Most directory descriptions fail the same way: "Family-owned business with 20 years' experience. Quality workmanship guaranteed. No job too big or small." It's not wrong — it's just invisible, because it says what every competitor says and nothing the customer actually needs. Your description is a sales page in miniature. Here's how to write one that turns profile views into quote requests.
Start with the customer's problem, not your history
Nobody reads a directory profile wanting your biography. They have a leaking tap, a dead switchboard or a bond clean due Friday. Open with their situation: "Blocked drain? We clear drains across Newcastle same-day, with camera inspection so you can see exactly what caused it." Your history can come later, once they're interested.
Be specific about what you do — and what you don't
Specificity builds trust and filters for the jobs you want. "We specialise in residential switchboard upgrades, downlight installs and EV chargers across Belconnen and Gungahlin" beats "all electrical work". If you don't do commercial fit-outs, say so — you'll waste less time on mismatched enquiries and win more of the right ones.
Name your suburbs
This is the most-skipped and most valuable line in any description. Customers search and skim for their own suburb, and Google indexes the text. List them: "Servicing Fremantle, East Fremantle, White Gum Valley, Beaconsfield and South Fremantle." Ten words, permanently working for you.
Prove you're safe to hire
Put your trust signals in the description, not just on your letterhead:
- Licence number ("NSW Fair Trading licence 123456C") — checkable in seconds, and instantly separates you from cowboys.
- Insurance — "fully insured to $20M public liability".
- Real review snippets or counts — "4.9 stars from 87 Google reviews".
- Guarantees you actually honour — "lifetime workmanship warranty on all installations".
Say how you work
Customers fear the unknown more than the price. A short process paragraph defuses it: "Send us photos of the job and we'll quote within 24 hours. Fixed written quotes — no surprises. We protect floors, clean up daily, and you don't pay until you've inspected the finished work." This paragraph alone can double your enquiry rate.
End with a clear next step
Tell the reader exactly what to do: "Call Sam on 04xx xxx xxx, or use the quote form on this page — include your suburb and a photo if you can." One action, stated plainly. "Contact us today for all your plumbing needs!" is wallpaper.
A template you can steal
[Problem/opening line]. [Business name] has been helping [suburb/region] locals with [specialities] since [year]. We're [licence/insurance details], and our customers rate us [review proof]. We service [suburb list]. Here's how it works: [2-3 sentence process]. [Call to action with the single next step].
Five minutes, lasting results
Rewrite your description once, properly, and reuse it — with details kept identical — across every directory and profile you maintain. If your Local Listings profile is still blank or boilerplate, claim your listing or add your business and put this formula to work before your competitors do.
Put it into practice
List your business free, or claim your existing listing, and reach local customers today.
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