If you’re a contractor in the Twin Ports, most of your best leads start with a search: “roofer near me,” “plumber Superior WI,” “deck builder Duluth.” Homeowners are also starting to ask ChatGPT and Google’s AI Mode who to call. Here’s how to show up for both.
The short version: a complete Google Business Profile, a dedicated page for each service and each city you serve, steady reviews that mention the job, and listings on the directories homeowners already trust.
Start with your Google Business Profile
- Choose the most specific category, like “Roofing contractor” instead of “General contractor,” if that’s your main work.
- Hide your address if you work from home or a shop customers don’t visit, and set a service area instead. Google allows up to 20 service areas.
- List every service you offer, using Google’s predefined options first, then your own.
- Post photos of real jobs regularly, and use Business Profile posts to share finished projects with a line about the job and the neighborhood.
- Keep your hours accurate, including whether you take emergency calls.
Our Google Business Profile checklist covers the rest.
Serving both sides of the bridge
Twin Ports contractors have an unusual problem: customers on both sides of a state line. Google weighs how close a business is to the searcher, so a Duluth address helps most in Duluth, and a Superior address helps most in Superior. To compete on the other side:
- Include both cities in your service areas, along with the surrounding towns you work in most, like Hermantown, Proctor, Cloquet, and Two Harbors.
- Build a page for each city with real local information, not the same text with the town name swapped.
- Mention your licensing. Minnesota licenses residential building contractors through the Department of Labor and Industry, and Wisconsin has its own dwelling contractor credential through the Department of Safety and Professional Services. If you hold both, say so clearly. It’s a trust signal homeowners notice.
- Ask customers on both sides for reviews that mention where the job was.
Build a page for every service
One “Services” page with a bulleted list won’t rank for much. Give each major service its own page, like roof replacement, metal roofing, storm damage repair, and gutters. Each page should explain what’s involved, typical timelines, what affects the cost, and the towns you serve. Add a short FAQ with the questions you hear on the phone every week.
Show your work
Project pages are some of the most useful content a contractor can publish. A short write-up like “Metal roof replacement in Lakeside, Duluth” with before-and-after photos, the problem, the solution, and how long it took does three jobs at once: it proves you do the work, it adds local relevance, and it gives AI tools a concrete example to point to.
Reviews that mention the job
Ask every customer for a Google review, and make it easy with a direct link. When you ask, suggest they mention what you did and where: “replaced our roof after the hailstorm in Superior.” Those details help your rankings for specific services and give AI tools something concrete to repeat.
Make it easy to call you from a phone
Most homeowners searching for a contractor are on their phones, sometimes while standing in a wet basement. Put your phone number at the top of every page as a tap-to-call link, keep your quote form short, and make sure your site loads quickly on a cellular connection. Rankings don’t help much if the call never happens.
Consider Local Services Ads
For many trades, Google’s Local Services Ads (the listings with the “Google Guaranteed” badge) sit at the very top of the results, above the map. When we tested “best roofing companies in Duluth MN,” two local roofers appeared there. You pay per lead rather than per click. Check whether your trade is eligible in your area; it can be a strong complement to organic local SEO.
Get on the directories homeowners (and AI) check
- The BBB, Angi, and Houzz (especially for remodelers)
- Manufacturer certification directories, like GAF or Owens Corning for roofers
- Your chamber of commerce
- Nextdoor and local Facebook groups, where neighbors ask for recommendations
In our Duluth roofing test, ChatGPT cited Angi and roofing directories, and Google’s first page included Reddit’s r/duluth, Yelp, the BBB, and a GAF contractor directory. Being accurately listed on those sites matters.
Answer the questions homeowners ask
“Can you replace a roof in winter in Duluth?” “Do I need a permit for a deck in Superior?” “How long does a furnace install take?” Write short, direct answers to these on your site. They’re exactly the kind of questions that trigger AI Overviews, and a local contractor with a clear answer has a real shot at being the cited source.
Want help getting more calls from search? Request a free AI visibility check and we’ll show you where you stand in Google and AI tools.