GBP Case Study – Launching Local SEO with Google Business Profile for a Home Improvement Specialist
How we boosted a Google Business Profile and generated first leads despite limited starting conditions and challenges
About the Project
A home-service specialist from Los Angeles reached out to promote their Google Business Profile (GBP) and generate organic traffic, as leads from Thumbtack were too expensive. The client understood that growing a GBP takes several months and was ready to commit to a long-term effort.
We started almost from scratch: before the project began, most leads came only from Thumbtack. The Google and Yelp profiles existed but were mostly empty — just a couple of reviews and a few photos, with no optimization or detailed information.
Looking ahead, the project was challenging. But projects like this push us to find new strategies and solutions, especially when working with limited resources.
Project Goal
We decided to begin with SEO optimization of the Google Business Profile and later Yelp, aiming to start receiving client calls directly from these platforms and generate sales with a decent average check. The goal was to move away from Thumbtack, which was providing expensive, low-quality leads mainly looking for the cheapest contractor.
Project Challenges — Weak Starting Point:
- High competition in the city + slow season
- Poor visual content (low-quality photos, few images, no video content)
- Instead of a proper website — an empty e-commerce template filled with lorem ipsum text
- No clients from other sources to generate monthly reviews or photo/video content
- The specialist’s English level was not sufficient for effective selling
- No license to run Google Local Service Ads as an additional lead source and for steady reviews
- No proven offer that stands out among competitors or attracts clients — no prior advertising or marketing efforts
- Limited budget for optimization and promotion
Despite these less-than-ideal conditions, Google Business Profile promotion can still start showing growth without a full website, many photos, or frequent reviews. It just requires more time and effort.
Services Used in This Project:
- Local SEO optimization of Google Business Profile
- Adding local citations
- Managing GBP and Facebook profiles
- Optimizing Yelp profile + adjusting advertising settings
- On-page SEO and creating local landing pages for main service areas
📍 Local SEO Results:
- +1,226% increase in GBP traffic almoust from zero: from 57 to 756 profile views for target keywords in the best month
- +20 target keywords ranking, including “painting services,” “exterior house painters valley village,” “painters near me”
- Featured the profile in the Local Pack for the neighborhood
- 4x increase in Yelp leads: after profile optimization and ad adjustments, monthly leads grew from 15 to 60 at the same ad spend
- Achieved +1,226% increase in profile visibility in the best month compared to the first, with an average +550% growth across all months
Important Note: Most of the work was done during a slow season. Starting promotion right before and during peak season always yields faster results and higher returns.
📋 What We Did with Google Business Profile Optimization:
- Proper Profile Setup — The Foundation of Visibility and Trust
- We picked extra categories to help the profile show up more often for the right search queries. This boosts reach, traffic, and clicks on the listing.
- We added the company’s founding date to show experience right off the bat — this builds trust with potential clients.
- We made a list of 20 nearby neighborhoods and towns to target customers within about a two-hour drive. People don’t want to wait forever for a pro — they want someone nearby. This helped improve rankings and conversions.
2. Photo and Video Work — Visual Touchpoints That Sell
- There was no video, so we uploaded real photos of completed jobs. We cleaned them up a bit to look nicer but kept them natural — Google favors authentic, live photos, which builds more trust (and leads to more calls).
- We optimized photos for SEO: added keywords, geotags, and adjusted size and file weight so they load fast even on slow internet. Otherwise, potential clients just bounce to a competitor. Small details like this can cost you multiple clients every month.
- We also gave the owner tips on what kinds of photos and videos to add — like shots of the pros working or close-ups of details customers care about. Photos aren’t just decoration, they’re a selling tool.
3. Content that doesn’t just fill space, but convinces
- We write unique posts tailored specifically for Google Maps with the right keywords and a focus on customer pain points. Social media posts don’t cut it here — people checking Google Maps are already close to choosing a contractor and ready to buy. You need to highlight your benefits and offers clearly.
- Post topics come from common client questions and doubts, so we remove objections and push for contact.
4. Behavioral factors — keeping people engaged boosts rankings
- We use tricks to keep users interacting with the business profile longer. More time spent on the listing improves behavioral signals, which Google Maps uses to rank higher. Basically, Google sees the profile as useful and interesting, so it bumps it up above competitors with less engagement.
5. Smart Review Responses — Using Every Opportunity to Sell
- We write detailed replies to reviews — adding keywords, emphasizing company strengths, mentioning bonuses or promotions, and inviting customers back.
This works like an extra “selling” touchpoint. Potential clients read reviews before choosing, so we turn reviews into a persuasion tool. - One-word or generic replies don’t help — they feel cold and uninterested.
6. Systematic Review Management — Beyond “On a Whim”
- We provided instructions on how to collect reviews. Getting reviews is tough for everyone, and most don’t want to bother with it. So we give a simple step-by-step process that encourages customers to leave meaningful reviews that will stick around for years and convince others to choose the business. (“Thanks, everything’s great” just doesn’t cut it.)
- If the client has the right tools or motivation, we set up automatic review collection.
- Reviews are huge for local SEO, but they’re hard to gather. We give a clear plan on how to get good ones, not just “thanks.”
7. Data-Driven Growth Strategy and Analytics
- We started focusing on specific services and low-competition keywords where it’s easier to break into the top spots quickly.
- We considered seasonality and chose keywords with active demand in the city.
- Growth was step-by-step: first local neighborhood, then nearby areas, doubling down where results showed up.
- We used competitor keywords that drove a lot of traffic from the Local Pack and Google Maps.
- After a temporary dip, we dove into the data, tested hypotheses, tweaked the strategy, and bounced back. That’s the beauty of monthly management — you don’t just hope for luck, you control the outcome. We tracked funnels and all metrics monthly.
8. Consistent Local Content and Website Support
- Local content (posts, photos, Q&A, reviews) was created based on what customers look for and what competitors are doing.
- Even without a clear offer, we pulled out a few of the client’s strengths from reviews and their input to stand out in content.
- We built a simple website to improve on-site SEO, boost the Google profile, and get extra growth on competitive keywords in the right neighborhoods.
Main focus was on the Local Pack and Google Maps rather than full website SEO since:
- Up to 60% of calls now come from these sources.
- These leads are “hot” — clients ready to order.
- Local Pack ranking has faster ROI and lower costs compared to traditional website SEO.
Why Google Maps?
Google Maps is the final stage of the sales funnel where the hottest leads come from. Competition for these users is fierce, so we meticulously optimize every detail and interaction. Missing out here means losing revenue to competitors.
Yelp Profile and Ads Optimization:
- Set up the Yelp profile and paid options, emphasizing strengths and mitigating weaknesses that might scare off clients.
- Optimized ads by cutting ineffective spend and focusing on key queries.
- Added priority and trending keywords weekly for SEO optimization.
- Provided recommendations for converting leads via messaging.
✨ Final Results:
- The project boosted key metrics and laid a solid foundation for growth during the busy season, plus we got the first leads coming in from a second source.
- And for us, this project uncovered a few new tricks that now work great in other campaigns, too. We also sharpened our approach to promoting businesses in the super competitive market.
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