviews at the end of a successful service call.
- Respond professionally to both positive and negative reviews.
- Never buy reviews, create fake reviews, or offer discounts in exchange for positive ratings.
Monitor Your Local SEO Results and Keep Improving
Keep an eye on how your business ranks in the Google Map Pack and local results. Local SEO can be very competitive, so your rankings can change over time as your competitors invest more in SEO.
Here’s what you should monitor regularly:
- Map Pack rankings: Track searches such as “HVAC repair near me” or “electrician in [city]” from different areas.
- Google Business Profile activity: Monitor calls, website clicks, messages, direction requests, and profile views.
- Customer reviews: Track the number, quality, and recency of your reviews.
- Competitors: Compare their services, categories, photos, reviews, and website content.
- Website performance: Review traffic, phone calls, contact form submissions, and leads from local pages.
- Profile updates: Add new photos, update services and hours, and correct outdated information.
Get Help With Local SEO
Improving your online visibility for local searches takes time and resources. For many contractors, publishing content, updating online profiles, and tracking results is too time-consuming.
Tempesta Media is here to help building trades professionals like you get more done.
Our team can help your business with the following:
- Optimizing your Google Business Profile and local online presence.
- Creating service pages and location-specific landing pages.
- Publishing blog posts based on local topics and customer questions.
- Targeting high-intent keywords related to your services and service area.
- Building local citations and backlinks from relevant websites.
- Monitoring performance and providing recommendations for improvement.
Interested? Take a look at the solutions we offer for the trades or schedule a consultation with one of our trades experts to learn more about local SEO.
FAQ
What is the Google Map Pack?
The Google Map Pack is the group of local business listings that appears alongside a map when someone searches for a nearby service, such as “electrician near me” or “HVAC repair in [city].”
How do I get my business into the Google Map Pack?
Start by claiming and verifying your Google Business Profile. Then, complete your business information, choose accurate categories, list your services, add photos, collect reviews, and maintain consistent business information across the web.
Can a service-area business rank without a storefront?
Yes, businesses that travel to customers, such as electricians, plumbers, and HVAC contractors, can create a Google Business Profile. If customers do not visit your address, use an accurate service area and avoid displaying a customer-facing address.
Do Google reviews affect Map Pack rankings?
Reviews can support your business’s local prominence and help potential customers decide which contractor to contact. However, a high rating does not guarantee a top-three position because rankings also depend on relevance, distance, competition, and other factors.
How can I get more Google reviews?
Ask satisfied customers shortly after completing a job, send them a direct review link or QR code, and make the process simple. Always request honest feedback, and never buy reviews or offer incentives for positive ratings.
How often should I update my Google Business Profile?
Review your profile regularly and update your hours, services, service areas, photos, and contact information whenever something changes. Adding fresh photos and responding to reviews can also help keep your profile active.
