The short version
- The first job is your Google Business Profile, with General contractor or Remodeler as the main category, your home address hidden and the towns you work in listed as your service area.
- Homeowners plan a remodel for months before they call, so a page that shows real local projects, a cost range and the permit steps for each job type brings in buyers early.
- Ask every client for a Google review at the final walkthrough, and never pay for reviews or ask only the clients you know are happy.
- Put your contractor license number on your website and in your ads, because some states require it and homeowners check it before they let a crew into their house.
- Share of homeowners who renovated in 2025 and hired a professional, with 29% hiring a general contractor.
- 91%
- Houzz
- Average time homeowners spent planning a kitchen project before construction, which then took 5.8 months on average.
- 9.5 months
- Houzz
- Share of consumers who used ChatGPT or other AI tools for local business recommendations, up from 6% the year before.
- 45%
- BrightLocal
Build your SEO plan for contractors
Choose what to tackle first. Your business details fill the templates, and completed checklist tasks leave your next-task list.
Your next tasks
1
Fix your Google Business Profile
Your profile decides whether you show in the map results for "general contractor near me" and "bathroom remodel near me". Most remodelers work from home or a shop that clients never visit, and Google has rules for that setup.
Start here: Go to business.google.com and open your profile. Estimated time: 30 min.
2
Show your license and insurance where people look
Homeowners search for "licensed general contractor near me" because they are afraid of unlicensed crews. In California, the CSLB requires your license number in all advertising, including websites.
Start here: Add your license number, license type and state to your website footer so it shows on every page. Estimated time: 20 min.
3
Ask your last 10 clients for a Google review
People who plan a $20,000 remodel read reviews closely, and most want to see recent ones. Past clients from the last year are the easiest reviews to get.
Start here: In your Business Profile, select Read reviews, then Get more reviews, and copy the review link. Estimated time: 40 min.
Your personalized template
Paste into the description field of your Google Business Profile. Do not add links, prices or sale offers, which Google does not allow there. Fill the bracketed details with your own facts.
Google Business Profile description
Your Business is a licensed general contractor serving homeowners in Your City and nearby towns. We remodel kitchens, bathrooms and basements, build home additions and handle whole-home renovations. One project manager runs your job from the first visit to the final walkthrough, and we pull every permit the work needs. You get a written, line-item estimate before work starts and a schedule you can check each week. Our crews clean up at the end of every day because you live in the house while we work. License number [license number]. Call us or send a message to book an in-home estimate.
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Take the plan with you
Download your profession's tasks and templates. Your choices stay in this browser.
What the search data tells contractors
Aranx compared this page's 14 selected searches. Use the counts to compare customer needs, then choose a topic that fits what you offer. National counts do not tell you how many customers you can reach in your own service area.
Compare searches from people ready to act
- general contractor near me
- 135,000
- bathroom remodel near me
- 90,500
- kitchen remodel near me
- 74,000
These are the largest reported action searches in this sample, measured as average monthly US searches. A larger count does not mean a page is easier to rank. Match the page to the customer's actual question and your ability to help.
Use seasonality to decide when to prepare
For "general contractor near me", September 2025 had 165,000 searches. November 2025 had 90,500. The peak was 1.8 times the low. Compare this pattern with your own season and customer history before scheduling content.
Sources, method and limits
Prepared by Aranx. Search source: Google Ads search volume via DataForSEO, United States, August 2026. We rechecked all 416 distinct customer queries across the 30 playbooks on October 13, 2026. Location: United States. Language: English. Search partners are excluded.
This is an editorial sample, not a complete list or a survey of businesses. Google Ads counts are approximate and can group similar phrases. Ad prices vary by place, time and advertiser. They do not measure organic ranking difficulty or expected revenue.
The seasonal comparison divides the highest monthly count by the lowest in the series. The action-search comparison sorts the reported average monthly counts for searches labeled ready to act. These are Aranx calculations, not customer results.
Download the source data for all playbooks or read the source metric definitions.
Cite this analysis: Aranx, "SEO for contractors: search demand analysis", October 13, 2026. Permanent link.
