If you’re a plumber, roofer, or auto repair shop owner here in Connecticut, you’ve probably heard this advice a hundred times: get more reviews. And reviews do matter. But here’s something most business owners don’t know. Reviews are only one small part of what Google looks at. And they’re not even the biggest part.
There’s a well-known yearly study called the Local Search Ranking Factors survey. It asks dozens of SEO experts what actually helps a business show up in Google’s map results, the “Local Pack” you see when you search something like “plumber near me.” In the 2026 version of this study, one thing stood out above everything else. Your primary Google Business Profile category is the single biggest factor in whether you show up at all. It matters more than reviews. It matters more than your website. And picking the wrong category is one of the fastest ways to disappear from search results completely.
So if you’ve been spending all your time asking customers for reviews while ignoring your category, your profile details, and how active your listing looks, you might be missing the bigger opportunity. Here are three things worth focusing on that go beyond the reviews tab.
1. Get Your Category Right
Your “primary category” is the label that tells Google what kind of business you are. Think of it as the first thing Google checks before it even looks at anything else. If your category is too general, like picking “Contractor” instead of “Roofing Contractor,” Google may never show your business for the exact searches your customers are typing in.
This one setting can make or break your visibility. Here’s what to do about it.
- Pick the most specific category that fits your main service. If most of your work is drain cleaning, choose that instead of the more general “Plumber” category.
- Add secondary categories for your other services. If you run an auto shop that also does emissions testing or sells tires, list those too. Each one is a chance to show up in more searches.
- Check your categories every few months. Google adds and changes categories over time. What made sense a year or two ago might not be your best option anymore.
Fixing your category is often the fastest way to start showing up for searches where you’re currently invisible. And it doesn’t cost a thing.
2. Fill Out Your Whole Profile
A lot of Connecticut home service businesses set up their Google profile once, years ago, and never touch it again. That’s a missed opportunity. Businesses with a fully filled-out profile get far more clicks and calls than those with just the basics filled in.
Here are the sections worth revisiting today:
- Your services list. Don’t just list one or two things. If you’re a roofer who also does gutters and storm damage repair, list every service separately. Each one is another way for customers to find you.
- Your business description. Write this in plain, everyday language, the same words your customers would use when searching. Skip the industry jargon.
- Photos. Businesses with a good library of real photos tend to get more clicks and calls than those with just a couple of pictures, or none at all. Real photos of your team, your trucks, and finished jobs work better than stock images you find online.
- Your hours, including holidays. If your hours are wrong or out of date, you’re losing calls from people who think you’re closed when you’re actually open.
None of this takes money. It just takes sitting down with your profile for an hour, like you’re setting up a storefront window for people walking by.
3. Show Google You’re Still Active
This is the part most business owners skip completely. A Google Business Profile isn’t something you set up once and forget about. Google tends to favor businesses that show ongoing signs of life. That means fresh photos, regular updates, and quick responses to reviews and questions.
Here’s how to keep your profile looking active:
- Post updates regularly. This can be as simple as a recent job you finished, a seasonal reminder (like getting your furnace checked before a Connecticut winter, or your AC serviced before summer), or a short-term special. Businesses that post often tend to show up in top map positions more than businesses that never post at all.
- Add new photos regularly, not just once. A steady stream of fresh photos performs better than an old photo album that hasn’t been touched in years, even if those older photos are still good ones.
- Respond to every review, the good and the bad ones. This does two things at once. It tells Google your business is active and paying attention. And it shows potential customers that you actually care about their experience.
None of this means you should stop asking for reviews. Reviews still matter a lot, especially for building trust once someone has already found you. But here’s the key point to remember. Reviews only help you after Google has already decided to show your business in the first place. Your category, your completed profile, and how active you look are what get your foot in the door. Reviews are what help you close the deal once you’re already in the room.
If you haven’t touched your Google Business Profile since the day you set it up, that’s the best place to start. Before you spend another minute chasing more reviews, take an hour to fix your category, fill in the gaps, and post something new. It might be the highest return on your time you get all month.
Ready to Fix Your Google Business Profile?
If reading this made you wonder what your own profile actually looks like right now, that’s a good sign. Most Connecticut business owners haven’t looked at their category, their service list, or their photos in years, and it shows in how often they get found.
You don’t have to figure this out alone. At Elvin Web Marketing, we help local plumbers, roofers, auto shops, and home service pros across Connecticut get their Google Business Profile working the way it should, from picking the right category to keeping your listing active month after month.
Want a free look at your profile? Reach out to us today, and we’ll tell you exactly where you’re losing visibility and what to fix first.
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