Home services SEO: prove the work before the phone rings.

What decides who ranks in local results?

Google says local results are based mainly on relevance, distance and prominence. Relevance is how well the profile matches the search, distance is how far the business is from the searcher and prominence is how well known it is, including reviews. Agencies cannot change distance, so they win on relevance and prominence.

Google's page on improving local ranking also says there is no way to request or pay for a better local ranking. That is useful to repeat to clients who ask for shortcuts.

How should a contractor show experience?

Put proof where people decide: license numbers and the issuing state, insurance, years in business, certifications from manufacturers and the size of the team. Add a short story about the owner and real photos of the crew and trucks. Each fact answers the silent question every homeowner has: can I trust them in my house?

If the client runs Local Services Ads, Google itself checks licenses, insurance and, for some users, backgrounds, as explained in its screening and verification process. Google is moving these programs to a single Google Verified badge, so use that name rather than older badge names.

Project pages: previous work as content

Every finished job is a page waiting to be written. A good project page has:

• The town or neighborhood, and the type of home.
• The problem the homeowner had, in their words where possible.
• What the crew did, the materials and how long it took.
• Before and after photos taken by the crew, with the homeowner's consent.
• A link to the matching service page and, if they left one, the customer's review.

Ten honest project pages in one suburb say more about a roofer than a page that lists fifty city names. That is also how a location strategy avoids looking like a doorway.

Which questions should service pages answer?

The ones homeowners ask on the phone: how much does it usually cost and what changes the price, how long does it take, is it an emergency, do I need a permit, should I repair or replace, and what warranty comes with it. Answer each in plain language near the top, then explain the details below.

How do you collect reviews without breaking the rules?

Ask every customer the same way, right after the job, with a direct link. Never pay for reviews, offer discounts in exchange, write them yourself or only ask happy customers through a filter. Google's Maps policy bans incentives and fake engagement, and the FTC rule bans fake reviews and review suppression.

See Google's Maps content policy and the FTC's 16 CFR Part 465. Reply to every review, good or bad, briefly and without personal details.

Profiles and service areas

Most contractors work at the customer's home, so their Business Profile should show service areas and hide the street address if customers don't visit it. Keep the name, phone and website identical everywhere. Trade-specific playbooks live on HVAC, roofing and the general home services page, all delivered as part of our white label SEO services.

Frequently asked questions

About the author

Juan José Giraldo is a senior SEO specialist with 5+ years of experience. He works on technical and local SEO for 600+ US car dealerships and supervises the SEO of 18 US e-commerce stores. He runs White Label SEO LATAM from Medellín, Colombia, and delivers white label SEO for agencies in the US, UK, Canada and Australia. Read more · LinkedIn.

Sources

1. Business Profile Help, Tips to improve your local ranking on Google
2. Local Services Help, Understand the screening and verification process
3. Local Services Help, About the Google Verified badge
4. Maps User Generated Content Policy, Prohibited and restricted content
5. eCFR, 16 CFR Part 465: Rule on the Use of Consumer Reviews and Testimonials
6. Business Profile Help, Manage your service areas for service-area and hybrid businesses