You built a website. Maybe you paid someone to build it for you. Either way, it looks decent. But when you search for your trade in your town, you're nowhere to be found.
That's because having a website and having a website that actually shows up on Google are two totally different things. The good news is you don't need to become some kind of tech wizard to fix it. Here are five things your website needs if you want to start showing up when people in your area search for help.
1. Your City and Trade on Every Page
Google needs to know where you work and what you do. If your website just says "quality work at a fair price" without ever mentioning your location or your trade, Google has no idea when to show your site to someone searching.
Every page on your site should include your city, the towns you serve, and what you actually do. Not stuffed in awkwardly, but written naturally. Instead of "We provide top-notch services to our valued customers," try something like "We handle roof replacements and repairs for homeowners in Manchester, Nashua, and the surrounding area."
Think about what someone would actually type into Google when they need your help. They're typing things like "plumber in Concord NH" or "deck builder near me." If those words aren't on your site, you're invisible.
2. A Google Business Profile That's Actually Filled Out
This one is free and it might be the single most important thing on this list. Your Google Business Profile is what shows up in that map section at the top of search results. If you haven't claimed yours yet, stop reading and go do that first at business.google.com.
Once you have it, fill out everything. Your hours, your service area, your phone number, photos of your work, and a solid description of what you do. Keep your name, address, and phone number consistent with what's on your website. Google cross-checks this stuff, and if your info doesn't match up, it hurts your ranking.
Post updates to it once in a while too. Finished a nice deck? Snap a photo and throw it up there. Google likes seeing that a business is active.
3. Reviews From Real Customers
Google pays a lot of attention to reviews. A contractor with forty five-star reviews is going to show up way above a contractor with zero reviews, even if the second guy does better work.
After you wrap up a job and the customer is happy, ask them to leave you a Google review. Most people are willing to do it. They just don't think about it unless you ask. You can make it easier by texting them a direct link to your review page.
Don't buy fake reviews or get your buddies to write them. Google can spot that, and it'll hurt more than it helps. Just be consistent about asking happy customers and the reviews will stack up over time.
4. A Fast Website That Works on Phones
Most people searching for a contractor are doing it from their phone. If your site takes forever to load or looks like a mess on a small screen, they're going to hit the back button and call the next guy.
Google knows when people bounce off your site quickly, and it takes that as a sign that your site isn't worth showing. A slow, clunky website drags down your ranking.
You don't need anything fancy. You need pages that load fast, text that's easy to read without zooming in, and a phone number people can tap to call you. If your site was built five or six years ago and hasn't been touched since, there's a good chance it's not cutting it on mobile anymore. Not sure where your site stands? Grab a free website audit and we'll show you exactly what needs fixing.
5. Separate Pages for Each Service You Offer
A lot of contractor websites try to cram everything onto one page. Roofing, siding, gutters, windows, all listed under a single "Services" section with a sentence or two about each one.
That's a missed opportunity. Google ranks individual pages, not entire websites. If someone searches "gutter installation in Nashua NH," a dedicated page about gutter installation is going to rank way higher than a general services page that barely mentions gutters.
Create a separate page for each major service you offer. Write a few paragraphs about what the work involves, why someone might need it, and where you do it. Include a few photos of past jobs if you have them. Each page is another chance to show up in search results for a different set of keywords. If building all those pages sounds like a headache, that's exactly the kind of thing we handle for contractors.
You Don't Have to Do It All at Once
If this feels like a lot, just pick one thing and start there. Claim your Google Business Profile. Ask for a couple reviews. Add your city name to your homepage. Small steps add up.
The contractors who show up on the first page of Google aren't doing anything magical. They just have the basics covered. And now you know what those basics are.
If you'd rather focus on the work and let someone else handle the website stuff, check out what we build for contractors or request a free audit to see where your current site stands.