Search "plumber near me" and the first thing you see is a map with three businesses under it. Those three get most of the calls. If you're not one of them, a lot of people never scroll far enough to find you.
The good news is Google tells you how it picks them. Its own help page names three factors.
1. Relevance: does your profile match the search?
Google has to understand what you do before it can show you for it. That comes mostly from your Google Business Profile.
- Pick the most specific primary category you can. "Emergency plumber" beats "Contractor."
- Add every service you offer, in the words customers use.
- Fill in hours, attributes and a real description. Empty fields are wasted chances.
2. Distance: how close are you to the person searching?
You can't move your shop, and you shouldn't try to fake an address. What you can do is make it clear which areas you serve. If you're a service-area business, set your service areas in the profile and build a page on your site for each main area, with real details about the work you do there.
3. Prominence: how well known are you?
This is where most of the work goes. Google looks at reviews and ratings, links from other websites, and how often your business shows up around the web.
- Reviews. Ask every happy customer, every time. A short text or email right after the job works best. Reply to every review, good or bad.
- Listings. Your name, address and phone should match exactly on Apple Maps, Bing, Yelp and the directories for your industry.
- Links. A mention from the local chamber, a sponsorship page or a supplier's dealer list all count.
What doesn't work
Google says it plainly: "There's no way to request or pay for a better local ranking on Google." Ads can put you above the map, but they don't change where your profile ranks in it. Be wary of anyone who promises a spot in the top three.
A simple monthly routine
- Post one update or photo to your profile each week.
- Send review requests after every job.
- Answer every review within a few days.
- Check once a month that your hours and phone number are still right everywhere.
That's most of it. It's not complicated, it just has to happen every month. If you'd rather hand it off, that's what our Local SEO service is for.