The first screen on a phone
A homeowner who taps through from Google decides fast whether to stay. Google Analytics does not even count a visit as engaged unless it lasts longer than 10 seconds, triggers a key event or reaches a second page. Your first screen has to win those seconds.
Put your trade and your area in the headline, a tap-to-call button and an estimate button within thumb reach, and one line of proof, such as your review rating or how long you have been licensed.
A page for each service you want calls for
A roofer who lists repairs, full replacements, gutters and storm damage on one page gives Google and customers one vague match. Separate pages let each service answer the questions people actually ask: what the job involves, what drives the price, how long it takes, which materials you use, and photos of that exact work.
Write them from your own experience. Google's guide to its AI search features favors unique, first-hand content over commodity tips anyone could produce, and a contractor who explains how they handle a rotted sill plate has something no template offers.
Where you work, said plainly
List the cities and townships you serve. Give your biggest markets their own pages only when you have something specific to say about working there, such as local permit steps, common house styles or jobs completed nearby. Google's spam policies name pages targeted at specific cities that funnel visitors to one page as doorway abuse, so a page that only swaps the town name is a liability.
Match the site to your Google Business Profile. Service-area businesses can list up to 20 service areas, and Google says the overall area should stay within about two hours of driving from where the business is based.
Proof that you can be trusted
Homeowners are letting you into their house and handing over a large check. Show them why that is safe:
- Your license and insurance. Michigan's rule for licensed residential builders and maintenance and alteration contractors requires the name, license number and actual business address, as shown on the license, in all advertising, and says a phone number or post office box alone is not allowed. Treat your website as advertising. Homeowners can check a license through LARA's online lookup.
- Real project photos, labeled with the service and the community.
- Reviews, ideally linked to your Google Business Profile so visitors can see they are genuine.
- Warranties, manufacturer certifications and financing options, if you offer them.
- Real faces: the owner and the crew, not stock models.
Contact options that actually work
A beautiful site that drops leads is worse than a plain one that delivers them. Cover these basics on every page:
- A phone number set up as a tap-to-call link.
- A short estimate form: name, phone, address or town, the service needed, and an optional photo upload.
- A clear line about what happens next and how quickly you respond.
- Every form tested by submitting it yourself and confirming the lead arrives in the right inbox.
- Calls and form submissions marked as key events in Google Analytics, so you can see which pages produce work.
What happens behind the page
Visitors never see these parts, but they decide how quickly your pages load and how well Google understands them. Aim to pass Google's Core Web Vitals on phones, add LocalBusiness structured data that matches what the page actually shows, and verify the site in Search Console so you can watch how it performs. Modern Apex hand codes contractor sites around all of these pieces, and the contractor owns the finished site and domain.
Related questions
Should I put prices on my contractor website?
Exact prices are hard when every job differs, but price ranges or the factors that drive cost help visitors decide to call and screen out poor fits. Explain what makes a job cost more or less and what your estimate includes.
Do I need a separate page for every town I serve?
No. List every community you serve, and build separate pages only for areas where you can say something genuinely useful about working there. Google's spam policies treat near-identical city pages that funnel visitors to one place as doorway abuse.
Do I have to show my license number on my website in Michigan?
Michigan's administrative rule for licensed residential builders and maintenance and alteration contractors requires the name, license number and actual business address in all advertising. Showing them on your website is the safe reading. Other trades have their own rules, so check with LARA or an attorney if you are unsure.
Do contractors need a blog?
Not to start. Service, area and project pages usually do more for calls. A blog earns its place when you have real expertise to share, such as how you handled a tricky job, and someone who will keep writing.
Sources
- Michigan Administrative Code R 338.1532: Advertising (Cornell LII)
- LARA: Find or verify a licensed professional or business
- Analytics Help: Engagement rate and bounce rate
- Google Search Central: Optimizing for generative AI features
- Google Search Central: Spam policies
- Business Profile Help: Manage your service areas
- Google Search Central: Local business structured data
- Google Search Central: Core Web Vitals