1. Google your business
Intro
Joel Headley

2. Develop an online presence
Citations allow you to syndicate your business information across the web
[house remodeling in park city ut]
First 3 links: Ads - Houzz, Home Advisor, and an smb site
Next: 3 pack - 1. & 3. construction company; 2. interior designer
Top 4 web organic: “best of” on citation sites
Next 6 web organic: individual sites (#6 = #1 local pack)
3 more Ads: one Better Homes & Gardens plus 2 smb sites
Google My Business
Houzz: free sign up
Home advisor
Angie’s list: free sign up, but pay opportunities
Porch (lowe’s pro): pay for leads
All these services are looking for your Name, Address, Phone number, and website.
Important profiles that aren’t offered directly through Yext or MozLocal. Take the time to check searches for categories for your business or work with a company to develop the online presence where you need it.

3. Claiming your listing on Google Google My Business business.google.com
Google My Business is your hub for your local business on Google. If you haven’t yet, claim your profile. This will require verification: postcard, phone, or, if you’re lucky, through search console.
There are a number of things you’ll want to keep in mind when updating your business information.

4. Put your best foot forward Google My Business
Update business information
Add photos
Manage users
Update business information
Add photos
Manage users

5. Business information Google My Business
Location matters
Hours
Category
Update business information
location matters
use the location of your office building
no PO Boxes
avoid homes, if possible
hours of operation: that’s when you’re able to pick up the phone and answer a call or be available for someone that drives to your business location

6. Categories define your business
Categories define your business. Keywords in titles can help too, but don’t rely on them as your sole means of attracting customers and getting new referrals.
Often listings come with attributes, but currently, in most contractor categories, there aren’t any. Created mostly to more aptly describe a restaurant, these attributes are used to filter and find relevant businesses. Be aware of changes that might include adding a business license or describing the various types of services offered as a plumber, like waste cleanout to re-plumb a house from galvanized to copper.
Construction and contractor categories:
Plasterer
Fountain Contractor
Conservatory Construction Contractor
Lighting Contractor
Masonry Contractor
Flooring Contractor
Sheet Metal Contractor
Railroad Contractor
Pond Contractor
Mechanical Contractor
Contractor
Excavating Contractor
Basketball Court Contractor
Siding Contractor
Stucco Contractor
HVAC Contractor
Telecommunications Contractor
Solar Energy Contractor
Asphalt Contractor
Iron Steel Contractor
Lawn Sprinkler System Contractor
Tile Contractor
Stair Contractor
Drilling Contractor
Steel Framework Contractor
Fence Contractor
Roofing Contractor
Sunroom Contractor
Skylight Contractor
General Contractor
Logging Contractor
Railing Contractor
Marble Contractor
Utility Contractor
Insulation Contractor
Dry Wall Contractor
Paving Contractor
Interior Fitting Contractor
Well Drilling Contractor
Swimming Pool Contractor
Demolition Contractor
Interior Construction Contractor
Concrete Contractor
Air Conditioning Contractor
Heating Contractor
Rock Landscaping Contractor
Tennis Court Construction Company
Construction and Maintenance Office
Construction Material Wholesaler
Construction Machine Dealer
Construction Company
Road Construction Machine Repair Service
Steel Construction Company
Construction Machine Rental Service
Road Construction Company
Metal Construction Company
Construction Equipment Supplier
Machine Construction
Trade Fair Construction Company

7. Smile for the camera Google My Business
Photos should be expressions of you
Use well-done jobs to show off your talent
Add frequently
At Work · Team · Interior · Exterior
Add photos
The opportunities around adding good photos include incentivizing your team to take photos while they’re at work. They can pass them to the listing manager to add or simply upload themselves as a user. The best photos aren’t stock photos that are polished, but appear unreal. Choose pics that represent your team, your location, and your work. While Google suggests to add cover and profile photos along with logos, they seemed to be valued the least compared to interior photos of the location. If you have a showroom, use it to your advantage and put it online. You can find a Google trusted photographer, or just use your phone and good aesthetic sense to take pictures others would want to look at.

8. Learn and take additional action Insights · Reviews · AdWords Express
Find out how customers react
Read your reviews & respond
Buy some additional actions
Update business information
Add photos
Manage users

9. Understand your listing on Google Insights · Reviews · AdWords Express
Searches
direct · discovery
Views
Search · Maps | photos
Actions
calls · website visits · directions | popular times
Searches:
direct searches are branded - your company name
discovery are categorical or keyword searches where you’re appearing
Views:
impressions of your business listing information on Maps or in web search, like the knowledge panel or 3 pack
photos views - take a look of what’s working and incentivize your teams to get photos that people are interacting with
Actions:
calls & visits are probably the most important actions for your clientele
If you have a showroom or business office, you might start to see how often people are coming to your door and when, which may help you manage the busiest times of the day

10. Searches:
direct searches are branded - your company name
discovery are categorical or keyword searches where you’re appearing
Views:
impressions of your business listing information on Maps or in web search, like the knowledge panel or 3 pack
photos views - take a look of what’s working and incentivize your teams to get photos that people are interacting with
Actions:
calls & visits are probably the most important actions for your clientele
If you have a showroom or business office, you might start to see how often people are coming to your door and when, which may help you manage the busiest times of the day

11. Example of customer actions which include visits to your website, request for driving directions and calls.
Recommendation:
You can now download the insights. However, you only see aggregate numbers. So, if you download the last six months, you’ll only see the total number of calls for the last month.
So, you can choose custom date ranges, and I suggest you do monthly date ranges, to get a sense of changes over time. If you’re making changes to your website, running ads (with Google or elsewhere), or preparing some community involvement, you’ll want to see differences as a consequence of your investment. Measuring these differences over time will give you a solid idea of what works and what doesn’t.

