Facility managers search for commercial trades by service and urgency: "commercial HVAC repair near me", "industrial electrician Columbus". A contractor wins those searches with a page per service line, clear emergency availability, real service-area pages, licence details where the state requires them, and the same name, address and phone across the site and its Google Business Profile.
Commercial trades get two kinds of search traffic. Service calls ("rooftop unit down, need someone today") are urgent and very local. Project work ("commercial electrical contractor for a warehouse fit-out") is slower, involves several bidders, and depends on whether your site shows similar work.
Most trade sites are written for homeowners because that's what website templates assume. If you want commercial work, the site has to say so in every heading.
What do buyers type when they search for commercial trades?
These are the shapes of searches buyers use, drawn from search suggestions and results pages. They aren't measured volumes.
| Search | Who it is and what they want |
|---|---|
| commercial hvac repair near me / rooftop unit repair | Urgent service call. Wants availability and a phone. |
| industrial electrician [city] / commercial electrician near me | Service or project. Wants commercial experience, licences and response time. |
| preventive maintenance contract hvac [city] | Facility manager planning. Wants what a PM visit includes. |
| commercial refrigeration repair near me | Restaurants and food plants. Usually urgent. |
| electrical contractor for warehouse / tenant improvement | Project bidder. Wants relevant past projects described honestly. |
What does the map pack show, and how do you get into it?
In many trade categories Google also shows Local Services Ads above the map pack. Those are paid and verified separately; they don't replace the organic map pack. For the map pack itself, Google ranks on relevance, distance and popularity.
Trade contractors are usually service-area businesses. Keep the business name on your profile exactly as it is in real life. Google's guidelines don't allow adding keywords such as "HVAC Columbus" to the name, and edits like that are a common reason profiles get suspended.
Which pages does the website need?
One page per thing buyers search for, each with a title that names it. Example URLs are suggestions; use whatever fits your site, consistently.
- 1
One page per service line
/commercial-hvac-repairWhat you service, equipment brands, response times, after-hours policy.
- 2
Preventive maintenance
/preventive-maintenanceWhat a visit includes and how contracts work.
- 3
Industries served
/industriesWarehouses, food plants, offices: the buyer wants to see their kind of site.
- 4
Licences and insurance
/licensingState licence numbers where required, insurance and safety programs you actually run.
- 5
Service-area pages for real areas
/service-area/franklin-county-ohResponse times and local specifics per area.
Worked example: Keystone Mechanical (fictional)
Fictional business Columbus, OH. A commercial HVAC contractor whose site template talks about "keeping your family comfortable".
Before
- Homeowner-focused copy and stock photos of living rooms
- Business name on the profile edited to "Keystone Mechanical HVAC Columbus Ohio"
- No after-hours information
- Phone number not clickable
After
- Headings and pages rewritten for commercial service and maintenance
- Profile name restored to the real business name
- After-hours availability stated on the site and in the profile
- Tap-to-call phone in the header and footer
Mistakes we see most in commercial trades
- Keyword-stuffed business names on the profile.
- Residential template copy on a commercial contractor's site.
- A separate phone number for every page, so nothing matches.
- Publishing project photos you don't have permission to use.
Questions
Can we add our city and service to our Google Business Profile name?
No. Google's guidelines say the name should match your real-world business name. Adding keywords can get the profile suspended.
Are Local Services Ads the same as local SEO?
No. Local Services Ads are paid placements with their own verification. Local SEO covers the organic map pack and regular results.
Should commercial and residential work be on separate pages?
Yes, if you do both. The buyers ask different questions, and mixing them weakens both.