1. You're Not Listed on Google Business Profile
Your website and your Google Business Profile are two separate things — and many contractors don't have the second one at all. Google Business Profile (GBP) is what powers the map pack: those three local listings that appear at the top of search results when someone searches "plumber near me" or "roofer in Saginaw."
Without a verified GBP listing, you simply don't appear in that map pack. You might have a great website and still be invisible to the majority of local searchers. Setting up and verifying your listing is free — and it's the single highest-leverage thing you can do for local visibility. Our local SEO services include full GBP setup and optimization.
2. Your Site Has No Location Pages
Google's algorithm needs to see your city and region mentioned explicitly throughout your site — in your headings, page titles, URL slugs, and body copy. "Contractor in Michigan" is far too vague. "Plumber in Saginaw MI" is the kind of specific, geo-targeted phrase that actually ranks.
A generic template site with no city-specific content will not rank for local searches. Each primary service should ideally have its own page targeting your city: "Drain Cleaning Saginaw MI," "Water Heater Repair Bay City MI," and so on. This is the foundational work that separates sites that rank from sites that don't.
3. Your Site Is Too Slow on Mobile
Google's Core Web Vitals are a direct ranking signal. Most contractor sites built on drag-and-drop builders like Wix or Squarespace load in 6+ seconds on mobile — a performance level that Google penalizes in rankings and that users abandon immediately.
You can check your current score for free at PageSpeed Insights. Anything below 70 on mobile is a problem. A well-built custom site typically scores 90+.
4. You Have Zero Reviews — or They're All Old
Google's local ranking algorithm weights both the volume and recency of reviews heavily. A competitor with 40 reviews from the past six months will outrank you even if your work is better.
The simplest fix: ask every satisfied customer for a Google review within 24 hours of completing the job. Text them a direct link. This single habit, done consistently, compounds dramatically over a year. Getting 2–3 reviews per month puts you ahead of 90% of your local competition.
5. Your Website Has No Content About What You Actually Do
A homepage with a hero photo, a phone number, and "Call us for a free estimate" does not rank. Google needs written content to understand what services you offer and where you offer them. Each service you provide should have its own dedicated page with at least 300 words of specific, useful content.
This doesn't mean stuffing keywords into bad writing. It means genuinely explaining what the service involves, what problems it solves, and why someone in your area should choose you. Content that actually helps the reader also tends to rank well — those goals align.
If your site checks all these boxes and you're still not ranking, the issue may be your Google Business Profile — see how we set it up correctly for local contractors.
If any of these sound familiar, they're all fixable. Start with a free conversation — we'll tell you exactly which of these applies to your site and what it would take to fix it.