Local search is the set of signals that decides whether your business appears when someone looks for your service in Montréal: your Google Business Profile, your service pages, the consistency of your contact details and your reviews. For a business serving a defined territory, it is often the most profitable source of enquiries, because the customer is searching at the moment they need you.
Montréal has one particular feature: your customers search in French, in English, and sometimes in both on the same day. Your presence has to work in both, starting with French.
Who this service is designed for
This service is for businesses that serve local customers: home services, clinics, neighbourhood shops, professionals, and business-to-business firms covering the island or part of it. It is especially useful if:
- your competitors show up in Google Maps and you don't;
- you only show up around your own address even though you serve several boroughs;
- your Google listing is incomplete, English-only or hasn't been updated in a long time;
- you get few reviews despite satisfied customers.
For a business without a defined territory, such as an online shop selling across Canada, a different approach fits better; let's discuss it first as part of a growth strategy.
What's included
- Google Business Profile. Categories, services, French description, service area, hours, real photos and posts.
- Service pages. One page per important service, in French and English, answering the questions your customers really ask.
- Area pages, used sparingly. Only for areas where you have projects, particular features or a real presence to describe. Our Coverage page shows how we read the map of Montréal.
- Consistent contact details. The same name, phone number and website in the directories that matter.
- Review routine. A standard message, in French and English, sent after each job, and a way to reply to every review.
- Bilingual markup. French and English versions linked correctly, so Google shows the right language to the right visitor.
Typical timeline
| Period | What happens |
|---|---|
| Weeks 1 and 2 | Audit of the listing, pages and local competitors |
| Weeks 3 to 6 | Listing fixes, writing the service pages |
| Months 2 and 3 | Review routine, justified area pages, local links |
| Months 4 to 6 | Monthly tracking and adjustments |
How we measure results
We track what turns into customers: calls and direction requests from your Google listing, service-page visits, enquiries received by phone, text or email, and new reviews per month. We compare each month with the same period the year before where possible, because many Montréal sectors are strongly seasonal.
To put the stakes in perspective: if your listing generates 30 calls a month and half become customers at $400 of margin, every 10 extra calls is worth about $2,000 of monthly margin. That kind of calculation is what justifies the investment, or doesn't.
Mistakes to avoid
- Mass-producing neighbourhood pages. Nineteen pages identical except for the borough name fool nobody and can hurt the whole site.
- Listing a fake address. A virtual address used to look present in an area breaks Google's rules and can get the listing suspended.
- Writing the listing in English only. You lose customers who search in French, a large part of Montréal.
- Ignoring negative reviews. A calm, precise reply reassures more than silence does.
- Changing your name or number without updating. Inconsistent contact details weaken your visibility.
Searching in French, searching in English
In Montréal, the same customer may search "plombier Verdun" in the morning and "plumber near me" in the evening. Both searches deserve an answer, but not necessarily the same page. We structure your presence so that the French page answers French searches and the English page answers English ones, linked together so Google understands they describe the same service.
In practice, we always start with French, then check which English searches actually generate enquiries before investing more in that language.
Going further
Our guide Getting found across the 19 boroughs details the method, and the Results page presents the results from our HVAC work in search.
Frequently asked questions
Do we need a page for each of the 19 boroughs?
No. Near-identical pages that only change the neighbourhood name are frowned on by Google and useless to customers. We create pages only where you have something concrete to say.
How long before we see results?
Fixes to a Google listing sometimes show effects within a few weeks. Rankings for service pages tend to build over three to six months. We don't promise any ranking.
Should my Google listing be in French or English?
Your listing's description and services should be written in French first. Google then shows translations depending on the user's language, but the base text you supply matters.
Can you buy or write reviews for us?
No, never. We set up a simple way to ask your real customers for reviews after a job. Fake reviews break Google's rules and damage your reputation.