Growing Your Remodeling Business with Google Business Profile
Managing your Google Business Profile is super important for growing your remodeling business’ online presence. And here’s why…
- Over 90% of people use online searches to find local remodelers, and Google always returns the best 3 (relevant) local businesses first.
- And 42% of people looking for local remodelers end up clicking on one of the top 3 results.
If you make it to the top 3 local businesses on Google, that translates to about a 42% increase in qualified leads that need your remodeling services.
But to get there… you need a great Google Business Profile for your remodeling business. Here’s how to get it…
What is Google Business Profile (GBP)?
Google Business Profile helps you manage how your business shows up on Google Maps and search results. Customers can find your address, phone number, read reviews, and see photos right there on your profile.
While there’s no guaranteed way to always rank at the top, Google says these 3 proven factors can give you the best shot to rank higher:
1. Relevance
Google matches local search queries with the most relevant Google Business Profiles. Make sure all your business info is complete and current, including address, phone numbers, business hours, and category.
We’ll cover how to create a profile that shows up in relevant local searches, like setting the right primary category for your remodeling business, later on.
2. Distance
Searches like “kitchen remodeler near me” tell Google’s algorithm to find the closest business for that query.
If the search doesn’t include a location, Google uses the user’s last known location. This is why having your business address on your profile is key to attracting local clients.
3. Prominence
Prominence means how well-known your business is, both online and offline. A prominent business should have a website, social media profiles, and be listed in the top business directories for contractors (like Google Business Profile).
Besides being active online, having positive customer reviews improves your business’s visibility. Google reviews appear next to your business name on your profile, so getting more positive reviews is crucial.
Good SEO practices also help you stand out online and give Google another reason to rank your site higher. If you’re interested in knowing how good your SEO is, we can do a quick audit – it’s on us!
How to Optimize Your Remodeling Business Listing on Google Maps
Getting your business to show up on Google Maps isn’t always easy, but following these tips can help your remodeling business make it into the local-3 pack – the top three local businesses that show up on a map when someone searches for a local business.
You can also check out this more in-depth guide on how to set up your Google Business Profile to be successful.
Step 1: Fill in all details about your remodeling business (including your main category)
Step 2: Upload great photos of your projects and office
High-quality photos of your work can improve your local SEO. Google’s support page mentions that businesses with photos get more clicks to their website than those without.
Basically, Google suggests adding:
- Logo
- Cover photo
- Business photos
Make sure photos are 720 pixels wide by 720 pixels tall and in JPG or PNG format.
Step 3: Add listings for all your remodeling business locations
If you have multiple locations, create listings for each one. Proximity is becoming more important in map searches, so having a location near your target audience can be beneficial.
It’s also recommended to use different phone numbers for each location, which you can get from sites like numberbarn.com. This keeps your content unique for each location.
Step 4: Keep your business hours updated
Regularly updating your business hours keeps potential customers informed and improves their experience. Google Maps also shows when your hours were last updated.
To update your hours:
- Open your Google Business Profile.
- Go to “Edit profile” and select “Business information”.
- Click on the “Hours” tab.
- Click the pencil icon next to the tab.
- Choose “Open with main hours”.
- Check the boxes for the days your business is open.
- Use the drop-down menus to set your hours.
- Click Save.
Step 5: Verify your business
Google needs you to verify your business before you can update your info. This step also ensures that only you can make changes to your profile and builds trust with customers, as verified businesses get more visits and calls.
You can verify your business through phone, email, video recording, live video call, or postcard. Check Google’s support page for steps on each method.
To verify your business:
- Go to your Google Business profile.
- Click Get Verified and choose your preferred verification method.
- Follow the steps to complete verification.
(Optional) Step 6: Add a Q&A section to your Google Business Profile
Your profile has a Q&A section where people can ask questions about your business, and you can answer them. This section is visible to anyone viewing your profile, and users can “upvote” helpful answers.
While it doesn’t directly affect rankings, it can help with positive reviews, website clicks, and conversions.
You can ask the questions yourself from a different account and answer them from your business account.
3 Tips for Remodelers for Great Results With GBP
After setting up your Google Business Profile, here are some quick tips to make the most of it.
1. Avoid choosing “remodeling firm” or “contractor” as your main category
Avoid setting your main category as “remodeling firm” or “contractor.” These are very vague, and the competition to rank for them is much higher. Instead, choose the category that best fits the service you want to perform most, like “kitchen remodeler” or “bathroom remodeler.”
Google’s advice is to “Choose categories that are as specific as possible, but representative of your main business.”
2. Get more Google reviews
Getting reviews should be a top priority for your local SEO success, as it has a huge impact on how your listing will rank.
Besides, positive reviews will also help build trust with potential customers, making their buying decisions easier.
A 2021 Bright Local Consumer Survey shows that 77% of people read reviews when checking out businesses online, and 85% think the overall star rating is important or very important.
There’s no quick trick to getting good reviews. They come from providing excellent service. Check out this guide we made on how to get reviews from EVERY customer you serve.
3. Create a great business description
Having a business description that answers a user’s query is a must. And you have to be careful when making it, as Google is very particular about what not to say in it.
No one knows exactly if it impacts the rankings, but it sure matters when people start reading it. It needs to answer several questions that the user has.
- Who are you?
- What services do you offer?
- How long have you been doing this?
- Where areas do you work in?
- Why should I choose you?
Check out this guide on how to write Google Business Profile descriptions like a pro.
Closing Thoughts
I can’t stress this enough, but having an optimized Google Business Profile is a must. Luckily for you, hundreds of contractors out there don’t care about it. And you do, which means you can easily outrank a lot of your competitors.
But you need to do it right. We’ve also seen some ugly cases where GBPs have been shut down because they were spammy, inaccurate, irrelevant, and right out illegal.
We’ve optimized hundreds of Google Business Profile listings, and we’re taking things a step further as well with building backlinks, citations, and more. We want you to win, and you can’t do it without a complete local SEO strategy.
If you’re interested in a one-time Google Business Profile optimization or you think you’re ready to start scaling and earn more, let’s talk!