Look, I get it. You didn’t get into pressure washing, plumbing, or painting because you love digital marketing. You got into it because you’re good at your trade, enjoy working with your hands, and maybe because you can’t stand being stuck in an office all day. (I see you nodding.)
But here’s the uncomfortable truth: Being fantastic at your trade means absolutely nothing if customers can’t find you online. It’s like having the world’s best restaurant hidden in an alley with no sign. The food might be slap-ya-mama and life-changing good, but if nobody knows where to find you, you’ll be eating those delicious meals alone.
Common Dilemma: “I’m Too Busy For This Marketing Stuff”
Let me introduce you to Ron. Ron’s a second-generation plumber who can diagnose a weird pipe noise from three rooms away. His customers love him.
Meanwhile, his competitor Brad who can barely dress himself is booked solid with a waiting list. The difference? Brad’s business pops up first when someone searches “emergency plumber near me,” while Ron’s business is buried on page 5—where hopes, dreams, and unclicked search results go to die.
At Local PowerUp, we’ve helped dozens of Rons transform into first-page winners without forcing them to become marketing experts. Here’s some basic principles and actual items you can implement today so you can do it too.
1. Google Business Profile: The Digital Equivalent of Your Storefront
Remember how your dad taught you that a firm handshake matters? Look ’em straight in they eye, he’d say. Your Google Business Profile is your digital handshake with potential customers. And right now, most of you are offering the equivalent of a limp, slightly damp, no eye contact handshake.
A Typical Problem With the Google Business Profile
Picture this: A homeowner’s toilet is overflowing at 9 PM. They grab their phone and search for an emergency plumber. Your business shows up, but:
- Your hours say you close at 5 PM (even though you take emergency calls)
- Your last photo was uploaded during the Obama administration
- Your service area shows a different city than where they live
Guess who’s NOT getting that panicked, price-is-no-object emergency call?
What To Actually Do About It:
- Login to your Google Business Profile (If you can’t remember your login info, that’s the first red flag)
- Verify your information is accurate (hours, location, service area)
- Upload recent photos of your work, team, and vehicles (no, those blurry shots from 2016 don’t count)
- Add all your services with descriptions
- Check your business description (Is it compelling, or does it read like it was written by a bored robot?)
- Post updates at least weekly (promotions, tips, completed projects)
2. Local Citations: Votes of Confidence for Your Website and Company
When Google is trying to decide if your business deserves to be shown to searchers, it plays detective. It checks if your business details appear consistently across the web. Think of it as Google’s way of saying, “Let me verify you’re not just some guy with a pressure washer and a dream who will disappear next month.” It’s in Google’s best interest to show searchers company websites that can actually solve their problem. Google wants to earn the trust of searchers so they’ll keep using Google to search for stuff. And so to earn their trust, they need to show them websites from trustworthy companies.
The “Split Personality Business” Phenomenon
I recently helped a contractor who couldn’t figure out why his SEO was stuck in neutral. Turns out, his business was listed under:
- His LLC name on Google
- His DBA name on Yelp
- His personal name + service on Angi
- Three different phone numbers across various sites
- Two different addresses (his old shop and his new one)
Google was essentially saying, “I don’t know who this guy is, so I’m not recommending him to anyone.”
See what I mean? You gotta get that stuff cleaned up and consistent. Or hire me to do it for you.
Essential Local and Home Service Business Citation Checklist:
Get your business consistently listed on at least these platforms:
- Google Business Profile: https://business.google.com/
- Yelp: https://biz.yelp.com/
- Angi: https://business.angi.com/
- HomeAdvisor: https://pro.homeadvisor.com/
- Thumbtack: https://www.thumbtack.com/pro
- Facebook Business: https://www.facebook.com/business/
- Better Business Bureau: https://www.bbb.org/become-accredited
- Nextdoor: https://business.nextdoor.com/
- Bing Places: https://www.bingplaces.com/
- Yellow Pages: https://business.thryv.com/signup/
- Manta: https://www.manta.com/
- Local Chamber of Commerce: (This varies by location – you’ll need to search for your local chamber)
- Houzz: https://www.houzz.com/pro
- Porch: https://porch.com/for-professionals
- Merchant Circle: https://www.merchantcircle.com/signup
- Brownbook: https://www.brownbook.net/
- Apple Maps: https://mapsconnect.apple.com/
- Superpages: https://www.superpages.com/
- Citysearch: https://www.citysearch.com/
- Local.com: https://advertise.local.com/
The key is CONSISTENCY. Same name. Same address. Same phone. Same business hours. Every. Single. Time. It’s called NAP: Name, Address, Phone…. and your NAP needs to be consistent everywhere online.
3. Get Reviews – especially Google Reviews
Ever notice how the worst contractors often have the biggest “BEST SERVICE GUARANTEED!” signs on their trucks? Yeah, customers notice that too, which is why they don’t believe self-promotion anymore. So people look to their neighbors to see what they’re saying. It’s called Social Proofc.
