Try this right now: open Google and search for your business name. What shows up?
This is exactly what every potential customer sees when they check you out before calling. A referral from a friend, a follow-up after seeing your truck, or a second look after finding you on Angi — they all lead to the same Google search.
What they find determines whether they call or move on.
What Should Show Up
When someone Googles your business name, the ideal result looks like this:
Right side: Google Business Profile panel - Your business name, address, phone number - Star rating and review count (50+) - Business hours - Photos of your work - A “Call” button, “Directions” button, and “Website” link - Recent Google Posts showing you’re active
Top of results: Your website - Professional title with your business name and primary service - Meta description that tells customers what you do and where
Below that: Review sites - Yelp, BBB, Facebook pages with consistent information and positive ratings
NOT showing up: - Complaints or negative press - Competitors’ ads targeting your brand name - Outdated or incorrect business information - A blank or thin Google Business Profile
Common Problems (And How to Fix Them)
Problem: No Google Business Profile appears
This means you either haven’t claimed your listing or Google can’t verify your business. Fix: go to business.google.com, search for your business, and claim it. Verification takes 3-7 days via postcard or phone.
Problem: Wrong information (old address, wrong phone)
Outdated info is worse than no info. Fix: log into your Google Business Profile and update. Then check Yelp, Facebook, BBB, and any directories — update everywhere. Inconsistent information hurts your ranking and confuses customers.
Problem: Few or no reviews
A Google listing with 2 reviews and no star rating looks like a brand-new or unpopular business. Fix: start asking every customer for a review. Text them the link within an hour of completing the job.
Problem: No photos
A listing without photos looks abandoned. Google’s own data shows that businesses with photos get 42% more requests for driving directions and 35% more clicks to their website.
Fix: add at least 10 photos. Real photos of your work — not stock images. Include your team, your vehicles, your completed projects.
Problem: Competitor ads appear above your listing
Competitors can bid on your business name as a Google Ads keyword. When a customer searches “Acme Roofing,” they might see “AAA Roofing” as the first result with an ad.
Fix: you can either bid on your own name (usually cheap, $1-2/click) or focus on making your organic listing so compelling that customers skip the ads. Most people do skip ads — 70-80% of clicks go to organic results according to SparkToro.
Problem: Negative review is the first thing visible
One prominent negative review can tank your call volume, especially if it’s the most recent. Fix: respond to the negative review professionally (don’t get defensive), then generate 5-10 new positive reviews to push it down.
The “Second Look” Test
Many of your customers will Google you twice:
First look: When they first discover you (from a search, referral, or ad). They’re scanning for red flags.
Second look: After they’ve seen your quote or talked to you. They’re confirming their decision before committing.
Both looks need to be clean. If the first look has red flags, they don’t call. If the second look has red flags, they go with someone else even after you’ve given a quote.
One-Hour Audit You Can Do Yourself
- Google your business name. Screenshot the results.
- Google “your business name reviews.” Screenshot.
- Google “your service + your city” (e.g., “plumber San Antonio”). Are you in the results?
- Check your GBP: is everything complete? When was the last update?
- Check Yelp and Facebook: is info consistent with Google?
This exercise takes 15 minutes and tells you exactly what customers see.
Or save yourself the trouble and run our free audit — it checks everything automatically in 30 seconds.