What Google Actually Wants from Your Inspection Website

A simple, practical guide to helping your inspection website rank locally, earn trust, and convert more visitors into clients.

Let's start with something simple:

Google's job is to give people the best answer to their question.

That's it. When someone types "home inspector near me" into Google, Google wants to show them the most helpful, trustworthy website for that search.

Your job? Make your website genuinely helpful.

We know SEO can feel overwhelming. There's a lot of advice out there, and much of it sounds technical or contradictory. But here's the good news: you don't need to be an SEO expert. You just need to understand what Google is actually looking for.

Think About Google Like This

Imagine Google as a librarian. Someone walks in and asks, "Where can I find a good home inspector in Boston?"

The librarian (Google) wants to give them the best possible answer, not just any answer.

Google looks at all the websites and asks:

• Does this website clearly answer the searcher's question?
• Is this website easy to use?
• Do other people seem to trust this business?

If your website checks those three boxes, Google is more likely to recommend you in the search results. 

The 3 Things Google Really Cares About

Thing #1: Does Your Website Answer Real Questions?

When someone searches for a home inspector, they usually have specific questions, like:

• How much does a home inspection cost?
• What's included in a home inspection?
• How long does an inspection take?
• Do I really need a home inspection?

If your website answers these questions clearly, Google notices. 

The mistake most people make: They create generic content that doesn't really help anyone. Their homepage says something like "We provide quality home inspections" and that's it.

What actually works: Specific, useful content that answers questions real people are asking.

For example:

• Instead of just listing services, explain what each service includes.
  
  
• Instead of saying “We serve the Boston area,” create a page called “Home Inspections in Boston” and talk about:
  
  

• Common issues in Boston homes
• The local housing market
• Why hiring a local inspector matters

Quick tip: Think about the last five questions a client asked you on the phone. Those are often the exact same questions people are typing into Google. Answer them on your website.

Thing #2: Is Your Website Easy to Use?

Imagine walking into a store where:

• The doors are stuck and hard to open
• The lights are dim and flickering
• You can't find what you're looking for
• The checkout counter is hidden 

You'd leave, right? The same thing happens online

If your website is slow, confusing, or broken on mobile, visitors leave quickly. And when people leave quickly, Google thinks, "Hmm, maybe this isn't a very helpful website after all."

Here's what "easy to use" really means:

Fast loading: Your website should load in 2-3 seconds or less. Any longer and people get impatient and click away.

Works on phones: More than half of visitors browse from their phones. If your site looks weird or broken on a phone, you're losing business.

Clear navigation: Can someone find your phone number in 5 seconds? People should quickly find your contact info, service areas, and how to book an inspection.

Quick test: Pull up your website on your phone. Can you tap the phone number to call? Can you easily find your services and service area? If it’s frustrating for you, it’s frustrating for your clients too.

Want a deeper walkthrough? We cover this step by step in our Website Foundation Check webinar.

Thing #3: Do Other People Trust Your Business?

Google wants to recommend real, legitimate businesses. Trust signals matter. 

Here's how Google figures out if people trust you:

Your Google Business Profile

This is the listing that appears in local search results with your reviews, photos, address, and hours.

An incomplete or outdated profile is a missed opportunity. Fill out every field, add photos, and keep it updated.

Your info is the same everywhere

Your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) should be identical on:

• Your website
• Google Business Profile
• Yelp
• Facebook
• Any other online directories

If your address is "123 Main St." on your website but "123 Main Street" on Google, that can confuse Google and weaken local rankings.

Customer reviews

Reviews act as social proof. You don’t need hundreds, but having reviews (especially recent ones) shows Google that real people trust your business.

If your competitor has 50 reviews and you have none, Google is more likely to recommend them.

Quick tip: After every inspection, Set up and send a quick, automatic follow-up email thanking the client and asking if they'd be willing to leave a review. Most happy clients are glad to help—they just need to be reminded.

Your Simple Checklist: Start Here

Don't try to do everything at once. Just start with these basics:

☐ Set up your Google Business Profile

If you haven't done this yet, do it today. It's free and the single most important thing you can do for local SEO.

Go to google.com/business and claim your listing. Fill out every single field. Add photos of you at work. This alone will help you rank better over time.

☐ Make sure your website works on phones

Pull out your phone and test your site. If it looks weird or you can't easily tap buttons, fix it. Most modern website designers (including Spectora) make sites that automatically work on all devices.

Want to skip this step and get a new site? Spectora websites are built to be mobile-friendly, fast, and optimized for local search right out of the box.

Check out Spectora websites here

☐ Check your business info everywhere

Write down your business name, address, and phone number exactly how you want them displayed, then make sure they match across your website and online listings.

☐ Create a page for each city you serve

Instead of just saying "We serve the Boston area," create separate pages like:

• Home Inspections in Boston
• Home Inspections in Cambridge
• Home Inspections in Somerville

Each page should reference the city naturally and explain how you serve that area.

☐ Answer common questions on your website

Write down the questions clients always ask you. Then answer them on your website. You can do this in blog posts, an FAQ page, or just on your main pages.

☐ Ask happy clients for reviews

After a good inspection, send a quick follow-up email thanking your client and asking if they'd mind leaving a Google review. Most happy clients are glad to help—they just need to be reminded.

Make it easy by including a direct link to your Google review page in the email.

Pro tip: You can set up automatic follow-up emails through Spectora, so you never forget to ask.

Learn how to automate review requests with Spectora

☐ Add new content occasionally

You don’t need to blog weekly. Adding helpful content every month or two shows Google that your site is active and relevant. Consider blog posts that answer common questions, service updates, or maintenance tips for homeowners. This user-friendly content shows Google your site is both active and helpful.

Struggling with what to write about? Spectora's blog has tons of industry content and ideas you can reference for inspiration.

Get inspired by the Spectora blog

What You Don't Need to Worry About

Keywords: Yes, keywords matter, but don’t force them. If you're writing naturally about home inspections in your city, the right words will show up naturally. Don't force them into every sentence.

Perfect SEO scores: You might see tools that grade your website and give you a score. You don't need 100/100 on everything. Focus on the basics: fast, mobile-friendly, helpful content.

Competing with everyone: You're not trying to rank #1 for "home inspector" nationwide. You're competing locally—and many of your local competitors aren't doing SEO at all. 

Tricks and hacks: Google is smart. Don’t try to game the system. Focus on being genuinely helpful.

The Bottom Line

Google rewards websites that help people. 

If your site:

• Loads quickly
• Works on mobile
• Answers real questions
• Shows that you’re trustworthy

You’re already ahead of most local competitors.

You don't need a computer science degree or to overthink it. Make it easy for people to:

• Find you
• Understand what you do
• See that you're legit
• Get in touch with you

Do that, and Google will take care of the rest

Ready to make this easier?

Spectora websites are designed with all of this in mind: fast load times, mobile optimization, and a structure built for local search. The technical SEO is handled for you, so you can focus on inspecting homes instead of managing a website.

Plus, you get access to:

• Automatic mobile optimization
• Built-in fast loading speeds
• SEO-friendly structure for local searches
• Professional design that builds trust
• Easy content management

See why thousands of home inspectors trust Spectora or explore Spectora's website features