Measure booked jobs over 90 days
Download the results worksheet from the planner. Record your baseline before changing anything. Track website search clicks, inquiries and booked jobs in separate columns.
Use Search Console for website search clicks. Record the source people report and the outcome you can confirm. A click count alone does not show whether more people chose your business.
Note changes to pages, ads, pricing, availability and seasonality. Review the pattern after 90 days and choose your next task. Keep customer names and contact details out of the worksheet.
What your customers type into Google
These are real searches people make when they need contractors. The last column is what businesses pay Google for one ad click. When your page ranks on its own, you get that click for free.
| What they type | What they want | Searches a month | Ad price per click |
|---|---|---|---|
general contractor near me Ready to hire | Ready to hire | 135,000 | $9.31 |
bathroom remodel near me Ready to hire | Ready to hire | 90,500 | $32.29 |
kitchen remodel near me Ready to hire | Ready to hire | 74,000 | $17.68 |
kitchen remodeling contractors Ready to hire | Ready to hire | 60,500 | $13.66 |
home remodeling contractors Ready to hire | Ready to hire | 33,100 | $14.43 |
remodeling contractors near me Ready to hire | Ready to hire | 27,100 | $11.12 |
how much does a bathroom remodel cost Looking for answers | Looking for answers | 9,900 | $12.57 |
how much does a kitchen remodel cost Looking for answers | Looking for answers | 6,600 | $7.52 |
basement remodeling near me Ready to hire | Ready to hire | 6,600 | $21.75 |
home addition contractors near me Ready to hire | Ready to hire | 4,400 | $13.94 |
home addition cost Looking for answers | Looking for answers | 3,600 | $8.26 |
licensed general contractor near me Comparing options | Comparing options | 2,900 | $12.18 |
basement finishing cost Looking for answers | Looking for answers | 2,900 | $12.91 |
questions to ask a contractor Comparing options | Comparing options | 260 | $0.65 |
Google Ads search volume via DataForSEO, United States, August 2026.
When people search for “general contractor near me”
Searches fell to 90,500 in November and December, then climbed back to 165,000 by February, so post new project photos and update your service pages in early January.
Busiest month: September 2025 with 165,000 searches.
Your first week: five tasks
Start here. None of these needs a developer. Tick each task when it is done. Your progress stays in this browser.
0 of 5 done
Fix your Google Business Profile
30 min
Your profile decides whether you show in the map results for "general contractor near me" and "bathroom remodel near me". Most remodelers work from home or a shop that clients never visit, and Google has rules for that setup.
- Go to business.google.com and open your profile.
- Select Edit profile, then Location, and turn off Show business address to customers if clients do not come to your office.
- Next to Service area, select Edit and add the towns or ZIP codes you work in. Google allows up to 20, within about 2 hours of driving from your base.
- In Edit profile, set your main category to the one that best describes the business, such as General contractor or Remodeler, and add only a few more.
- Write your business name exactly as it appears on your truck and your contracts. Do not add words like "Best Kitchen Remodeling" to the name.
Show your license and insurance where people look
20 min
Homeowners search for "licensed general contractor near me" because they are afraid of unlicensed crews. In California, the CSLB requires your license number in all advertising, including websites.
- Add your license number, license type and state to your website footer so it shows on every page.
- Add a line about your liability insurance and workers comp coverage on your contact page.
- Check your state licensing board for advertising rules. California, for example, bans advertising that you are bonded and limits ads to the trades your license covers.
- Put your license number in your Google Business Profile description and on your estimate form.
Ask your last 10 clients for a Google review
40 min
People who plan a $20,000 remodel read reviews closely, and most want to see recent ones. Past clients from the last year are the easiest reviews to get.
- In your Business Profile, select Read reviews, then Get more reviews, and copy the review link.
- Text the link to every client you finished a job for in the last 12 months, not only the ones you think are happy.
- Use the review request template on this page and add the project type so the client remembers the job.
- Reply to every new review within two days. Name the project type and town, but never the street or the price.
Upload 20 photos of finished local jobs
45 min
Remodeling is a visual buy. Real photos of your own work in local homes answer "can they do my kind of job" before the homeowner calls.
