When someone searches “plumber near me,” the three results in the map box take the overwhelming majority of the calls. Those three are chosen from Google Business Profiles, not websites. For most trade businesses this free listing out-earns every other marketing channel combined, and most are half filled in.
The fields that actually move you
Primary category
The single most influential field. “Plumber” and “Drainage service” compete for different searches. Pick the one matching the work you most want, then add the others as secondary categories.
Service area
If you travel to customers, set a service area rather than relying on an address — and keep it honest. Claiming a 90-mile radius dilutes you everywhere. A tight, real area ranks better inside it.
Services
List them individually with descriptions. “Water heater replacement,” “sewer camera inspection,” “repiping.” These are indexed, and they catch searches your category alone never would.
Hours, including emergency hours
If you answer at 2am, say so — Google filters by open-now constantly. Set holiday hours too; being wrong there generates one-star reviews that have nothing to do with your work.
Photos
Real ones, added regularly. Finished installs, the van, the crew. Listings with recent photos get materially more interaction than ones with a logo and nothing else. Stock imagery is obvious and it costs you trust.
Reviews are the ranking factor you control
Quantity, recency and replies all matter. A business with 60 reviews averaging 4.7, the newest from last week, beats one with 200 averaging 4.9 where the last was two years ago. Steady beats impressive.
The mistakes that bury good companies
- Keyword-stuffing the name. “Dave’s Plumbing | Emergency Plumber Denver” risks suspension. Use your real business name.
- Duplicate listings from an old address. They split your reviews and your ranking. Find them and have them merged.
- A fake address to appear in a neighbouring city. This is the fastest route to removal.
- Ignoring the Q&A section. Anyone can answer questions on your listing. Seed it with real ones and answer them yourself, or someone else will.
- An unverified listing. Nothing works until verification is complete.
Post, roughly monthly
Short updates — a seasonal offer, a finished job, a reminder that it is furnace season. Posts are a modest ranking signal and a decent conversion one. Monthly is plenty; the point is that the listing is not abandoned.
Keep it consistent everywhere
Your name, address and phone should match exactly across your website, Facebook, Yelp and every directory. Mismatches make Google less confident about which business you are, and less confidence means less visibility.
Where the reviews come from
Toolbelt can send the review request automatically once an invoice is paid — the moment with the highest reply rate — using your own Google review link. Three free estimates, no card.
Read how to get more Google reviews for the asking side of this.