The 10 Google Maps Mistakes Most Contractors Make

You're probably making at least three of these. And each one is costing you enquiries.

Mistake 1: Incomplete Information

If your address, phone number, or website URL is wrong on your Google Business Profile, Google penalises you. And potential customers can't reach you anyway. Check your profile right now. Is everything correct? When was the last time you updated it?

Mistake 2: Service Areas Not Set Up

If you don't tell Google which areas you service, it assumes you only service the area immediately around your physical address. You might be missing out on half your potential market.

Mistake 3: No Photos or Terrible Photos

A lot of contractors don't realise their profile photo is often the first thing someone sees. It needs to be professional. And you need more than one. Your shop, your crew, before-and-afters, everything.

Mistake 4: Wrong Category

If you're listed as a 'contractor' when you should be listed as a 'plumber,' Google won't show you for the right searches. Pick the most specific category that matches what you actually do.

Mistake 5: Ignoring Reviews

Not responding to reviews tells Google and your customers that you don't care. Even a bad review deserves a professional response. It shows you take feedback seriously.

Mistake 6: Not Posting Anything

Google's Posts feature is free. Use it. Show that your business is active. A job you've just finished, a new special, seasonal tips. Anything.

Mistake 7: Business Hours That Don't Match Reality

If Google says you open at 8am but you actually open at 8:30, people show up at the wrong time and think you're not there. Or worse, they think you're unreliable.

Mistake 8: No Description or Bio

You get a space to tell people what you do. Don't leave it blank. 'Licensed electrician serving inner west Sydney since 2010. Same-day emergency callouts. Free quotes.' That takes 30 seconds and gives people confidence.

Mistake 9: Website Link Is Missing or Wrong

People want to go to your site. Make sure it's there and that it's actually your site.

Mistake 10: Duplicate Listings

If you have multiple profiles for the same business (which is surprisingly common), Google gets confused about which one to rank. Claim your listing and merge any duplicates.

Fixing all 10 of these takes a couple of hours. And it's the difference between showing up for every local search in your area and being invisible.