71% of Customers Use Google. Why Do Contractors Think It's Worthless?

Yes. Google brings in customers for home-services companies, but most owners can't see it. BrightLocal's 2026 research found 71% of consumers used Google at some point in their latest local search, while only 22% of owners named it a top-two source of customers. The gap is mostly a tracking problem.

I see this with roofers, HVAC companies and plumbers all the time. The owner says Google is a waste of money. Then the phone rings, and nobody asks what the caller did before dialing.

Does Google really bring in customers for roofing and HVAC companies?

For most local searches, yes. According to BrightLocal Research, 61% of consumers started their most recent local business search on Google, and 71% used it at some point. The report covers local businesses in general, not roofing or HVAC specifically, but the pattern fits how homeowners shop for a contractor.

Here is the breakdown from the report, written by Rosie Murphy at BrightLocal. Of the consumers who started on Google, 52% used Google Search and another 9% used Google Maps. The 71% number is bigger because it includes people who started somewhere else, like an AI tool, and then went to Google anyway.

That last part matters. Google is often the checking step. A homeowner hears your name, or sees you mentioned somewhere, and then looks you up before calling. If your profile is thin or wrong at that moment, you lose the job and never know it.

Why do contractors think Google doesn't work?

Because the last thing a customer says is rarely "I found you on Google." A homeowner hears your name from a neighbor, searches it, checks your profile and calls. On the phone they say a neighbor recommended you. Word of mouth gets the credit, and Google gets nothing.

BrightLocal asked 1,000 US small business owners with 1 to 50 employees which two channels brought in the most new customers over the last 12 months. The answers were:

Word of mouth: 35%
Social media: 33%
AI tools: 23%
Their own website: 22%
Google: 22%

Word of mouth is real. I'm not telling you it isn't. But BrightLocal makes the same point: a person might hear about you from a friend and then search your name to find your website or get in touch. The report says the final touch shouldn't be the only one owners pay attention to.

The website number has the same problem. A customer who says they found you through your website may have reached it from a Google result, a social post or an AI answer. Your website gets credit for work Google did.

BrightLocal's CEO Myles Anderson put it plainly: "Local businesses undervaluing Google is a surprise." He also notes that Google is complex and sends fewer clicks to business websites than it used to. That is a reason to get better at Google, not to ignore it.

How do you track where your customers really come from?

Ask every caller two questions: "How did you hear about us?" and "What did you do before you called?" Then write the answers down in one place. Without that record, you are guessing, and guessing favors whatever channel is easiest to remember, usually word of mouth.

Here is a simple process that takes about a week to set up:

Ask both questions on every inbound call. The first answer is usually "a friend." The second is where you hear "I looked you up and saw your reviews."
Add a source field to your lead log. A spreadsheet works. So does your CRM or job-management software. One column for "first heard," one for "last step before calling."
Check your Google Business Profile performance numbers. Look at calls, direction requests and website clicks each month. You are looking for the trend, not a perfect number.
Train whoever answers the phone. If your office manager or answering service skips the questions, your data is useless. Make it part of the script.
Review after 90 days. Count how many leads mentioned searching, checking reviews, or finding you on Maps. Compare that to what you believed before.

If you use call tracking, keep your real business number listed on your profile as well, so your information stays consistent across the web.

You don't need fancy software. You need the habit.

What happens when you ignore your Google Business Profile?

You lose calls from people who were already close to hiring you. A homeowner who checks your profile and finds the wrong hours, a dead phone number or no recent photos will usually move to the next contractor on the list. You never see that lost call, so it never shows up as a problem.

This is why the tracking gap is expensive. If you decide Google doesn't work, you stop fixing your profile. Because you stopped fixing it, it works less well. Then the numbers seem to prove you right.

BrightLocal's report found that most businesses now have a Google Business Profile, but many aren't keeping it up to date. Having a profile is no longer an edge. Keeping it accurate and active is.

What should you fix on your Google Business Profile first?

Start with what a homeowner checks before calling: correct phone number, hours, service area, business categories and recent photos. These take an afternoon and decide whether someone picks up the phone. After that, work on reviews and regular updates. Accuracy first, polish second.

Here is the order I would go in:

Phone number, hours and service area. If you are open for emergency calls, say so. If you cover three counties, list them.
Primary category and services. A roofer should not be listed as a general contractor. Be specific about what you do.
Photos of real jobs. Trucks, crews, finished roofs, installed units. Skip the stock images.
Reviews and replies. Ask every happy customer, and answer every review, good or bad.
Posts and updates. Seasonal offers, completed jobs, and notices like storm-season availability show the profile is alive.

If you don't know where your profile stands, run the free Local Visibility Score to see how you show up, or request a Google profile audit for a closer look. If you'd rather hand the work off, that is what our local search service does.

Do AI tools change any of this?

AI tools add one more step in the customer's search, but they haven't replaced Google. BrightLocal found 23% of owners named AI tools a top-two customer source, and 35% of home and garden service businesses did. The same research found consumers checked AI recommendations against other channels.

That is the key detail. When someone asks an AI assistant for a good HVAC company, they often go look at the results themselves afterward. They check your reviews, your photos, your details. Your profile is still the proof.

Owners in home services are noticing AI already. If you want to see whether you show up when homeowners ask those tools, our AI visibility report shows where you stand today. Either way, the basics are the same: accurate information, real reviews, and a profile you keep up.

What should you do this week?

Pick one thing. Start asking every caller what they did before they dialed, and write it down. In 90 days you will have real numbers, not a feeling. Then fix the profile gaps those numbers point to.

You don't have to believe a research report over your own experience. But your experience is only as good as your records. Right now most owners are running on memory, and memory favors the neighbor who made the recommendation.

Common questions

Is word of mouth still the biggest source of new customers?

In BrightLocal's survey, owners ranked it first, with 35% naming it a top-two channel. But that is what owners believe, not tracked data. Many word-of-mouth customers look you up on Google before calling, so Google may be part of those jobs too.

What percentage of business owners think Google brings in customers?

According to BrightLocal's Small Business Marketing Report 2026, 22% of the 1,000 US small business owners surveyed named Google as one of their top two sources of new customers. That is far below the 71% of consumers who used Google during their most recent local search.

Is a Google Business Profile enough without a website?

BrightLocal's report doesn't answer that directly. It does show customers use several channels in one search, and that owners can't always tell which one sent a website visitor. I'd keep both accurate and consistent, and track calls and visits from each.

How can I see how visible my business is on Google?

Start with the free Local Visibility Score. It shows how your business appears in local search so you can see what needs fixing first. Then pair it with your own call tracking, so you know which fixes bring in actual phone calls.