Google doesn't trust what you say on your website. It trusts what users do on your website.
Your content makes claims. User behavior verifies those claims. Verified claims compound over time. This is the engine behind modern local SEO—and it's why cheap template websites, "city page spam," and AI-generated content farms are getting crushed.
Google Is a Skepticism Machine
Anyone can write "Best Electrician in Seattle" on a website. Google knows this. So it starts skeptical.
When you publish content claiming expertise in a location or service, Google puts you in the "Maybe" pile. It might show you in search results occasionally—as a test. Then it watches what happens.
The Site-Wide Classifier
The Claim (What Your Website Tells Google)
Your website makes claims through three mechanisms:
Entity Connections
Google builds a knowledge graph linking businesses to locations and services. When your site mentions "Greenworks Electric" + "Shoreline" + "panel upgrade" + "Seattle City Light," you're building entity associations.
Hub & Spoke Structure
A "hub" page (like a regional service area) connects to "spoke" pages (specific job stories, neighborhood details). This structure signals depth.
Specific Local Knowledge
Generic content says "we serve Seattle." Expert content mentions Seattle City Light meter requirements, SDCI permitting, or that Capitol Hill homes commonly have Federal Pacific panels.
Status after publishing: Unverified. Google puts you in the "Maybe" pile. It might test you in rankings to see what happens.
The Verification (User Behavior Signals)
This is where the skepticism gets resolved. Google watches what users do.
Navboost: The Click Quality System
Navboost was revealed during Google's 2023 antitrust trial and confirmed in a 2024 document leak. It tracks click interactions for up to 13 months per query.
| Signal | What It Means |
|---|---|
| goodClicks | User clicked, stayed, found value |
| badClicks | User clicked, bounced immediately |
| lastLongestClicks | Final click before search ended—the one that solved their problem |
The Golden Signal
The Review Echo
This is a powerful verification signal:
- 1Your website claims: "We do panel upgrades in Shoreline"
- 2A customer writes a review: "Great job on our panel upgrade at our house in Shoreline"
- 3Google sees the same entities mentioned independently → Claim verified
Reviews now account for 20% of local pack ranking factors (up from 16% in 2023). They're not just for customers—they're verification signals for Google.
The Flywheel (How Results Compound)
This isn't A + B = C. It's a feedback loop.
The Prominence vs. Distance Tradeoff
Google ranks local businesses on three factors:
You can't change distance. But as your prominence grows (from verified claims, good user behavior, reviews), you compete better against the distance penalty. Higher authority helps you appear for searches slightly further away where you'd otherwise lose to someone closer but less reputable.
Your Website Is the Expansion Tool
What "Good Content" Actually Means
The Doorway Page Trap
Old playbook: Build hundreds of pages like "Electrician in [City]" and swap the city name.
What happened: Google's March 2024 Core Update crushed these sites. One regional HVAC company with hundreds of city pages lost over 80% of organic traffic in 30 days.
Google's Explicit Warning
What Works Instead
Doorway Pages (Bad)
- •Same content, swap city name
- •Generic "we serve X" language
- •Template testimonials
- •SEO keyword stuffing
- •50 thin city pages
Genuine Value (Good)
- •Unique regional differences (utility company, permitting)
- •Specific job stories with local details
- •Real reviews from real neighborhoods
- •Content that answers customer questions
- •2-3 regional hub pages with depth
E-E-A-T for Contractors
E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. For contractors, it matters more than you might think.
Why Contractors Face Higher Standards
Electricians, plumbers, and HVAC contractors fall into Google's YMYL category (Your Money or Your Life). Google holds you to higher standards because:
- • Faulty wiring is dangerous
- • Bad plumbing causes property damage
- • Wrong HVAC sizing wastes money
Experience Is Your Edge
With AI content flooding the web, first-hand experience is the differentiator.
Weak
"We do panel upgrades."
Strong
"We've replaced 47 Federal Pacific panels in Seattle—the ones with the stab-lok breakers that fail to trip. Here's what we typically find."
How to Demonstrate E-E-A-T
- About page: Your licenses, certifications, how long you've been doing this, your story
- Job stories: Specific details, photos, challenges you solved
- Reviews: Encourage customers to mention specific work and location
- Local knowledge: Show you know the codes, utilities, and permitting in your area
Why Marketing Agencies Don't Do This
Your skepticism is valid: "If this works, why isn't my marketing agency doing it?"
It's not about knowledge. It's about margin.
| Factor | Reality |
|---|---|
| Agency gross margin | 30-60% |
| Net margin | 6-20% |
| Time per client at $1,500/mo | ~3-4 hours to stay profitable |
| Template city page | 5 minutes |
| Custom job story page | 1-2 hours |
The Information Extraction Bottleneck
To write a genuine job story, someone needs to extract this from your head:
Agencies send automated emails asking for this. Contractors don't reply. They're busy, tired, and hate typing. Result: The agency gives up. They serve "frozen pizza" (template content) because they can't get the ingredients for real content.
The Timing Advantage
The Bottom Line
Google is a skepticism machine. Your content makes claims. User behavior verifies them. Verified claims compound over time.
Doorway pages are dead. The March 2024 update crushed city-page spam. Hub & Spoke with genuine regional differences wins.
Your edge is real experience. First-hand knowledge beats AI-generated content, especially in YMYL categories like electrical, plumbing, and HVAC.
The hard part isn't the strategy—it's extracting the stories from your head and turning them into content. Most contractors know they should write about their jobs. Most never do. They're busy. They hate typing. They forget.