Local SEO for pest control: what changes

The federal scheme divides pesticides, not businesses. The most acutely toxic products, and those needing special care in use, are classified as restricted use, and the consequence is categorical: they "may be bought and applied only by a certified applicator or someone working under his or her direct supervision", and are "not available for purchase or use by the general public."¹ Federal law requires anyone who applies or supervises the use of those products to be certified under the agency's regulations together with the applicable state, territorial or tribal law.¹ A commercial applicator earns that certification by passing a written test, a performance-based test, or another approved system, and must show practical knowledge of pesticide label and labeling comprehension.¹ Unlike the credentials in most trades it does not last: the maximum recertification interval is five years, with specialised certifications required separately for fumigation and for aerial application.¹ Someone who is not certified may still work under direct supervision, but only after training the rule specifies.¹ Two things follow for the profile, and both cut against the usual advice. The first is that the strongest differentiator on this profile is a fact, not a claim. Every competitor can write about being thorough and prompt; a business can also state that its applicators are certified, that the certification is current, and, where the work needs it, that it holds the specialised fumigation category. That is checkable by a state register, which is what makes it worth a sentence in the description rather than a badge in a footer. The second is that a services list naming a specific product or treatment is a claim about certification. Advertising a treatment that requires a restricted use product is advertising a capability the licence has to support, and the customer who cannot verify the treatment can absolutely verify the certification.