Google TRACKS how fast you respond to reviews... and they're using that data to decide whether you should rank higher than your competitors. Yes, REALLY! (they also track if you answer your phone calls, and that affects your SEO too, but that's another topic... IE: get an AI Answering service!) Most contractors either don't respond at all or take a week to reply with something generic like "Thanks for the review!" Both approaches are costing you rankings... so costing you jobs... so costing you $! Google wants to show active businesses that engage with customers, not businesses that ignore feedback or treat reviews as a set-and-forget thing. When you respond within 6 or so hours, Google sees you as an active business that cares about customers and they rank you higher because of it.But speed isn't the only thing that matters… Most review responses are wasted opportunities because they don't include the service you did or the location you did it in. When someone leaves a review saying "Great service, very professional," your response should mention what you actually did for them. "Thanks Mary, we're glad we could help with your driveway cracks in Glenwood. Appreciate you trusting us!" Google scans your review responses for keywords just like they scan the reviews themselves. When you mention the service and location in your response, it reinforces to Google what you do and where you do it… Want me to do this for you? (I'll get you 20 reviews the first month, automatically) Post, send me a DM, or email me at [email protected] . If you're getting reviews but not responding within 24 hours with the right keywords… you're leaving rankings on the table.

Over the years I've found it really hard to get contractors to record their own videos for YouTube. However, with YouTube owned by Google, it's no surprise that videos do VERY WELL getting shown on page 1 when people type things like "driveway paving near me", or "garage door repair help". And they get watched! (even more if it's someone talking) People feel a connection with you, it increases trust, and turns into a phone call... especially if the video ends with "need help with your garage door? Give me a call at 312 560-u812!" They. Just. Get. Shown on page 1! (especially if you're smart with keywords etc) Would it be valuable to any of you if we provided this as a service? For example, we create and post a video per week of you actually talking on a roof, in a basement, etc.. It can actually look like YOU... but not be recorded by you, lol. (AI can do it once I have a model saved) This would most certainly get you calls... and a video on YouTube lasts forever! So after a year there are 50 of them etc.. Maybe we could do a test?

This is a group where contractors can get help from their peers and others in the areas of marketing, sales, fulfillment, and more. We also welcome providers and others posting tips and such, but posts that end with "dm me for info", "reply with 'help' for a free audit", or anything similar will be deleted.

Been building an AI receptionist for a US tree service company the last few months. One thing keeps surprising me: how much revenue never gets picked up. This company was missing about 50% of their calls. Not because anyone was slacking, but because the crew is in the field. Guys are on trucks, on-site, hands full. Homeowner calls at 2 PM, no answer, moves to the next name on the list at 2:02. Set up the AI to catch every call, qualify (scope, location, timing), and drop the job straight into their CRM. They're booking about 50% more jobs a month now. Roughly $20k+ per month in recovered revenue. Same crew, same ad spend. Curious for the roofers, HVAC folks, and tree service guys here: how much of your inbound do you think gets missed when your crews are out working? Would love to hear if 50% is normal or if we caught an outlier.

This 15-minute task can push you back on top! There's a setting on your Google Business Profile that most contractors get wrong... It's your PRIMARY category. It's surprising, but we see this mistake really commonly. For whatever reason, a lot of you guys pick the wrong main category, and don't list ANY sub-categories! Google makes you pick one main category for your business that tells their algorithm what you actually do... the main category, not "what else I can do". If you pick the wrong one, Google won't show you when people search for your services... and they guy down the street is taking your jobs because of it. Here's what this looks like : You're a carpenter, but you (or your nephew who "knows SEO") picked "handyman" as your primary category because you also do general repair work and you thought it would be more broad. When someone searches "carpenter near me" Google thinks you're a handyman and shows other carpenters instead. Or you're a landscaper, but you picked "landscape designer" because your work looks nice and it sounds fancier. When someone searches "landscaping near me," Google prioritizes businesses with "landscaper" as their category and shoves you down on page 3. Another one bites the dust! Most businesses pick a category that sounds right without checking what actually ranks. Would you cut a board without measuring? Here's how to fix it. Search your MAIN keyword on Google. It's probably: "something" NEAR ME. -Look at the top 10 businesses in the Map Pack. -Click on each one and check what primary category they're using. -If nine out of 10 have "carpenter" and you have "handyman", you're at a massive disadvantage. -Change your primary category to match what the top competitors use -Add your secondary services as additional categories. (this is important too!) So if you're a carpenter who also does handyman work, your primary should be "carpenter" and your secondary can be "handyman" or "drywall." This one change can move you from PAGE 3 to the TOP 3 in some areas, because Google finally understands what you actually do... damn your nephew!