5 Reasons You Need A Google Business Profile If You're A Contractor

If you're looking at your competitors and wondering how they're getting so many high-value, local clients and all the best workers in the industry, the answer is probably a Google Business Profile.

Many contractors overlook Google Business Profiles and see them as too much time and effort - but having an optimized, well-looked-after Google Business Profile is key to attracting high-quality clients to your door.

If you don't have a Google Business Profile, you're losing out on an excellent, easy-to-use, and, most importantly, free marketing tool.

97% of users learn about local companies online, and 64% of consumers use Google Business Profiles to find contact information. So if you want your users to know about your construction company, set up a Google Business Profile, or they might not find you.

Still don't believe us?

Take a look at what a Google Business Profile is, how to set one up, and five reasons why you, as a local contractor, should have a Google Business Profile for your construction company.

What is Google Business Profile?

Google Business Profile is a free tool that you can use to create a presence on Google. With the help of Google Business Profile, you'll appear more in local searches and on maps. You'll also get reviews on your profile and your audience can easily access your contact information.

Google Business Profile is the perfect way to show your audience that you're a professional organization that knows what they're doing. Plus, it's the easiest way to highlight how your potential dream clients can get in touch with you.

By claiming a business profile, you'll be able to stand out amongst your competition and catch the attention of local customers.

Google is the most dominant search engine in use today - if you haven't noticed. So if you want your construction company to rank high in the search results for Google, then you have to have a Google Business Profile.

Google Business Profiles are one of the most significant contributors to ranking high in the search results. You'll boost your ranking even further if you have an optimized and well-put-together profile.

How do you set up a Google Business Profile?

Well, it's pretty easy to claim a profile, but it takes a bit of time, so you'll want to get on this as quickly as possible.

Here are five easy steps to follow when setting up your Google Business Profile.

  1. Claim your profile
  2. Start by claiming your Google Business Profile on their website by entering your company's name and contact information.

    Claiming your business is really easy and doesn't take too long at all!

  3. Add your address
  4. After you've claimed your business, you'll be asked to input the address of your company.

    You do have the option to hide your address later on if you don't have a physical location open to the public.

  5. Select a business category
  6. Selecting your business category and sub-category is incredibly important. Many businesses think by choosing something popular, they'll be able to get more clients. This isn't true. If you don't pick a relevant category, the traffic coming to your profile won't be your target audience.

    For example, you could choose your primary business category as construction, and then the sub-category could be residential construction or commercial construction, depending on what you specialize in.

  7. Add all your details
  8. Now that you have the essential details, it's time to add everything else and complete your profile.

    You should add your:
    • Website address
    • Phone number
    • Social media
    • A bio
    • Opening hours
    • Images of your business

  9. Submit and wait for verification
  10. Google makes it a requirement that you have to verify that you're at the physical location you're claiming to be at. So, before you can start using a Google Business Profile to your advantage, you'll have to wait and receive a card in the mail.

    This card will be posted to your business address in about five days or so, and it'll detail a unique code. By following the directions on the card and inputting the code, your profile will be set up and ready to use!

5 benefits of using a Google Business Profile

  1. Improve your SEO
  2. Google Business Profiles can be one of the most powerful tools for improving your SEO and enhancing your presence online.

    But, if you want your profile to boost your ranking, simply having one isn't good enough. You can't just add your contact details and leave it at that. You have to completely optimize your Google Business Profile for Google to take notice of you. Optimizing yout Google Business Profile isn’t just a do once and it’s done. You have to continuously keep it updated to keep Google and your visitors happy.

    Here's what you can do to optimize your Google Business Profile completely.
    • Make sure you upload high-quality images of your office and projects you've completed
    • Write a bio that highlights why you're the right fit for your clients
    • Make sure you selected the correct category for your business and sub-category
    • Double-check that your contact information is correct
    • Link to your website and your social media
    • Reply to all your reviews - including negative ones
    • Post updates on your Google Business Profile about work you've completed
    • Ensure your address is right and your Google Maps placement is correct - you have to have an address to set up a Google Business Profile but if you don’t have a physical office you can hide your address afterward (especially if it’s your home!)

