7 steps to start showing up when clients Google “painters near me”

If you’re a painting business owner, you have probably heard of the importance of having a website, posting updates online, and even SEO (search engine optimization). But many painters don’t have a Google Business Profile. If that’s you, that mistake may be keeping you out of the top Google search results for your area—and it’s important to show up highly on Google.

When you type “painters near me” into Google, near the top will be a list of nearby businesses with their locations pinpointed on a map. You can click on any business in that list to get their website, a phone number to call, or their address and hours of operation. So how do you get your business to show up on that list?

You need a Google Business Profile.

“Google is really where the buyer intent exists,” says Austin Houser from Base Coat Marketing in the “Marketing 101” PRO+ Training webinar. “People go on there to search for painting businesses, so the close ratios over there are going to be significantly higher than the ones you would find on social media as a result. Google is a place where you can acquire leads without paying for leads.”

If you don’t have a Google Business Profile yet, it’s free and easy to set one up today. Just follow these steps.

Set Up Your Account

1. Sign into Google using your Gmail account. If you don’t have one, you’ll need to create one.
2. Follow this link to create a profile. In the text field, enter your business’ name. If a listing for that business doesn’t already exist (and it probably won’t), click “Create a business with this name.”
3. Search for your business category (“Painting” will be correct for most readers), then hit “Next.”
4. You’ll have to say whether your business has a location customers can visit. If you have a storefront that’s staffed during business hours, click “Yes,” and enter your business’ address. Otherwise, click “No.”
5. Enter the area your business services.
6. Enter your phone number and website URL, then hit Finish.
7. Last but not least, verify your account. An unverified business won’t show up in search results. To verify, find the red banner at the top of your screen and click “Verify Now.” Choose the option that works best for you, then follow the onscreen instructions. Once done, you’ll be notified that your business is verified. Now your business should show up in Google search results!

What’s Next?

While your business should show up in the list now, that doesn’t mean your work is done. To stand out from the other entries in the list, cultivate it over time. Fill in any missing information—such as hours, contact information, and services offered—to give potential clients a full picture of your business.

After that, ask current and former customers to leave reviews. The more reviews you get and the higher average rating you receive, the more Google will spotlight your business and the more leads you’ll generate. Just don’t juice your listing with fake reviews; if you get caught, your business will get punitively buried in the search results.

Building your digital footprint organically is just a few steps away. So what are you waiting for?

Houser says, “If you don’t have a Google Business Profile yet, go get one today!”