How to Optimize Your Handyman Franchise Google Business Profile

For small to large businesses, reaching the top of search engine results is an increasingly important goal. The first step in your journey to higher rankings is to ensure your Google Business Profile is set up correctly. By understanding your customers’ search behavior and how best to optimize your listing, you’ll gain knowledge of what is widely considered the most significant aspect of any local marketing plan.

Optimizing several elements of your Google Business Profile is one of the simplest ways to improve your business’s visibility on search engines and, in turn, gain traffic. LSAs, Organic, and Google Ads are other search results that provide value to your business. Yet, GMB remains highly visible, allows readers to leave reviews, and provides insights that lead you to valuable information.

Local search experts at The Local Agency have configured this guide to show you a few of the imperative ranking factors you can start optimizing for your handyman services today. Here’s everything you should know.

Understanding Customer Search

Before discussing the essential elements of optimizing your profile, you must understand how customers search for local handyman services.

We surveyed 200 Google searches to identify the kinds of search results people tend to click in search of local handyman services.

*Search engine images

There are still many customers to capture with paid search and LSA placements. Yet, the largest share of potential customers prefers clicking on a Google Business Profile listing or local organic result.

Optimizing Your Profile

While seeking to secure a top-three ranking in Google’s map pack, numerous ranking factors play a role that you should consider when optimizing. Unlike factors such as proximity, optimizing your profile is entirely within your control. Let’s dive further into a few of these critical elements.

Name

Using your company name in a listing may seem straightforward, but there are some differences to keep in mind for GMB. Google explicitly mentions to “represent your business as it’s consistently represented and recognized in the real world across signage, stationery, and other branding.”

For example, brands with multiple locations may benefit from additional modifiers in a business name, like the city in which you’re located or the specific solutions you offer. While this may provide a boost, you should also factor in the risks. Namely, Google may suspend your listing if they determine it violates its guidelines. With this in mind, we highly recommend you deter from not using your legal business name or the name listed on your signage.

Categories

Categorizing your business is the most critical ranking factor within a listing and should be one of the first elements you also optimize. In a listing, Google allows one primary category and nine additional ones. Note that a primary category should match a business’s core service as closely as possible.

Here are some essential categories a handyman may use when optimizing their profile:

• Handyman
• Repair Service
• Contractor
• Remodeler
• Kitchen Remodeler
• Bathroom Remodeler
• Carpenter
• General contractor
• Drywall contractor
• Flooring contractor
• Tile contractor
• Window installation service
• Gutter cleaning service
• Air Conditioning Repair Service
• Appliance Repair Service
• Furnace Repair Service
• Hot Tub Repair Service

Additionally, it is essential to note that secondary categories will provide you with some potential additional map pack rankings. However, subsequent categories generally won’t have the impactful reach of a primary category.

Description

Creating a description for your business is an excellent way to tell customers about your company and the services you provide while also an opportunity to add relevant keywords that support your intended rankings.

Description optimization may be the easiest way to improve your business profile’s relevance. Although, it’s essential not to overdo the use of handyman-related keywords. We recommend using the permitted character count by creating a naturally-written description of your business and listing your services.

Google Business Posts

Using Google Business posts is a great option to reach potential customers in a free and easy way. With each consecutive post, you can add keywords to your content and add hashtags for relevant terms. This allows you to keep your Business Profile optimized for keywords and phrases most important to attract customers seeking a handyman’s services.

Reviews

Customer reviews are a powerful tool, not only regarding consumer behavior but also as a valuable ranking factor. Customers are highly likely to choose a handyman with higher review ratings. Though this may not be surprising, keyword-relevant reviews for your handyman services will help you rank even higher in the map pack for those terms.

Naturally, obtaining optimized reviews may pose a challenge, but your marketing strategy should include asking others for reviews or setting up an automated system to request customer feedback.

Writing review responses with relevant terms is also one great way you can have an impact in increasing keyword density. However, overusing responses such as “thanks for using affordable handyman services near you” in every review has a negative impact. Essentially, over-optimizing your reviews could trigger the Google Business Web Spam team.

Images

Utilizing visual content, particularly images, is an easy optimization you can influence. They provide content variety within search results, and Google is becoming increasingly more competent at understanding an image’s representation. Try providing images that visually describe the services you offer. For example, if you write “repair service,” include an image that shows a handyman at work.

EXIF data is an additional component to optimize the use of your images. This information is metadata that search engines can read and advantageously include items such as geographical coordinates. Optimizing your EXIF data will give Google an additional local signal to help support your rankings.

Google Business Q/A

Few companies are aware of the positive impact of optimizing Google Business Q/A. In a world where anyone can ask or answer a question about your business, it’s a good idea to provide relevant questions and answers for your potential customers. If you don’t, someone else will take the opportunity.

Q/A sections are also an area to use some relevant keywords. For instance, if customers often search for handyman service pricing, use this opportunity to provide relevant information and optimize for those key terms.

Finding Local Handyman Service Keywords

Because  you have an idea of how to optimize your business listing, let’s look at the top 15 handyman service keywords by monthly volume:

Strategic keyword usage will guide search engines to relevant content on your website’s page and, as a result, help your customers find your content, among other options.

Call The Local Agency to Obtain Additional Insight on the Benefits of GMB for Your Handyman Services

Although a competitive field, a handyman service business can benefit from standing out from the competition. Google My Business is a valuable method of engaging new customers, spreading awareness of your company and services, or finding your way into any local market. Using our tips and tricks, you’ll find ease in implementing strategies to uniquely stand out from your competition and attract new customers to your business.

Contact The Local Agency by calling 1-800-725-6669 or completing our contact form for further questions or concerns.