SEO for contractors in plain English: remodel and build searches, project and service-area pages, GeneralContractor schema, Houzz, Angi and BBB citations, reviews, licence rules, and a checklist mapped to the We.Inc SEO panel.
<p class="lead text-xl text-[#3a3a3a] mb-8">SEO for contractors is about being found when a homeowner or property manager is planning a project, and then proving you have done that kind of work before. Contractor jobs are large and considered, so people compare portfolios, reviews and licences before they call. This guide covers the searches, the pages that answer them, the listings that matter, and a checklist for the We.Inc SEO panel.</p>
<h2>The short answer</h2> <ol><li>Verify a Google Business Profile with the category that fits your main work (General contractor, Remodeler, Kitchen remodeler, Deck builder).</li><li>Build one page per service (kitchens, bathrooms, additions, basements, decks) and add real project write-ups with photos.</li><li>Add GeneralContractor structured data and show your licence and insurance details.</li><li>List the business on Houzz, Angi, BBB and your local builders' association.</li><li>Ask for a review at project handover, and reply to every review.</li></ol> <p>Google says local results are ranked mainly on relevance, distance and prominence (see <a href="https://support.google.com/business/answer/7091" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Google's own explanation of local ranking</a>). You control relevance fully, prominence partly (reviews, links, mentions) and distance not at all. Everything below is aimed at the first two.</p> <p>This guide is about <strong>search</strong>. If you want help with the look and structure of the site itself, read our <a href="/blog/contractor-website-design">contractor website design guide</a> or the <a href="/website-builder/contractors">contractor website builder</a>.</p>
<h2>What your customers actually search</h2> <p>Contractor searches are mostly planned, not urgent. People search by project type, by place, and by trust signals.</p> <table> <thead><tr><th>Search type</th><th>Examples</th><th>The page that should answer it</th></tr></thead> <tbody><tr><td>Project + city</td><td>"kitchen remodel Denver", "home addition contractor Plano"</td><td>Service page with costs factors, process and past projects</td></tr><tr><td>Near me</td><td>"general contractor near me", "bathroom remodeler near me"</td><td>Business Profile and homepage</td></tr><tr><td>Trust</td><td>"licensed contractor [city]", "[company] reviews"</td><td>About page with licence, insurance, team and reviews</td></tr><tr><td>Research</td><td>"how long does a kitchen remodel take", "do I need a permit for a deck"</td><td>FAQs on service pages, or short guides</td></tr><tr><td>Commercial</td><td>"tenant improvement contractor", "office fit out"</td><td>Separate commercial page if you do that work</td></tr></tbody> </table> <p>Project pages are your strongest asset. A page titled "Kitchen remodel in Highland Park" with photos, scope and timeline answers both a searcher and a buyer.</p>
<h2>Project pages and service areas</h2> <p>Instead of generic city pages, contractors can use real projects as local proof. For each notable job: the town, the scope, the challenge, photos (with the owner's permission) and the time it took. Link each project to the matching service page. Then keep one "areas we serve" page listing your towns, and add a full town page only where you have several projects to show.</p> <p>Keep one rule in mind: Google's <a href="https://developers.google.com/search/docs/essentials/spam-policies#doorways" rel="noopener" target="_blank">spam policy on doorway pages</a> targets near-identical pages made only to catch city searches. A page earns its place when it holds something specific to that place or service.</p>
<h2>Google Business Profile for contractors</h2> <p>For most local searches the map results sit above the ordinary links, so the profile often matters as much as the site. If you have not set one up, follow our <a href="/guides/how-to-get-my-business-on-google">guide to getting your business on Google</a> first. Then, for a contractor:</p> <ul><li>Pick the primary category for the work that makes up most of your revenue; add others only if you really do them.</li><li>Service area rather than an address if clients do not visit your yard or office.</li><li>Upload project photos regularly, with short captions naming the project type and town.</li><li>Add each service with a description.</li><li>Use Business Profile posts for completed projects.</li></ul> <p>Stay inside Google's <a href="https://support.google.com/business/answer/3038177" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Business Profile guidelines</a>: your real business name with no added keywords or cities, and a real location or service area.</p>
