In 2026, simply having a website and a Google Business Profile isn’t nearly enough. Local service-based businesses that want a steady stream of leads and phone calls without having to pay for those leads, there is only a couple of things that work. You need to be a trustworthy enough business for Google to rank you in the top results otherwise known as the map pack, the top 3.
Sounds easy right, well it is not. first off your website and profile must match. If you list some Services on your website, but those services are listed on your GBP, you are not as trustworthy in the algorithm that is Google. If your business has a good amount of reviews, and good ones ofcourse, it often can be faily easy to rank your GBP in the top 3.
A lot of times just a couple of fixes in the GBP or website increases that trust in order to get you there. But it is different for every service-based business we work with. Some businesses setup their GBP so poorly, they chose the wrong Primary category for their company, possibly leaving thousands on the table yearly, just from that one mistake. It is imperative, no only every little detail of your GBP must be filled out, in as much details as possible. You need to respond to reviews within 24 hours, upload photos and posts weekly and get a minimum of 4 reviews weekly for Google to see you are not only trustworthy, but also an active businesses.
The last thing Google wants is to bring up businesses that don’t answer the phone, don’t respond to website inquiries and call back in the evening. People would start moving to other search engines if that is what Google offered them in search results.
At Internet Solutions Web Design, our marketing agency specializes in helping plumbers, electricians, HVAC technicians, dentists, attorneys, contractors and frankly any local service company that depend on clients within a 30 mile (or so) radius of their business location.
We are not like a traditional marketing or SEO company that charges a fortune monthly and get you very few results. We do a free online business audit and then video walk through to share what we learned, and more important what it takes to get in the top 3. We then work on an hourly basis to get all of the website and GBP fixes done, so both 100% match and then watch your site climb.