- Pick your 5 best recent jobs, with at least one kitchen, one bathroom and one basement or addition if you do them.
- Choose 3 to 5 photos per job, including a before photo where you have one.
- Upload them to your Google Business Profile and add the same photos to your website gallery.
- Name each file in plain words before you upload it, for example "kitchen-remodel-oak-park.jpg".
- Ask the homeowner before you post photos that show the outside of the house or anything personal.
Claim Houzz, NARI and your other contractor listings
1 hour
Homeowners compare contractors on Houzz, Angi, the BBB and Nextdoor, and AI tools read these sites too. Mismatched names or old phone numbers make you look less reliable.
- Search your business name on Houzz, Angi, BBB, Nextdoor and Yelp and claim each profile you find.
- Write your business name, address and phone number the same way on every site as on Google.
- Add your license number, service towns and 5 project photos to each profile.
- If you are a NARI member, check that your listing in the NARI Find a Remodeler directory is current.
Your 90-day SEO plan for contractors
After the first week, work through one phase at a time. Most businesses see their Google Business Profile move first and their website pages later.
Weeks 1 to 2
Get found and look legitimate
Show up correctly in Google Maps and give homeowners proof that you are licensed, insured and local.
- Finish the five first-week tasks above.
- Add your services to your Business Profile, one per job type, such as kitchen remodeling, bathroom remodeling, basement finishing and home additions.
- Make sure your phone number on the website is tappable on a phone and goes to someone who answers.
- Set up Google Search Console for your website so you can see which searches bring visitors.
- Write down where your last 20 jobs came from so you can compare later.
Weeks 3 to 4
Build one page per job type
Give each kind of project its own page so Google can match it to searches like "basement remodeling near me".
- Write a page for each main job type using the project page outline template on this page.
- Add the price range of your last 10 jobs of that type, even if it is wide.
- Explain which permits your town requires for that work and that you pull them.
- Add 3 to 6 photos of local jobs of that type to each page.
- Link each page from your homepage and from your Google Business Profile services.
Month 2
Answer the questions homeowners ask while they plan
Reach homeowners in the months they spend planning, before they ask anyone for a bid.
- Write two cost posts, such as "How much does a bathroom remodel cost in {city}" and "Basement finishing cost in {city}", using your own job data.
- Write a post on the permits your town requires for kitchens, baths and additions.
- Post one finished project to your Google Business Profile each week with a short write-up.
- Text a review request to each client the day of the final walkthrough.
- Add a short FAQ to each service page with questions clients asked you this month.
Month 3
Build local trust and measure
Get mentioned on other local sites and see which pages bring in estimate requests.
- Ask your cabinet, tile and countertop suppliers to list you as an installer or link to a project you did with their product.
- Offer a short talk or article on remodel planning to a local homeowners association or neighborhood newsletter.
- Check Google Search Console for searches where you show up but rarely get clicks, and rewrite those page titles.
- Compare where this month's leads came from with the list you made in week one.
- Update your cost pages if your prices changed.
Copy-paste templates
Edit the parts in brackets, then paste. Each template follows the platform's rules and character limits.
Fill in your details once. Every template updates.
Google Business Profile description
Paste into the description field of your Google Business Profile. Do not add links, prices or sale offers, which Google does not allow there.
Your Business is a licensed general contractor serving homeowners in Your City and nearby towns. We remodel kitchens, bathrooms and basements, build home additions and handle whole-home renovations. One project manager runs your job from the first visit to the final walkthrough, and we pull every permit the work needs. You get a written, line-item estimate before work starts and a schedule you can check each week. Our crews clean up at the end of every day because you live in the house while we work. License number [license number]. Call us or send a message to book an in-home estimate.
593 characters
Review request text message
Text this to every client on the day of the final walkthrough. Send it to all clients, not only the happy ones.
Hi [first name], this is [your name] from Your Business. Thank you for trusting us with your [project] in Your City. If you have a minute, would you share how it went on Google? Honest feedback helps other homeowners. [review link]
231 characters
Reply to a negative review
Post as your public reply to a negative Google review. Never mention the client's street, contract amount or private details.
