Why Calgary Contractors Are Invisible on Google

Calgary’s construction industry generates billions in annual revenue, yet most contractors, trades companies, and home service providers have virtually no organic search presence. They rely on word of mouth, HomeStars, Kijiji ads, and maybe a few Google Ads — all of which stop generating leads the moment you stop paying or asking.

Meanwhile, the contractors who dominate Google’s Map Pack and organic results have built a pipeline that runs 24/7 without per-click costs. When a homeowner in Tuscany searches “basement renovation contractor Calgary” at 9 PM, the companies on page one get the inquiry. Everyone else doesn’t exist.

92% of homeowners research contractors online before making contact. If your website doesn’t rank, your Google Business Profile isn’t optimized, and your reviews are sparse — you’re invisible to the majority of potential customers actively looking to hire.

After working with residential and commercial contractors across Calgary, we’ve identified the specific SEO challenges that keep trades companies off Google — and the strategies that fix them.

The Challenges Unique to Contractor SEO

Seasonal search demand. Construction and trades searches in Calgary follow a sharp seasonal curve. Concrete, roofing, landscaping, and exterior painting searches spike from March through October and drop significantly in winter. Smart SEO strategy means building content authority during the off-season so you’re already ranking when the spring rush hits. By the time your competitors start thinking about marketing in April, you’re already sitting in the Map Pack.

Service area vs. fixed location. Most contractors serve a broad area — Calgary plus surrounding communities like Airdrie, Cochrane, Okotoks, Chestermere, and beyond. Google Business Profile allows service-area designation, but ranking in multiple communities requires targeted location pages and geo-specific content. A generic “we serve the Calgary area” line won’t rank in Airdrie searches.

Visual industry, text-light websites. Contractors naturally showcase work through project photos — which is excellent for conversions but insufficient for search engines. Google needs text to understand what you do. A gallery page with 50 project photos but no descriptive content is essentially invisible to search crawlers.

High-value trust signals. When someone hires a contractor to pour their foundation or reroof their home, the financial stakes are high. Google evaluates trust signals more aggressively for high-value services. Reviews, licensing verification, insurance documentation, and professional association memberships all feed into your search visibility and click-through rate.

Google Business Profile: Where Contractor Leads Come From

For trades companies, Google Business Profile is where the majority of leads originate. When someone searches “plumber near me” or “concrete contractor Calgary,” the Map Pack appears above all organic results — and that’s where homeowners click first.

We optimize every element of your GBP: primary and secondary categories (be specific — “Concrete Contractor” not “Contractor”), service items with descriptions and pricing where applicable, geo-tagged project photos uploaded regularly, weekly posts showing active job sites and completed projects, Q&A management, and a systematic review response strategy. For contractors serving multiple communities, we configure service area settings to capture traffic from Airdrie, Cochrane, Okotoks, Chestermere, and every community you actually serve.

Service-Specific Landing Pages

One of the most common mistakes we see on contractor websites is listing every service on a single page. That approach guarantees you rank for none of them. Google rewards pages that deeply address a single topic with relevant, comprehensive content.

We create dedicated landing pages for each major service you offer — residential concrete, commercial concrete, foundation repair, stamped concrete, garage pads, driveways, sidewalks, and so on. Each page targets a specific keyword cluster, describes the service in detail with Calgary-specific context, includes project photos with descriptive alt text, and answers the most common customer questions about that service. These pages become your ranking assets for years.

Location Pages for Surrounding Communities

If you pour concrete in Airdrie, you need an Airdrie-specific page that demonstrates your experience working in that community. The same applies to Cochrane, Okotoks, Chestermere, and every target community. These pages should not be thin clones — each must contain unique content that references local context, explains your service area coverage, and gives Google a reason to rank you for “[service] + [city]” searches.

Content That Answers What Homeowners Actually Ask

The blog content that generates leads for contractors isn’t trend pieces or industry news — it’s direct answers to the questions homeowners ask before they hire. “How much does a concrete driveway cost in Calgary?” “When is the best time to pour concrete in Alberta?” “How long does a foundation repair take?” “Do I need a permit for a basement development in Calgary?”

These are high-intent searches made by people with a credit card and a project timeline. Most contractors completely ignore this content. The ones who create it capture leads that their competitors never even see. We build content strategies around these revenue-driving questions, organized in topical clusters that build authority across your entire service offering.

Schema Markup for Construction Companies

Contractors should implement HomeAndConstructionBusiness schema (or the appropriate LocalBusiness subtype), Service schema for each service offering, AggregateRating schema pulling from Google reviews, and areaServed markup listing every city and community you serve. Proper structured data helps Google understand exactly what your business does, where you operate, and how you compare to competitors — and most contractor websites have none at all.

Review Strategy for Trades Companies

Reviews are a top-three local ranking factor, and they’re also the most influential trust signal for homeowners hiring contractors. A company with 80 reviews averaging 4.8 stars will consistently outrank and outconvert a competitor with 12 reviews, regardless of who does better work.

We build review generation systems that make it easy for satisfied customers to leave feedback — direct review links, QR codes on invoices, follow-up email templates timed to project completion. Consistent review velocity matters more than occasional bursts.

Trades We Serve

We work with Calgary contractors across every residential and commercial trade: concrete contractors, roofers, plumbers, electricians, HVAC technicians, landscapers, fencing companies, painters, renovation contractors, basement developers, and general contractors. Each trade has distinct search patterns, seasonal demand, and competitive dynamics — and our strategies are tailored accordingly.

Contractor SEO Pricing

SEO campaigns for Calgary contractors start at $1,000 per month for single-trade businesses in moderately competitive markets. Multi-service contractors or those competing in highly contested categories like roofing, plumbing, or general renovation typically require $1,500 to $3,000 per month. Every proposal is customized based on your competitive landscape, current website condition, service area, and growth objectives.

We also offer one-time SEO audits for contractors who want a professional assessment before committing to monthly services.

No long-term contracts. We earn your business every month.

Ready to fill your pipeline from Google? Contact us or call 403-386-7427 for a free contractor SEO audit.