Where Customers Look for Home Services Businesses Online
If you’re a new home services business (plumber, electrician, HVAC, landscaper, cleaner, roofer, handyman), your customers are already looking for you—just not only on your website. They compare you across search, maps, reviews, community recommendations, and “get a quote” marketplaces.
The good news: you don’t need to be everywhere. You need to be credible in the handful of places people actually check.
Summary
Best for: new local service businesses that need leads fast and long-term trust
Fastest win: set up and optimize Google Business Profile + ask for reviews this week
Simple rule: Be easy to verify (photos, hours, reviews, consistent info) wherever people look
The “Big 5” places homeowners check first
Most homeowners start with Google (Maps/Search), then quickly validate you on 1–3 other sources: reviews, a community recommendation, or a quote marketplace. Google’s local results emphasize relevance, distance, and prominence/popularity.¹
1) Google Business Profile (GBP) — the default starting line
Your Google Business Profile powers your presence in Google Maps and many local results. If you do nothing else, do this.
- Must-have for: every home services business (especially urgent services like plumbing/HVAC)
- Why people use it: “near me” intent, map results, quick calls, hours, directions
- What wins: accurate categories, service areas, photos, recent reviews, and consistent business info
The “proof” platforms: reviews + trust signals
These are where customers go after Google to answer: “Can I trust them?”
Yelp — strong for discovery + credibility in many cities
Yelp describes itself as a platform used by “millions of people” to find local businesses.²
It can matter more in some metro areas and certain categories (cleaning, restaurants, salons), but it still influences perception for many service pros.
- Must-have for: cleaning, moving, painters, general contractors (varies by city)
- Best use: a complete profile + steady review collection + fast responses
BBB — trust badge, not usually a lead engine
Better Business Bureau is less about browsing and more about risk reduction (“Are they legit? Any complaints?”).
- Must-have for: higher-ticket trust categories (roofing, remodeling, water/fire restoration)
- Best use: consistent business identity + clear complaint resolution posture
The “get me quotes” marketplaces
These platforms are built around matching homeowners to service pros, often with lead fees. They can produce leads quickly, but you’ll want tight controls so you don’t overpay.
Angi — marketplace + directory for home services
Angi is positioned as a home services marketplace with a large network of pros (commonly cited as ~200k professionals across hundreds of categories).³
- Must-have for: businesses that can handle paid leads + fast follow-up (HVAC, plumbing, roofing, remodeling)
- Best use: treat it like a funnel: response speed + job type filtering + track ROI by job
Thumbtack / HomeAdvisor / similar lead platforms
Different brands lean differently (some skew toward small jobs, some toward bigger projects). The universal truth: speed wins. If you respond in minutes, you get the job; if you respond tomorrow, you paid for nothing.
- Must-have for: high capacity teams that want volume now
- Best use: guardrails (service radius, job types, hours, budget minimums)
Community recommendation engines
These can be surprisingly powerful for home services because people trust neighbors and local groups.
Nextdoor — neighborhood trust and “who do you recommend?”
Nextdoor has reported tens of millions of weekly active users (40.4M cited in coverage of company results).⁴
- Must-have for: landscaping, handyman, cleaning, pet/yard services (great for repeat work)
- Best use: local posts, before/after photos, neighbor referrals, and quick responses
Facebook — local groups + business page = referrals
Local Facebook groups are basically digital word-of-mouth. People post “Looking for a plumber/electrician” and the comments fill instantly.
- Must-have for: almost all categories (especially family/household recurring services)
- Best use: join local groups, post helpful tips, ask happy customers to comment/tag you
Side-by-side: where to show up (and why)
| Platform | What it’s best at | When it’s a must-have |
|---|---|---|
| Google Business Profile | high-intent local discovery + calls + maps | everyone, especially urgent services |
| Yelp | credibility + review validation in many metros | varies by city; often cleaning/moving/GC |
| BBB | trust signal + complaint history | high-ticket + “trust-sensitive” categories |
| Angi / lead marketplaces | fast lead volume (paid) | if you can respond fast + track ROI |
| Nextdoor | neighbor referrals + local trust | recurring neighborhood services |
| Facebook (Groups + Page) | word-of-mouth at scale | most local businesses |
Tip: If you only have time for two, do Google Business Profile + one community channel (Facebook groups or Nextdoor) while you build reviews.
A simple launch plan for a new home services business
Don’t try to “market.” Try to get verified and get reviews.
- Set up Google Business Profile — correct categories, service areas, hours, phone, website
- Add proof fast — photos of work, truck, team, insurance/license info (where appropriate)
- Pick 1 review platform — Yelp or BBB depending on your category/city
- Pick 1 community channel — Facebook groups or Nextdoor
- Add a review capture tool — QR card + follow-up text/email asking for a review (make it easy)
Common mistakes vs quick fixes
| Common mistake | Quick fix |
|---|---|
| Spreading thin across 10 platforms with half-complete profiles | Fully complete Google + 2 others first |
| Not responding quickly to leads | Set a “respond within 5 minutes” workflow or auto-reply + callback |
| Inconsistent business name/address/phone across sites | Standardize your contact info everywhere (exact match) |
| Asking for reviews awkwardly | Ask when the customer is happiest and make it one tap (QR + short message) |
Final recommendation
Start simple:
- Set up and optimize Google Business Profile this week (photos + categories + hours)
- Choose one proof platform (Yelp or BBB) and commit to building reviews there
- Choose one community channel (Nextdoor or Facebook groups) and show up weekly
If you tell us your business type (e.g., HVAC, cleaning, landscaping) and your city/state, we’ll recommend the best “top 3” platforms to prioritize—and the exact profile checklist for each.