Hi [reviewer name], thank you for telling us about this. We take delays and cleanup problems on any Your City project seriously. To respect your privacy, we will not discuss your home or your contract here. Please call me directly at [phone] so we can go over what happened and how we can fix it. [Your name], owner, Your Business
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Project page outline
Use as the plan for each job type page on your website, such as kitchen remodeling or basement finishing.
Page title. [Project type] in Your City | Your Business Headline. [Project type] in Your City 1. What you do. Two or three sentences on the [project type] work you take on in Your City. 2. Recent projects. 3 to 6 photos of local jobs, each with the neighborhood, the scope and how long it took. 3. Cost range. The price range of your last 10 [project type] jobs and what moves a price up or down. 4. Timeline. Design, permits and build time, step by step. 5. Permits. Which permits Your City requires for this work and who pulls them. 6. Proof. License number, insurance, years in business and 2 or 3 client reviews. 7. Questions. 4 to 6 questions clients asked you this year, with short answers. 8. Next step. Your phone number and a short estimate form.
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Google post for a finished project
Post as an update on your Google Business Profile after each finished job, with 3 to 5 photos.
Finished this week, a [project type] in [neighborhood], Your City. The owners wanted [one sentence on the problem]. We [two or three things you did]. The job took [number] weeks, including permits and final inspection. See more Your City projects from Your Business on our website.
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12 blog posts your customers are searching for
Each post answers a question people ask Google before they choose a business. One helpful post a week adds up to a site that ranks for hundreds of searches.
How much does a bathroom remodel cost in {city}?
Search: “how much does a bathroom remodel cost”Looking for answers
How much does a kitchen remodel cost in {city}? Our last 10 jobs
Search: “how much does a kitchen remodel cost”Looking for answers
Basement finishing cost in {city}, from bare concrete to a finished room
Search: “basement finishing cost”Looking for answers
What does a home addition cost, and is it cheaper than moving?
Search: “home addition cost”Looking for answers
Do you need a permit to remodel a bathroom in {city}?
Search: “do i need a permit to remodel a bathroom”Looking for answers
12 questions to ask a contractor before you sign
Search: “questions to ask a contractor”Comparing options
How to check that a general contractor is licensed in [state]
Search: “licensed general contractor near me”Comparing options
General contractor or handyman? Who should do your project
Search: “general contractor vs handyman”Comparing options
How much does a general contractor charge, and what is in the markup?
Search: “how much does a general contractor charge”Looking for answers
How long does a kitchen remodel take, from first sketch to final inspection?
Search: “kitchen remodel near me”Looking for answers
The best time of year to start a remodel in {city}
Search: “home remodeling contractors”Looking for answers
How to live in your house during a kitchen remodel
Search: “kitchen remodeling contractors”Looking for answers
No time to write them?
Aranx finds the searches your customers make, writes posts like these in your voice with images and links, and publishes them to your WordPress or Shopify blog on a schedule you set.
See how Aranx worksHow to show up in ChatGPT and Google AI answers
Homeowners now ask ChatGPT and Google's AI answers things like "who is a good contractor for a small bathroom remodel in my town" or "how much does a basement finish cost near me". BrightLocal's 2026 survey found 45% of consumers used AI tools for local recommendations, up from 6% the year before.
These tools can only repeat what they can read. If your website never says "basement finishing in {city}" and never shows a price range, there is nothing about you for them to quote. Write one clear page per job type that names the towns you work in, your license number, your price ranges and the permit steps.
Keep your business name, phone number and service towns the same on Google, Houzz, Angi, the BBB and Nextdoor, and keep earning reviews that mention the project type. Reviews that say "they finished our kitchen in Maple Grove on schedule" give both people and AI tools specific facts about you.
Listings and directories to consider
Customers find you on these sites, and Google checks them to confirm your business details. Use the same name, address and phone number on every one.
Homeowners browse project photos on Houzz while they plan a remodel. A profile with real local projects puts you in front of them early.
NARI Find a Remodeler(opens in a new tab)
The National Association of the Remodeling Industry lists its members for homeowners. If you are a member, keep this listing current.
Many homeowners search Angi for remodelers and check reviews there. Claim your free profile even if you never buy leads.
