Local SEO checklist for contractors

Local SEO is the work that gets your business to show up when someone nearby searches for what you do, like "roofer near me" or "pressure washing in Wayne." Most of it happens in two places: your Google Business Profile and your website. This checklist covers both, in the order we'd do them for a new client. You can work through most of it yourself in a few afternoons.

1. Google Business Profile

For most home service businesses, the Business Profile brings in more calls than the website, so it's the best place to start.

• The profile is verified, and you can sign in to the account that manages it. If someone else set it up, our guide to adding a manager explains how to get access.
• The business name matches your real business name, with no extra keywords or town names added to it. Google's guidelines don't allow that, and it can get a profile suspended.
• The primary category names the service you most want calls for. We wrote a separate guide on choosing Google Business Profile categories.
• If customers don't come to you, the address is hidden and a service area is set to the towns you work in.
• Hours, phone number and website link are correct.
• The services list includes every service you offer, and nothing you don't.
• The description says what you do and where, in plain words.
• There are real photos of your work, your truck and your team. Stock photos don't help much.

2. The same name, address and phone number everywhere

Google compares your business details across the web. When your listings on Bing, Facebook, Yelp and the directories all match your Business Profile, it's easier for Google to trust them. When one shows an old phone number or an old address, it's worth fixing.

• Bing Places is set up. You can import it straight from your Google profile.
• Facebook, Yelp, Nextdoor, the BBB, Angi and Thumbtack show the same name, phone number and website.
• Any old listings with a past address or phone number have been updated.

Our post on free business listings for contractors lists the ones worth setting up and the ones you can skip.

3. Reviews

Google says the number of reviews you have and your rating play a part in how you rank on the map. Replying to them shows customers that you pay attention.

• You have your Google review link saved and ready to send.
• You ask every customer after every job, and you don't offer anything in return. Google doesn't allow that.
• You reply to every review, good or bad. Our guide on responding to negative reviews has example replies.

4. Your website

Your Business Profile links to your website, and Google reads the website to understand what you do and where. A thin site with one page for everything makes that harder.

• Each main service has its own page. A roofer might have separate pages for roof repair, roof replacement and gutters.
• The towns you want the most work in have their own pages, with real details about the work you do there. A page for a town you've never worked in doesn't help.
• Each page title names the service and the area, for example "Roof Repair in Paramus, NJ."
• The phone number is at the top of every page, and tapping it on a phone starts a call.
• The site loads quickly on a phone.
• The name, address and phone number on the site match your Business Profile.

5. Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools

These are free tools from Google and Microsoft that show which of your pages are in their search results and which have problems. A lot of small business websites have never been connected to either one.

• Your site is verified in Google Search Console.
• Your site is verified in Bing Webmaster Tools. You can import it from Search Console in a few clicks.
• Your sitemap, a file that lists every page on your site, is submitted to both.

6. Tracking

You can't tell what's working without counting the calls and form fills your site and profile bring in.

• Google Analytics is installed on your website.
• Clicks on your phone number and completed contact forms are tracked as events.
• You check the calls and website clicks in your Business Profile performance report once a month.

7. Check where you rank around town

Google shows different results depending on where the person searching is standing. When you search from your own shop you'll almost always look good, and a few miles away the results can look completely different. We explain why in why you rank first at your shop and nowhere else. A rank grid tool checks your position at dozens of points around your service area, so you can see which towns need more work.

Things to leave off the list

• Buying reviews or trading discounts for them
• Adding keywords or town names to your business name
• Using a virtual office or a friend's address to appear in another town
• Building dozens of near-identical town pages with the town name swapped

Each of these can get a profile suspended or a site pushed down, and the short-term gain usually isn't worth the risk.

How often to go through it

Go through the full list once, then check it again every three months. Hours change, phone numbers change and new services get added, and it's easy for one listing to fall out of date. If you'd like a second set of eyes, our free audit covers everything on this list. You can also read how we handle it for clients on our local SEO services page.