12. Reviews & reputation Insights · Reviews · AdWords Express
Read your reviews & respond
Aaron will be talking about reputation later on. Just know that for reviews left on Google, you can read and respond to reviews here.

13. Try some advertising Insights · Reviews · AdWords Express
Simple setup to drive actions: website, calls, or driving directions
Plumber, Roanoke VA
$3.91-$6.54/action | $700/month budget
General contractor, Los Angeles CA
$ /action | $290/month budget
An affordable and simple way to run AdWords campaigns. The listings will appear in Maps and in web search results. They suggest a budget and estimate the number of actions on the listing.
You decide the category to appear for … and there are more categories available than what you see in Google My Business. And, you can ask for more. For example, Plumbers’ merchant is available in AWX, but not GMB. Be as specific as you like and you can target up to 40 miles from your business location.
Ultimately, if AWX performs, it might be an opportunity to figuring out the behemoth of AdWords.

14. Beyond AdWords: Google Home Services
Paid leads directly through Google
Licensed, insured, background check
plumbers · handyman · contractors · electricians · HVAC pros · locksmiths · garage door pros · painters
Locksmith companies need a valid license from the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services. They also need a general contractor's license to perform services costing more than $500.
Plumbers, handyman, contractors, electricians, and HVAC pros need a contractor’s license to perform services costing more than $500. Plumbers, handymen, electricians, and HVAC pros without a contractor’s license may still be featured in Home Services, but are prohibited from performing services that cost more than $500.
Painters need a valid C-33 (Painting and Decorating Contractor) license, and may perform services costing more than $500.
Garage door pros need a valid D-28 (Doors, Gates, and Activating Devices Contractor) license, and may perform services costing more than $500.
Auto glass service companies need a valid Automotive Repair Dealer license issued by the California Bureau of Automotive Repair.
Roadside assistance service companies need a valid Class C or Class B license. They also need a Motor Carrier Permit issued by the CA DMV office when performing towing services.
House cleaners aren’t required to have a license.

15. With home services, Google sends out leads to two or more vetted companies, guaranteeing the work done. Note that Google is working to provide transparency into the service so that customer expectations are set.

16. Great listing on Google - what’s going on here?

17. Photos
Great photos! See photos link to many photos that showcase the work of these remodeling experts.

18. Photos
Fantastic reviews, not just on Google, but also on Houzz and other sites appearing in organic results

19. Photos
However, they are cheating. Based on Google listing guidelines, this listing isn’t following the rules. They should be MDM General Contractor, at best. Perhaps just MDM. The problem is that Google is neutralizing the impact of keyword stuffing in business names. Others in our community have even asked businesses pursuing these practices that Google should punish the listings.

20. Know before your act Avoid fake locations
no PO Boxes
no home addresses
Solicit reviews from customers, not employees or “reputation” firms
Build your brand, not keywords
Avoid fake locations
no PO Boxes
no home addresses - if you don’t have an office, a single home address may be used, but don’t create listings at every single employee’s home. And, if you don’t expect people to appear at your door, hide the address
Solicit reviews from customers, not employees or “reputation” firms
paying for reviews or otherwise incentivizing only good reviews through special promotions
Build your brand, not keywords
ultimately, if you require people to remember your business as the one called Park City Painter if the keyword tactic stops working, you’ll go out of business. Build a recognizable brand that people with come back to and recommend through reviews and links.

21. Stand out from the cheaters
Not just the crowd, but those that are intent on manipulating search results.
Mike Blumenthal

22. Combat bad actors with suggest an edit
Fake locations
spam · never existed
Review spam for competitors
find networks, report on help forum
Review spam on your listing (respond like it isn’t)
Keyword stuffing
Having friends that regularly edit on Google help - getting multiple people that have a history of making edits on Google will
Fake locations
Report as: spam · never existed
Review spam for competitors
find networks, report on help forum or send them to Mike, who is ferreting out review spam networks
Review spam on your listing (respond like it isn’t)
Unless there’s an infraction of the reviews guidelines in the text of the review, don’t bother trying to get it removed. Ignore it or respond as if it were real as a reasonable business owner who
Keyword stuffing

23. Title of slide
However, they are cheating. Based on Google listing guidelines, this listing isn’t following the rules. They should be MDM General Contractor, at best. Perhaps just MDM. The problem is that Google is neutralizing the impact of keyword stuffing in business names. Others in our community have even asked businesses pursuing these practices that Google should punish the listings.

24. Key takeaways Update information at Google My Business
categorize correctly
stand out online
Track metrics & adjust marketing
Try paid options
determine the right ROI that works for you
Follow the guidelines & respond effectively to cheaters

25. Thanks!
@headley