<h2>Structured data: the GeneralContractor type</h2> <p>Use <a href="https://schema.org/GeneralContractor" rel="noopener" target="_blank">GeneralContractor</a> (a type of HomeAndConstructionBusiness). Specialists can use a closer type where schema.org has one, such as RoofingContractor, Electrician or Plumber. Google explains the supported properties in <a href="https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/structured-data/local-business" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Google's LocalBusiness structured data documentation</a>. Markup helps Google read your details; it does not guarantee any special display.</p> <pre><code>{ "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "GeneralContractor", "name": "Example Build & Remodel", "telephone": "+1-555-010-0000", "url": "https://www.example-build.com", "areaServed": ["Springfield", "Chatham", "Rochester"], "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "addressLocality": "Springfield", "addressRegion": "IL", "addressCountry": "US" } }</code></pre> <p>Replace every value with your own and check it with Google's Rich Results Test before you publish. On We.Inc, paste the block (inside a <code><script type="application/ld+json"></code> tag) into Custom Head Tags on the Advanced tab.</p>
<h2>Reviews: getting them and answering them</h2> <p>The best moment to ask is the walkthrough at handover, when the client is happiest. Ask them to mention the project type and town. Long projects produce detailed reviews; reply to each with thanks and one specific detail about the job, which reads as genuine.</p> <p>Two rules apply to every business: do not pay or reward people for reviews or filter out unhappy customers before asking (see <a href="https://support.google.com/contributionpolicy/answer/7400114" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Google's prohibited and restricted content policy for reviews</a> and <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/advertising-marketing/endorsements-influencers-reviews" rel="noopener" target="_blank">the FTC's guidance on reviews and endorsements</a>), and do not write reviews for yourself. The <a href="/tools/google-review-link-generator">Google review link generator</a> makes a short link you can put on invoices and follow-up texts.</p>
<h2>Directories and citations that matter for contractors</h2> <p>A citation is any listing of your name, address or area, and phone. Consistency is the point: the same name, phone and website everywhere. Start with the general ones (Google, Apple Business Connect, Bing Places, Yelp, Facebook), then the trade-specific ones:</p> <table> <thead><tr><th>Directory</th><th>Why it matters for a contractor</th></tr></thead> <tbody><tr><td>Houzz</td><td>Homeowners browse project photos here when planning remodels.</td></tr><tr><td>Angi and HomeAdvisor</td><td>Common comparison sites for home projects.</td></tr><tr><td>Better Business Bureau</td><td>Often checked before hiring for larger jobs.</td></tr><tr><td>Local builders' or remodelers' association</td><td>Membership directories give relevant local links.</td></tr><tr><td>Nextdoor and Thumbtack</td><td>Neighbour recommendations and quote requests.</td></tr></tbody> </table> <p>Check each directory's own terms before paying for anything. Many offer a free basic listing with paid lead or placement options on top.</p> <h2>Rules to respect</h2><p>Licensing rules differ by state, province and country, and some require the licence number on advertising, including websites. Check your licensing board, and do not claim licences, insurance or certifications you do not hold.</p>
<h2>The contractor SEO checklist, mapped to the We.Inc SEO panel</h2> <p>This is the part you can do in an afternoon. Each row says where the setting lives if your site is built on We.Inc. The SEO settings have four tabs (Meta Tags, Social, Analytics and Advanced), and every published site gets a sitemap and robots file automatically. The <a href="/help/article/seo-settings">SEO settings help article</a> walks through each tab, and <a href="/features/seo-tools">the SEO tools page</a> lists what is built in.</p> <table> <thead><tr><th>Task</th><th>What to enter for a contractor</th><th>Where in We.Inc</th></tr></thead> <tbody> <tr><td>Homepage title</td><td>"Kitchen & Bath Remodeling in Springfield | Example Build"</td><td>SEO settings, Meta Tags tab</td></tr> <tr><td>Homepage description</td><td>"Licensed and insured remodelers for kitchens, bathrooms and additions. See recent projects and request a written estimate."</td><td>SEO settings, Meta Tags tab</td></tr> <tr><td>Share image</td><td>Your best finished project photo, 1200 by 630 pixels</td><td>SEO settings, Social tab</td></tr> <tr><td>Structured data</td><td>A <code>GeneralContractor</code> JSON-LD block with your name, phone, address or area served, hours and website. Build it with the <a href="/tools/schema-markup-generator">schema markup generator</a>.</td><td>SEO settings, Advanced tab, Custom Head Tags</td></tr> <tr><td>Measurement</td><td>Your Google Analytics ID (starts with G-), so you can see which pages bring calls and form fills</td><td>SEO settings, Analytics tab</td></tr> <tr><td>Sitemap</td><td>Nothing to type. Submit <code>/sitemap.xml</code> in Google Search Console once the site is live.