    All of this will help ensure that your profile stays updated. Google will see that you're doing everything possible to give your potential clients the expert service they deserve and boost your profile further up the search results.

  3. Enhance your credibility
  4. Google Business is like a more modern and nicer-looking Yelp. It lets your clients leave ratings and reviews for your services and images of the work you did on their homes or buildings.

    With Google Business Profile set up, your audience can scan through your reviews and read all the good things your clients have said about you. 72% of customers say they use Google reviews to find businesses they want to work with.

    Encourage happy clients to leave reviews on your Google Business Profile in order to fill your profile with positive reviews. Be sure to reply to them when you can and tell your clients that you appreciate the time they took to leave that review.

    If you notice a bad review on your profile, reply to it too and ask how you can fix the situation. This also helps enhance your credibility. Although 94% of consumers avoid companies because of bad reviews, if they see that you were willing to resolve a problem, they'll know that if they have a problem, you'll be able to fix it.

  5. Appear on Google Maps
  6. When you register with Google Business Profile, you'll get your business on the map - literally.

    Your company will be highly visible on Google Maps, and you'll appear at the top of the page whenever somebody searches for construction companies in your area.

    Being on Google Maps helps improve your local SEO so that you will get more and more local clients through the door!

  7. Gain insight into your customers
  8. A considerable benefit of having a Google Business Profile set up is that it allows you to gain insight into your customers. It lets you see how they found your business and what they do after they've found you.

    For example, some of the data you can get access to with Google Business Profile include:
    • How many views your listing has had
    • How do your users find your profile
    • Where your users are from
    • What they do after interacting with your profile
    • What they're looking at on your profile
    • All of this can help you improve your marketing strategy by providing insights into what's working and what isn't. For example, if you notice that many people are simply clicking off your profile instead of contacting you, something isn't catching their eye on your listing.

  9. Enhance your online visibility
  10. Google is the largest search engine in the world and receives millions of searches daily. A lot of those include people looking for services.

    If you want to get more leads in through the door, your users must see you online.

    Even if you get somebody to search your business directly, 90% of people haven't decided about a brand before they start their search. This means that if your brand isn't visible online, you won't be able to catch your prospect's attention or stand out from the competition.

    With Google Business Profile, you'll be visible regardless of how impressive your current SEO is on your website. If you have a profile, when your business is searched, it'll pop up on the screen for the searcher.

    Making a Google Business Profile isn’t enough. You can’t just create it and leave it to sit idle for a few months. You have to keep adding images, update it with posts, and create relevant content to share with your visitors. Staying active on your Google Business Profile will keep your company in Google’s good books.

We hope our blog has helped you see the value of Google Business Profile and how you can take advantage of it as a contractor.

Our team is here for you if you're still unsure how to set up and optimize a Google Business Profile.

At Just For Contractors, we specialize in helping construction companies get their names out there online. We're experts in digital marketing and can help you completely transform your online presence - starting with your Google Business Profile.

Get in touch today - We'd love to help you out!

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Susan Smith - Founder of Just for Contractors -web design marketing and branding
Susan Smith
The Founder and Strategist & Lead Designer of Just for Contractors

Susan and her team help contractors and the skilled trades get ahead of their competitors with a one-of-a-kind website that actually works,
backs up their excellent work and brings in the kind of clients (and team) they want.

She’s been in the construction trade since she was a kid — her dad owned a 100+ people tool and die business, her husband and now her 3 kids are all in the
trades. She understands them and was tired of seeing the really crappy websites the construction trades had online and hearing them say "I don't get any leads
from my website". If their website was crappy, they were losing business. It was time to intervene.

You can find Susan on LinkedIn.
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