The “Invisible Satisfaction” Problem
Most contractors suffer from the same problem: happy customers quietly appreciate your work, while unhappy customers write reviews with the fervor of someone documenting a crime scene.
Here’s a statistic that should terrify you: 87% of consumers read online reviews for local businesses before making decisions. And most won’t consider businesses with fewer than 4 stars. The more reviews, the better.
How To Get Those Reviews Without Feeling Like You’re Begging:
- Ask at the peak happiness moment – right when they’re admiring your finished work
- Make it brain-dead simple – text them a direct link to your Google review page
- Follow up once – a gentle reminder 2-3 days later
- Train your team to ask for reviews (and maybe incentivize them internally)
- Respond to every review – good or bad (especially bad – future customers watch how you handle complaints)
Pro tip from Local PowerUp: Create a simple business card with a QR code that goes directly to your Google review page. Hand it to customers after completing a job while saying, “We grow through reviews – would you mind taking 30 seconds to share your experience?” For me over the years as I owned and operated an exterior cleaning business; asking for the review face-to-face and then texting them a link while I’m still standing in front of them made a huge difference.
4. Local Keywords: Because “Best Plumber” Is Not The Same As “Best Plumber in Detroit”
I recently asked a contractor client during our onboarding process where they worked. “Oh, all around the area,” they said. Cool. Super specific. I’m sure Google and the other search engine kids will figure that out.
Your website needs to explicitly tell Google where you work and what you do, or it will never show you in local searches.
The great “Why Am I Not Showing Up In My Own Town?” Mystery
A pressure washing pro came to Local PowerUp about why he wasn’t ranking in his own city. His website used generic terms like:
- “Professional pressure washing”
- “Expert exterior cleaning”
- “Top-rated service”
Not ONCE did his website mention his city or service areas. There’s a bajillion pressure washing companies so what’s a search engine supposed to do with that? Who’s it supposed to show it to?
Where To Put Those Local Keywords:
- Page title: “Professional Pressure Washing in [City] | [Company Name]”
- Headers: “Trusted [Service] Provider in [City] Since [Year]”
- Service pages: Create separate pages for each service area
- Image alt text: “Driveway cleaning in [Neighborhood], [City]”
- Meta descriptions: Include your city and surrounding service areas
- About page: Mention your connection to the community
- Footer: List your primary service areas
Curious about your business’s on page SEO and how your site stacks up in each of those elements I mentioned? check out our free on-page SEO checker. It will identify and show you all the things I just mentioned and tell you the best practices for each section so you can see if your website is aligned with that’ and if it isn’t, easily fix it. https://myseoscan.net/
5. Local Content: Answer The Questions Your Customers Are Actually Asking
You know those questions customers ask you all the time? The pricing questions? The “how long will this last” questions? The “can I do this myself” questions? Those are SEO gold because one of the biggest reasons a search engine will show your website to a user is if your website is answering the questions they’re looking for.
Also, with the rise in popularity of AI and large language models like Chat GPT and Gemini; that’s a key factor in showing up in search results for those platforms as well.
The “All Talk, No Help” Trap
Most contractor websites say vague things like “quality service” and “professional results” but never actually answer the questions that would bring in search traffic.
Let me put it this way: No one is searching for “quality service.” They’re searching for “how much does it cost to pressure wash a house in [city]” or “how to remove oil stains from concrete driveway.” or “what is the best pressure washing company in Wilmington NC” or “What is the best websites design and SEO company in Wilmington NC?”
I think we all know the answer to that one, AmIRight??? Hint: Local PowerUp.
Content Ideas That Actually Bring In Leads:
- The “How Much Does It Cost?” post – Be transparent about pricing factors
- The “DIY vs. Professional” guide – Show what can go wrong with DIY approaches
- The “How to Choose a [Service Provider]” checklist – Education builds trust
- The “Common Problems in [Your City]” post – Show your local expertise
- The “What to Expect During a [Service]” walkthrough – Reduce customer anxiety
What To Do Next?
If all this sounds overwhelming, you have two options:
- The DIY Approach: Focus on just one of these strategies each month. Start with your Google Business Profile, then move to getting more reviews, and so on.
- The “I’d Rather Be Working” Approach: Let specialists like Local PowerUp handle your digital presence while you focus on what you do best.
Either way, stop letting less skilled competitors steal your customers just because they’re easier to find online. Your expertise deserves visibility and your bank account needs filled with love!
And remember: Every day you put off improving your local SEO is another day that homeowner with the overflowing toilet at 9 PM is calling your competitor instead of you.
Ready to change that? Local PowerUp specializes in helping contractors and service pros dominate their local markets. We speak contractor, not just tech. Contact us today, and let’s get you where customers can actually find you.
