# Local SEO for Contractors: Map Pack and GBP Work Title: Local SEO for Contractors: Map Pack and GBP Work | AptLocal Canonical URL: https://aptlocal.com/local-seo-for-contractors/ Markdown file: https://aptlocal.com/local-seo-for-contractors/index.md > What local SEO for a contractor business involves: Google Business Profile, categories, service areas, reviews, service pages and call tracking. US contractors only. This file mirrors the HTML page at the canonical URL above. Where the two differ, the HTML page is authoritative. --- Service # Local SEO for contractors Getting a contractor business found in the Google map pack and in AI answers, then turning that visibility into calls and booked jobs. In short. This page covers what AptLocal does for local SEO: Google Business Profile work, service and service area coverage, review routines, service pages, structured data and call tracking, for contractors in the United States. Who it is for. Contractor businesses with a defined service area: HVAC, plumbing, roofing, electrical, tree service, landscaping, garage doors, pest control and similar trades, from single-operator companies to multi-crew companies. What it does not cover. Paid search is handled on the [Google Ads page](https://aptlocal.com/google-ads-for-contractors/). This page does not cover brand design, CRM software or franchise marketing. ## What the work covers ### Google Business Profile cleanup Claim, verify and complete the profile. Primary category set to the main money service, secondary categories kept honest, hours, service areas, attributes, and a profile description that reads like your business rather than a keyword list. ### Services and service area Every service you want booked is listed with its own description. The service area is set to the towns you actually drive to, not a radius that stretches past your trucks. ### Reviews after every job A request routine the office and crews can follow, plus replies to new reviews. Review count and recency are visible signals, and the wording in reviews feeds what AI answers can quote. ### Service pages that answer real questions One page per service worth selling, covering scope, what is included, service area, photos from real jobs, and the questions callers ask before they book. Pages load fast on a phone and put a call button in reach. ### Structured data LocalBusiness and service markup that matches the visible page, so search engines and assistants read your name, services and area the same way a customer does. ### Calls and forms counted Call tracking or call reporting, form submissions, and a monthly view of which service and which page produced enquiries. ## How visibility is measured _What gets checked, and where the number comes from._ Measure | Source Map pack position | Checked from real points around your service area, not from your office only. Profile actions | Calls, direction requests and website clicks reported in the Google Business Profile performance data. Search demand | Queries and pages from Google Search Console, so content work follows demand instead of guesses. Enquiries | Calls and form submissions, tagged by service where the phone system allows it. ## What this work will not do - Buying reviews, or asking staff and family to post them. - Creating fake locations or extra profiles to cover more towns. - Guaranteeing a map pack position. The top three slots are contested and change with distance, competition and recency. - Link schemes or bulk directory blasts sold as citations. - Rewriting your service and pricing claims. Anything published gets checked against what you tell us is true. ## What we need from you - Manager access to your Google Business Profile. - Access to your website, or the login for whoever edits it. - Google Search Console access for the site. - One call about services, service area, capacity and the jobs you do not want. - A named person who can approve review requests and page copy. ## Timeline and expectations Profile corrections and service setup often change visibility within weeks, because Google can re-evaluate a profile quickly. Content, reviews and service pages build over months. Busy metro areas take longer than small service areas, and seasonal trades see demand swings that have nothing to do with rankings. Sources for how Google describes local ranking and business representation are on the [checklist page](https://aptlocal.com/guides/contractor-local-search-checklist/), next to each step. ## Common questions Do you need to rebuild my website? Not by default. If the site loads acceptably on a phone and can be edited, the work goes into service pages, structured data and the call path. A rebuild is recommended only when the current site cannot be changed or cannot load quickly. How is a map pack check done? A grid of points across your service area is queried for your main service searches, and the positions are recorded. That shows whether you are visible across the whole area or only near your shop, and who holds the three slots. How many pages do I need? Enough to cover the services you want more of, with real detail. One page covering every service usually loses to a competitor with separate pages, and a page per town with the same text replaced is not useful to anyone. Can you guarantee first place? No, and treat anyone who does as a warning sign. Ranking depends on relevance, distance and prominence, and the three map slots are shared with whoever is strongest that day. ## Start with the free check Send your business name and website. You get a short email back with what is working, what is missing, and the two or three fixes that matter most for calls in your service area. [Request a free check](https://aptlocal.com/contact/#contact-form) [Read the free checklist](https://aptlocal.com/guides/contractor-local-search-checklist/)