How Google decides who shows up
Google says local results are based mainly on three things: relevance, distance and prominence. Relevance is how well your profile matches what the person searched. Distance is how far you are from them. Prominence is how well known you are, based on reviews, links and mentions across the web.
You cannot change distance, so the work is relevance and prominence.
Fix relevance first
Choose the most specific primary category, such as “Roofing contractor” rather than “Contractor”, and add every service you actually offer. Write a clear description and list the towns you serve. Make sure the name, address and phone number match your website exactly.
- Pick one accurate primary category
- List every service, with a short description
- Set your service areas honestly
- Keep your name, address and phone number identical everywhere
Build prominence
Reviews are the strongest signal you control. A steady flow of recent reviews, with replies from you, tells Google and customers that you are active. Photos of real finished jobs and regular posts add to that.
Your website matters too. A page for each service and each town gives Google more evidence of what you do and where.
Stay active
A profile you update every month beats one you set up once. Post job photos, answer questions and reply to every review. None of this is complicated, but most competitors skip it, which is why it works.