10 Google Maps tips you can do this week to get found by more local customers

Your next customer is not scrolling to page two. They open Google Maps and call one of the top three.

These tips are free, plain and doable on your own. We do not promise rankings, because nobody honestly can. We do know these steps are where many local businesses leave calls on the table.

The tips

1. Claim and verify your Google Business Profile

If you have not claimed your listing, other people can suggest changes to it. Search your business name, choose "Own this business" and finish verification. Everything else builds on this.

2. Pick the right main category

Your main category tells Google what you are. "Painter" and "Painting contractor" are not the same thing. Check what the top businesses near you chose, then add a few accurate secondary categories.

3. Make your name, address and phone number match everywhere

Your business name, address and phone number should read the same on your website, Google, Facebook and any directory. Small differences like "St." and "Street" blur the picture Google has of you.

4. List the towns you actually serve

Add your service areas to your profile and name those towns on your website. If you work in Monument, Castle Rock and Pueblo, say so. Do not list places you will not drive to.

5. Fill out every service and description

Add each service you offer with a short, clear description. Write the way you talk to a customer. Skip the keyword stuffing.

6. Add real photos every month

Finished jobs, your crew, your truck, your shop. Real photos beat stock photos, and an active profile is easier to trust.

7. Ask for reviews and make it easy

Text your review link right after a job goes well. Ask every happy customer, not just the loud ones. Reply to every review, good or bad, calmly and professionally.

8. Use Google Posts and keep your hours current

Share a recent job or a seasonal reminder. Update holiday hours before the holiday. Wrong hours cost you calls.

9. Give every service its own page on your website

One page for "Interior painting," another for "Cabinet refinishing." Put your town in the page title and first paragraph. A website built to rank has a page for each thing people search.

10. Make calling you take one tap

Put your phone number at the top of every page, make it tap to call on phones and keep one clear contact button. If a visitor has to hunt for your number, they call the next business.

What to expect

These steps help, but results depend on your competition, your area and how consistently you keep at it. Be wary of anyone who guarantees a ranking.

Book a free consultation

Not sure where your listing stands? Book a free Google Maps consultation. We look at your listing, show you what we see and tell you what to fix first. No contract and no pressure. Call 719-728-8010.