Better Business Bureau(opens in a new tab)
Homeowners check the BBB before a large project. Make sure your profile shows the right name, license and service area.
Neighbors ask each other for contractor names on Nextdoor. A claimed business page lets them tag you in those threads.
Google Local Services Ads(opens in a new tab)
General contractor is an eligible category. These paid ads show above the map and you pay per lead, after Google checks your license and insurance.
Bing Places(opens in a new tab)
Bing Places controls how you show in Bing search and Bing Maps. You can import your Google profile instead of typing it again.
5 SEO mistakes contractors make
Showing a home address on Google
If clients never visit your office, hide the address in Edit profile and list your service towns instead. Google asks service-area businesses to do this.
One "Services" page for everything
A single page that lists kitchens, baths, decks and additions cannot match any one search well. Give each main job type its own page with its own photos and price range.
Stock photos of kitchens you did not build
Homeowners can tell, and it makes your real work look hidden. Use your own job photos, even phone photos, with the town in the caption.
Leaving off the license number
Some states, such as California, require it in all advertising, and homeowners look for it. Put it in your website footer and Google description.
Asking only happy clients for reviews
Google bans asking only for positive reviews, and the FTC rule on reviews bans paying for reviews that must be positive. Ask every client the same way.
Questions contractors ask about SEO
How long does SEO take for a contractor?
Fixes to your Google Business Profile can change your map results within a few weeks. New service pages and cost posts usually take three to six months to bring steady traffic, because Google needs time to trust a new page. Remodeling also has a long planning period, so a homeowner who finds your cost page in March may not call until summer. Track where each lead came from so you can see the effect over a full season.
Should I pay for Google Ads or work on SEO?
Ads bring calls the day you turn them on and stop the day you stop paying. In the Google Ads data on this page, one click on "bathroom remodel near me" costs $32.29 on average. SEO takes months but keeps working without a cost per click. Many remodelers run ads or Local Services Ads for their most profitable job type while they build pages and reviews for the rest.
Do I need a blog as a remodeler?
You need answers to the questions homeowners search while they plan, such as what a bathroom remodel costs or whether a permit is needed. Whether you call that section a blog does not matter. Two or three useful posts a month that use your own job data and local permit rules do more than weekly posts with generic tips. Start with cost and permit questions.
Should I list my license number on my website?
Yes. California's Contractors State License Board requires the license number in all advertising, including websites and online posts, and fines for violations can reach $5,000. Other states have their own rules, so check with your licensing board. Even where it is not required, homeowners search for licensed contractors, and a visible number answers that question before they call.
Are lead sites like Angi worth paying for?
Paid leads from lead sites are often sent to several contractors at once, so you compete on speed and price. A free, complete profile on those sites still helps, because homeowners read reviews there and the listing confirms your name and phone number. Many contractors keep the free profile and put their budget into their own website and Google profile, where the leads come only to them.
Can I create a Google profile for each town I work in?
No, not unless you have a real, staffed office in each town. Google allows one profile per business location, and virtual offices or mailboxes are not eligible. Instead, list up to 20 towns in your service area and write a project page for the towns where you do the most work, with real local jobs on each.
What should I do about a fake or unfair review?
If a review breaks Google's content rules, such as a review from someone who was never a client, you can flag it in your Business Profile for Google to check. For a real but unfair review, reply calmly in public, do not share details of the job, and offer to talk by phone. Future homeowners read your reply as much as the review.
Sources
- Houzz: Home Renovation Activity Held Steady in 2025; Slight Decline in Plans for 2026, Houzz Study Finds
- BrightLocal: Local Consumer Review Survey 2026
- California Contractors State License Board: CSLB Reminds Contractors to Include License Number on Vehicles and Advertisements
- Google Business Profile Help: Guidelines for representing your business on Google
- Google Business Profile Help: Manage your service areas for service-area and hybrid businesses
- Google Maps User Generated Content Policy Help: Prohibited and restricted content
- Federal Trade Commission: The Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule: Questions and Answers
- Google: Local Services Ads
Search data: Google Ads search volume via DataForSEO, United States, August 2026. Facts checked on .