Getting found on Google when you are a local business

When someone nearby searches for what you do, three things decide whether they find you: your Google Business Profile, your website, and what other people say about you.

Claim your Business Profile

It is free and it is what appears on the map. Fill in every field: your exact business name, category, hours, service area or address, phone, website, and photos of your actual work. Choose the most specific category that fits - "plumber" rather than "contractor".

Keep it accurate. Holiday hours, new services and a changed phone number should be updated the day they change.

Be consistent everywhere

Your name, address and phone number should be written the same way on your website, your profile and every directory you appear in. Inconsistency confuses search engines about whether those listings are the same business.

Reviews are the engine

Recent, genuine reviews help you rank and help people choose you. The simplest way to get them is to ask - right after a job goes well, with a direct link. Reply to every review, good or bad, briefly and professionally. Never buy reviews or offer something in return for a positive one; it breaks the rules and can get your profile suspended.

Your website still matters

Each main service deserves its own page that says what it is and where you offer it. Put your town or area in the page title and headings naturally - "Kitchen remodeling in Plano" - and make sure the page loads fast on a phone.

Make the search engines' job easy

Submit a sitemap in Google Search Console so your pages are found, and check it now and then for pages that are not being indexed.

Patience and habits

Local ranking builds over weeks and months, not days. A complete profile, steady reviews and a clear website are the habits that compound - and they cost nothing but attention.