Latest / The Local Marketing Podcast with Fexingo: Small Business, Google Maps, and Local SEO / How a Local Landscaper Uses Google Maps for Seasonal Service Reminders
Transcript
- Luna: So Lucas, I just booked my fall leaf removal — in July. And it got me thinking about how a local landscaper could use Google Maps to prompt that same kind of forward planning without you having to call and ask. Lucas: That's actually a really sharp observation. Because most service businesses — especially trades like landscaping, HVAC, even pressure washing — they wait for the phone to ring. But Google Maps has a built-in mechanism for seasonal reminders that almost nobody uses well. I'm talking about the Services tab and the posts feature, used together like a calendar. Luna: Right — you can tag specific services, set availability windows. It's not just a digital business card anymore. Lucas: Exactly. Let me use a concrete example. There's a landscaping company in Portland called GreenScape — not a huge operation, maybe eight employees. They do the full residential gamut: mowing, pruning, planting, hardscaping. But the owner noticed something: his repeat customers would only call him when they'd already let their gutters clog or their lawn go dormant. Reactive, not proactive. Luna: So he wanted to flip that — get them to schedule before the problem showed up. Lucas: Exactly. So he looked at his Google Business Profile and realized the Services section lets you list each offering with a description and a pricing range. But here's the move: he started tagging those services with seasonal notes. Not just 'leaf removal' — he wrote 'leaf removal — schedule in September before the heavy fall drop.' And for dormant pruning, he wrote 'best done in January when trees are bare.' Luna: So he's basically pre-setting the expectation right there in the search results. Lucas: Yes. And then he paired that with Google Posts. He'd publish a post on his profile every six to eight weeks, timed to the start of each season. For example, in late August he posted a photo of a clogged gutter with the caption: 'Leaves will start falling in three weeks. We're already booking into October. Book now to secure your slot.' That post got something like 1,400 views — which is huge for a local business profile. Luna: And I assume he also updated his attributes — like 'open for service' markers and schedule availability. Lucas: He did. There's an attribute called 'services offered' where you can check boxes. But he went a step further: when he was fully booked for a certain service, he'd temporarily remove that service tag so people wouldn't request it. That created a sense of urgency. When he re-added it, his regular clients noticed and booked fast. He told me that after six months of this, his repeat bookings were up thirty-two percent year-over-year. Luna: Thirty-two percent — that's massive for just updating a profile and posting a few times. Lucas: And the cost was basically zero. No ad spend. Just a few hours of thinking about seasonality and writing short posts. The other thing he did — and this is clever — he used the Google Maps 'Questions & Answers' section to seed seasonal prompts. He'd ask himself, 'Do you offer spring clean-up?' and then answer it with a detailed description and a booking link. Luna: So he's controlling the narrative. A homeowner searches 'leaf removal Portland,' sees the Q&A pop up with his answer, and immediately knows he does that work and when to book. Lucas: Right. And it's all within the Google Maps ecosystem. You don't need a separate CRM or email campaign. The profile itself becomes a proactive sales tool. Now, I should mention that Google's algorithm seems to favor profiles that update their services and posts regularly. So there's a dual benefit: better visibility and more bookings. Luna: What about the actual scheduling? Did he integrate with any booking software, or was it still phone-based? Lucas: Initially it was phone-based. But he later added a 'Book now' button through a third-party tool called Booksy, which integrates with Google. So when a customer clicks that button from his profile, they see his seasonal availability right there. He said that after adding the booking button, his conversion rate from profile view to scheduled job went up eighteen percent. Luna: That's the kind of number that makes a business owner rethink how they use their profile. Lucas: Absolutely. And it's not just for landscapers. This works for any service business with a seasonal cycle — HVAC companies can promote tune-ups in spring and fall, roofers can push inspections after storms, even dog walkers can remind clients about holiday boarding. The template is universal: identify your seasonal services, tag them clearly, post timely reminders, and use Q&A to reinforce the message. Luna: Speaking of which, I want to mention something here. You know, these conversations we have on the show — they're practical, actionable. And we deliberately don't run ads because we want to keep it that way: just useful information, no interruptions. Lucas: Yeah, that's a choice we made from day one. And if you find value in episodes like this — if you've ever taken a tip and applied it to your business or a client's — the simplest way to support that ad-free approach is through a small contribution. It's buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Luna: Exactly. Totally optional, but it helps us keep doing what we're doing without pushing products or sponsors. Anyway, back to GreenScape — the other thing I found interesting was how he handled negative reviews. Lucas: Oh, good point. Because seasonal businesses often get slammed for things outside their control — like scheduling delays during peak times. GreenScape's owner made a habit of responding to every review within forty-eight hours, but he also used his Google Posts to proactively communicate about weather delays. He'd post something like, 'Due to the heavy rain this week, we're running about a day behind. If you have an appointment and need to reschedule, call us. We'll honor your original price.' Luna: That's smart — it sets expectations and shows you're transparent. I bet that cut down on the number of one-star reviews. Lucas: It did. He said his average rating actually went up from four point two to four point six over that six-month period. Partly because he was getting fewer frustrated reviews, and partly because the seasonal posts attracted customers who were already primed for the timeline. They knew what to expect. Luna: So the seasonal reminder strategy isn't just about bookings — it's about managing customer expectations and protecting your reputation. Lucas: Exactly. And that's a loop that reinforces itself. Good reviews boost your local ranking, which gets you more profile views, which leads to more bookings. The seasonal reminders start the flywheel, but the reviews keep it spinning. Luna: Alright, so for anyone listening who runs a lawn care business, or a chimney sweep, or even a holiday light installer — the takeaway is: look at your Google Business Profile, identify three to five seasonal services, and write a short post for each season. Then update your services tags accordingly. Lucas: And don't forget to set a calendar reminder to do it again next season. The businesses that thrive on this are the ones that treat their profile like a living asset, not a static directory listing. GreenScape's owner now plans his Google Maps content a full quarter ahead — and it's paying off. Luna: I love that. Thanks Lucas. Lucas: Thanks Luna. And to our listeners — see if there's one seasonal service you can tag today. It might just be the post that fills your October.