Local SEO for contractors, a step-by-step checklist
Local SEO is how a contractor shows up when a nearby homeowner searches for the work you do. Done right, it puts you in the map pack and the top of local results, where the calls are. Here is the exact checklist we use to rank exterior contractors, in the order that matters, plus the mistakes that keep most companies stuck.
Start here
What local SEO actually is
Local SEO is the work of ranking your business for searches tied to a place, the near me and in your town searches homeowners use to find a contractor. It has two halves: your Google Business Profile, which drives the map pack, and your website, which drives the regular local results below it.
The checklist below covers both. Work it in order, because the early steps are what the later ones build on.
The checklist
How to do local SEO, step by step
Six moves, in priority order. The first three are the foundation, the last three are what pull you up and hold the spot.
1. Optimize your Google Business Profile
This is the single biggest lever for the map pack: claim and verify it, pick the right categories, and fill in services. Our Google Business Profile guide walks through every step.
2. Fix your name, address, and phone
Make your business name, address, and phone number identical everywhere online, on your site, your profile, and directories. Inconsistent listings confuse Google and cost rankings.
3. Build reviews on repeat
Ask every happy customer for a Google review and reply to all of them. Review count, rating, and how recent they are rank among the strongest local signals.
4. Build service and city pages
Give every service and every town you cover its own page, written for how homeowners search. This is what ranks you in the regular results below the map.
5. Make the site fast and mobile
Most local searches happen on a phone. A quick-loading, mobile-first site with a clear call to action keeps Google happy and keeps visitors from bouncing.
6. Publish content and earn links
Answer the questions homeowners ask, and earn mentions from local sources. Fresh, helpful content and local links are what compound your rankings over time.
When it stalls
Why your local SEO is not working
If you have done the basics and still are not ranking, one of these is usually the reason.
Thin or duplicate pages
One generic page trying to rank for every service and town, or template pages with the trade and city swapped, do not rank. Google wants real, specific pages.
Too few, or too old, reviews
A handful of reviews from two years ago will not hold a top spot. Local rankings reward a steady, recent flow, so review generation has to be ongoing.
Expecting it overnight
Local SEO compounds over months, not days. Companies that quit after a few weeks never reach the point where the rankings and the calls start stacking up.
Do it with us
Rather have it handled?
The checklist works, but it is real, ongoing work. If you would rather run your business, we do all of this for one exterior contractor per market.
Our local SEO retainer runs $997 to $1,497 a month for most contractors, covering profile management, ranking pages, content, and reviews. Every price is public, and the free audit shows you where you stand first.
- Google Business Profile set up and managed for you.
- Service and city pages built to rank.
- A steady review engine, responses handled.
- Content and local links, every month.
Local SEO FAQ
Common local SEO questions
Map pack movement can show within a few weeks once your Google Business Profile and reviews are in shape. Ranking in the regular local results for competitive terms compounds over several months. It is not overnight, but it builds an asset you own, unlike ads that stop the day you stop paying.
Yes. The checklist on this page is the whole playbook, and any contractor can work through the basics. What is harder is doing it consistently, month after month, on top of running the business. That ongoing work is what most companies hire out.
Optimize your Google Business Profile with the right categories and services, keep your name, address, and phone consistent everywhere, and build recent reviews on repeat. Those three are the strongest levers, backed by real service and city pages on a fast website.
Regular SEO competes for searches anywhere. Local SEO competes for searches tied to a place, the near me and in your town searches, which is what matters for a contractor. It leans heavily on your Google Business Profile, reviews, and location-specific pages.
For most exterior contractors a monthly local SEO retainer runs $997 to $1,497, or up to $2,500 for aggressive market expansion. There may be a one-time website build or overhaul first, from $997. Every price is public on our pricing page.
Keep reading
More on local rankings
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