When someone searches “plumber near me” or “roofer in [your town]”, Google shows a little map with three businesses pinned to it before the normal results. That’s the local pack, and for trades it’s the single most valuable spot on the internet. This guide walks you through getting into it, step by step.
Key takeaway
Getting on Google Maps is free and mostly comes down to two things: a properly set-up Google Business Profile, and a steady trickle of genuine reviews. Do those two well and you’ll out-rank trades who’ve been going years.
Why the map pack wins trade jobs
Trade searches are urgent and local. People aren’t browsing — they’ve got a leak, a dead fuse board or a roof letting water in, and they want someone nearby, now. The map pack answers exactly that: three local businesses, with star ratings, distance and a “call” button right there. Most people pick from those three. If you’re not in them, you’re relying on people scrolling past the thing Google built to stop them scrolling.
Step 1: Claim your Google Business Profile
Your Google Business Profile (the old “Google My Business”) is what puts you on Maps. Go to Google and search your business name; if a profile already exists, claim it — otherwise create one for free. Google will usually verify you by post, phone or video. This one profile is the engine behind your map ranking, so it’s worth doing carefully.
Step 2: Pick the right category
Your primary category is the biggest ranking factor you control. Be specific: “Electrician” beats “Contractor”, “Roofing contractor” beats “Construction company”. Then add relevant secondary categories for the other work you do (for example a plumber might add “Heating contractor” and “Boiler supplier”). Don’t stuff in categories for work you don’t actually do — it confuses Google and attracts the wrong enquiries.
Step 3: Get your name, address and phone right
Google trusts businesses whose details are consistent everywhere they appear. Your NAP — Name, Address, Phone — should be identical on your Business Profile, your website, and any directory you’re listed in, right down to the punctuation. A mismatched phone number or an old address on an old listing can quietly hold your ranking back.
- Use your real business name — don’t cram keywords into it, that breaks Google’s rules and risks a suspension.
- Use a local number where you can; it reinforces that you’re a local business.
- Make sure the same details sit on your website’s contact page too.
Step 4: Set the towns you cover
Most trades don’t have a shopfront customers visit — you go to them. Google lets you set a service area instead of (or as well as) an address, listing the towns and postcodes you cover. Add the areas you genuinely work in. Then take it further on your website: a dedicated, properly written page for each main town you serve is one of the most powerful things a trade site can have, because it lets you rank in more than one place at once.
This is exactly the kind of “per-town” page-building that comes as standard with a professionally built trade website — the site and the Maps listing are set up to reinforce each other from day one.
Step 5: Add photos that get clicks
Profiles with good photos get noticeably more calls and clicks than bare ones. Add your logo, your van, your team, and — most importantly — real before-and-after shots of finished jobs. Fresh photos also signal to Google that the business is active. It’s worth learning to take these well; our guide to job photos that win work shows you how to do it on your phone in a couple of minutes.
Step 6: Reviews — your biggest lever
After your category, reviews are the strongest thing pushing you up the map. They do two jobs: they help you rank, and they win the click when you do. The number, the recency and the star rating all matter, and so does replying to them. You don’t need hundreds — a steady stream of genuine, recent reviews beats a big pile of old ones. We’ve written a full, no-awkwardness method in the easy way to get more Google reviews.
Step 7: Keep it active
A profile you set up and forget slowly slips. Keep it alive with small, regular touches:
- Post the odd update or finished job — it keeps the profile looking active.
- Answer the Q&A section and keep your opening hours accurate, especially around bank holidays.
- Reply to every review, good or bad, promptly and politely.
- Add fresh photos every few weeks.
How your website and Maps work together
Your Maps listing and your website aren’t two separate jobs — they feed each other. Google cross-checks your Business Profile against your website: matching details build trust, your town pages back up your service area, and your reviews and photos give people a reason to click through. A listing on its own can rank, but a listing plus a fast, relevant website is what holds a top spot and turns the click into a booked job.
That’s the whole idea behind website design for tradesmen done properly: we build the site and set up and optimise the Google Business Profile so they work as one. If you’d like that handled for you, book a free demo and we’ll show you what it looks like for your trade and your towns.
Common questions
Once your Google Business Profile is verified it can appear within a few days, but ranking near the top of the local pack takes longer — usually a few weeks to a few months of consistent reviews, accurate details and an active profile. It builds steadily rather than overnight.
No. Most trades set a service area instead of a visitor address, listing the towns and postcodes they cover. You can hide your home address while still appearing for the areas you work in.
Two things matter most: choosing the right, specific primary category, and getting a steady stream of genuine, recent reviews. Get those right and consistent business details, and you’ll out-rank many longer-established trades.
You can absolutely set up a Google Business Profile yourself for free. The harder part is keeping it optimised and connected to a website that reinforces it, which is what a managed service handles for you alongside the site itself.