</td><td>Automatic on publish</td></tr> <tr><td>Page copy and new pages</td><td>One page per service and one write-up per notable project, linked together</td><td>The editor (or AI edits on a paid plan)</td></tr> <tr><td>Own domain</td><td>A domain you own, used on the site, Business Profile and every directory listing</td><td>Domain settings (paid plans)</td></tr> </tbody> </table> <p>Remember to republish after changing SEO settings; the new tags only go live on publish. Google shows your changes after it recrawls, which can take days or weeks.</p> <figure> <img src="/images/app/seo-1200.webp" alt="The SEO settings panel in the We.Inc builder, with the Meta Tags tab open" loading="lazy" width="1200" height="750" /> <figcaption>The SEO settings panel in the We.Inc builder.</figcaption> </figure>
<h2>An example contractor design</h2> <figure> <img src="/img/showcase/general-contractors-1600.webp" alt="Example general contractor website design made with We.Inc, with services and project photos" loading="lazy" width="1600" height="1000" /> <figcaption>Example design made with We.Inc, not a customer site. It shows the layout, not results.</figcaption> </figure> <p>Notice what the layout puts first: services, a project gallery and a clear estimate button. More layouts: <a href="/website-examples/general-contractors">general contractor website examples</a>.</p>
<h2>Mistakes that hold contractors back</h2> <ul><li>A gallery of unlabelled photos instead of project pages with words.</li><li>No licence or insurance information on the site.</li><li>Trying to rank for every trade at once rather than the work you want most.</li><li>Using stock photos of other people's projects.</li><li>Inconsistent business names across Houzz, Angi and Google.</li></ul>
<h2>Doing this on We.Inc</h2> <p>We.Inc builds the site; it does not do your SEO for you, and nobody can promise a ranking. What it gives a contractor is the plumbing in one place: editable titles and descriptions, a share image, Custom Head Tags for your GeneralContractor markup, an automatic sitemap and robots file, and analytics IDs.</p> <ul> <li><strong>Free plan:</strong> up to 3 template sites on a we.inc address. No AI credits and no custom domain, so it suits trying a layout, not your long-term address.</li> <li><strong>Starter, $20 a month:</strong> AI building and custom domains. This is the lowest plan where the checklist above fully applies, because you want your own domain on your Business Profile and citations.</li> <li><strong>Pro, $50 a month</strong> and <strong>Max, $99 a month:</strong> more room for AI generation. Credits are spent when the AI generates or edits, not when visitors view the site.</li> </ul> <p>Start from the <a href="undefined">contractor website builder page</a>, or browse <a href="undefined">contractor website examples</a> first. Agencies building sites for many contractors can look at the <a href="/white-label">white-label program</a>.</p>
<h2>Sources</h2> <ul> <li><a href="https://support.google.com/business/answer/7091" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Google Business Profile Help: Tips to improve your local ranking</a></li> <li><a href="https://support.google.com/business/answer/3038177" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Google Business Profile Help: Guidelines for representing your business</a></li> <li><a href="https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/structured-data/local-business" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Google Search Central: Local business structured data</a></li> <li><a href="https://developers.google.com/search/docs/essentials/spam-policies" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Google Search Central: Spam policies</a></li> <li><a href="https://support.google.com/contributionpolicy/answer/7400114" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Google Maps user contributed content policy</a></li> <li><a href="https://schema.org/GeneralContractor" rel="noopener" target="_blank">schema.org/GeneralContractor</a></li> </ul> <p>Links checked September 2026.</p>
A complete Google Business Profile, one page per service, and real project write-ups with photos and the town name, backed by reviews that mention the work.
GeneralContractor for general builders and remodelers. Specialists can use a closer type such as RoofingContractor, Plumber or Electrician.
They help most when they sit on a page with a written description: the project type, town, scope and timeline. Give each image a descriptive alt text.
If you do residential remodels, a free Houzz profile is a useful citation and portfolio. Paid Houzz options are a separate advertising decision.
Contractors sell fewer, larger, planned projects, so portfolio pages and trust signals matter more than emergency searches. Roofing and HVAC have more urgent "near me" demand.
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