Hiring online ? Get off Google.

Whether it’s a plumber, electrician, or faux painter – every business is now online, and the search is on to find the best one to hire in a neighborhood near you. And while typing in a search term or two in Google is a joy compared to paging through a phone book, the best way to find a quality service provider is to bypass Google altogether.

Once upon a time, several months ago, on my never ending “honey-do-list” I needed a faucet installed in my laundry room, and I needed a someone (plumber or handyman) locally that could fix it, preferably same day and reasonably priced.

The Hunt for Local Service Providers

1. Do a Google Search for local plumbers

I began my quest on Google, searching for half a dozen search terms that yielded thousands of links and ads all over page one of the search results. My search included words such as:

• Faucet installation Windermere
• Plumbers in Windermere
• Windermere Plumbers
• Plumbing company Windermere

So far, so good. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, and I spent the next few minutes scrolling through Google’s bounty.

After a quick look at first page of results, I decided to target three random types of search results and see which plumber offered the best deal. I chose:

• One Plumber from a Pay-Per-Click ad (PPC ad)
• One from Google Maps
• One from Organic search results

Having turned up my nose at the top Google search results, I opted for a niche search engine that few people know about and everyone needs Thumbtack.

Nextdoor is a free app that provides a kind of social media between neighborhoods. It allows users to see what’s happening in your community and information share with those who live close to you.

I was invited on the app from my neighbor a few months back, so I logged back in, and I posted about my search for a plumber/handyman, and within minutes I was bombarded with messages from people that live in my neighborhood and couple of surrounding areas. Within minutes I received messages from my neighbors, and they all had their favorite plumber/handyman, but two local companies were mentioned more times than the others, and one of them was Jim’s plumbing.

The Funny thing is that Jim’s Plumbing is a big plumbing company mostly working on new construction projects, the owner Jim had no idea how he was getting these calls but had dedicated a one man truck to go around and complete this one off projects. At minimum $150 per project they could complete about ten projects A DAY!!!!!!
And the crazy thing about this is that Jim spent 0 dollars in advertising. The Nextdoor App was helping Jim stack dollars, and he had no idea.

Niche Search Engines and Google Adapt to Local Searches

Niche search engines, such as Thumbtack and Nextdoor, bring the neighborhood experience online and help familiarize us with our local businesses so that we can replace anonymous online searches with a solid recommendation from someone we know and trust.

Unlike the strangers I’d plucked off the front page of Google’s search results, Jim was referred to me by a neighbor who lives in a house built by the same builder, who is in the same or similar financial standing with me, and who I talk to daily – so he knew (and I knew) that Jim was the guy I needed to call. I was also able to get price estimates before he ever showed up at my front door, which made the whole transaction smooth and easy because we’d both already pre-vetted each other ahead of time.

While niche search engines are earning significant followings, Google isn’t going to be left behind. You may have heard of Google personalized searches in which the search engine giant uses a browser’s cookie record to tailor the search results that a user is shown. In laymen’s terms, that means that your previous site visits influence what search results you’re shown in Google.

Why? Because Google believes that these personalized searches provide a better experience and will increase the likelihood that you find your search results to be relevant to what you were initially looking for.

Things get interesting when you use an Android device, which collects precise location data from your Android device’s current location and allows Google to provide local listings grouped with your search results using the Google Local platform featuring Zagat’s reviews and ratings.

Google My Business – a simply way to connect your business to Google search, Maps, and Google+ – is still critical regarding online visibility within local markets.

How companies can take advantage of niche apps

• Discover new online local business directories by talking to your customers.
  New web tools and apps are cropping up all the time, and itis difficult for a busy business owner to be on dozens of platforms at once. Keep up with the latest tools by asking your consumers how they discovered you and what search tools the like to use most. When I told Jim’s Plumbing that they were all over the internet in Nextdoor app, they had no idea! But now they know why they’ve gained loads of new clients from a single neighborhood. Talk, ask, and be active about incorporating new platforms.
  
• Give high-quality service
  Ensure your client is always, always happy. That means you have to manage expectations from day one, carefully set the scope of the project, establish boundaries, so that you and your client are on the same page and there is no room for customers to abuse the ability to ask for free additions.
  
• Push for live referrals
  Rethink how you close out your client projects and set yourself up to ask for references and testimonials. After receiving check create postcards explaining how to they can help by spreading the work in different apps. Send thank you notes and depending on size of a job maybe a $15-$20 gift card (trust me, it’s still cheaper than a PPC campaign). Create referral cards and politely explain to your client the importance of their reference to your business.
  

Online Local Business Directories You Need to Join NOW

Everyone turns to the internet to find trusted business recommendations, but Google has outgrown its usefulness when it comes to finding local businesses that are vetted by people you can relate to. Here are some online local business directories and listings for local marketing that can help you get discovered.

If your business is ready to drive consistent traffic and boost conversions, then look to other online marketing platforms. You can use specialized search engines that attract your target audience for specific reasons. Instead of relying on Google for general searches, you can use specialized search engines to help you bring your business to the next level.

If you are ready to drive online sales then contact our talented team of professional digital marketers today!

About the Author

Alex Alexakis

Twitter

SEO and Strategy lead at @westgatetravel and founder of Pixel Chefs, Orlando SEO and Digital Marketing Agency. I'm a web design and SEO addict serving a range of clients. Let's Work Together!