When you search for a service online, how often do you scroll to the bottom of page one, or go to page two? The answer for most people is: rarely. In fact, the majority of clicks go to the top results on page one. For a home service business, being in Google’s top 3 results for your important keywords (like “emergency plumber in [City]”) can make the difference between getting a steady stream of leads or getting very few. It’s not just bragging rights – it’s about visibility, credibility, and the sheer volume of traffic that the top spots receive.
User Behavior: Clicks Drop After Top 3
Study after study of Google’s search results shows the same pattern: the top few results get the lion’s share of the clicks. The #1 organic result (the first non-ad result) often gets around 25-30% of all clicks for a given search. The second and third get a significant chunk as well – cumulatively, the first three results might capture over half of all clicks. By the time you get to the bottom of the first page, the click-through rate has plummeted. And page two? Hardly anyone goes there – one statistic famously pointed out that under 1% of searchers click to the second page.
What does this mean in plain terms? If you’re not near the top, most people searching for a service will likely contact someone else (your competitor) instead of you, simply because they saw them first. It’s a bit like having your store on the busiest street versus a side alley; the foot traffic is just incomparable.
Perceived Credibility and Trust
There’s also a psychological aspect. Many users trust Google to “have sorted out” the best options by the order of results. So if your website is in those top positions, people inherently trust your business more. They think, “This company is top on Google, it must be one of the best.” It’s similar to how people used to trust a business listed first in the phone book or one that has the biggest ad in a directory. High rankings serve as social proof – an implied endorsement by the search engine.
For local searches, being in the coveted local 3-pack (the map and three local business listings that often appear even above the organic results) is equally important. Those map listings show your business name, reviews, and location, and they grab attention immediately. If your business is one of those three, you are far more likely to get the call or visit. In fact, about 42% of local search clicks happen on the Map Pack results, underlining how crucial it is to appear there.
Real Business Impact
Let’s put this into perspective for a home service business. Suppose 1,000 people in your city search for “HVAC repair near me” each month. If you rank #1 and capture roughly 25% of those clicks, that’s 250 potential visitors to your website. If even 10% of those visitors convert into calls, that could be 25 new leads from a single month’s searches. However, if you rank #8 or #9, you might only get 1% of clicks – that’s just 10 visitors, and maybe 1 lead out of it. The drop-off is huge.
Being in the top 3 doesn’t guarantee a sale, but it dramatically increases your opportunities. It’s a numbers game: more visibility = more clicks, and more clicks = more chances to win a customer. This is especially true for emergency or immediate-need services (like a locksmith, or a 24/7 plumber) where the customer is likely to contact the first viable provider they find.
Striving for the Top (and How)
Understanding why the top 3 matters is the first step; the next is knowing how to get there. Consistent SEO efforts are the key – which includes everything we’ve been discussing: website optimization, fresh content, local directory listings, good reviews, and addressing the technical aspects of your site. It’s also important to target the right keywords. You might not rank #1 for a broad term like “plumber” nationwide (and you don’t need to), but you could aim to rank #1 for “plumber in [Your Town]” or “[Your Town] water heater installation”.
Keep in mind that SEO is competitive. All your local rivals want to be in the top spots too. It may take time and effort to climb the ranks, but the payoff in visibility and business growth can be well worth it. Regularly check how you rank for important search terms, and if you’re not in those top spots yet, use it as motivation to invest in SEO improvements. Over time, being among Google’s top results builds a self-reinforcing cycle: high ranking gets you more clicks and customers, which often leads to more reviews and word-of-mouth, which in turn can further solidify your top position.
Ranking high on Google matters because that’s where the customers are looking. For home service businesses especially, where competition is local and fierce, those top three slots are prime real estate on the internet. They are worth striving for, as they can substantially increase your calls and leads without any additional advertising spend.
