Local Service Finder — Multi-Platform Provider Search

Find and compare local service providers across 5 major platforms in a single search. This meta-actor aggregates data from Google Maps, Yelp, Thumbtack, YellowPages, and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) into unified provider profiles with cross-platform deduplication.

What It Does

1. You provide a service type and location (e.g., "plumber in Austin TX")
2. The actor searches all 5 platforms simultaneously
3. Aggregates providers across platforms using fuzzy name + address matching
4. Enriches each profile with contact info, ratings, reviews, services, pricing, and BBB accreditation
5. Outputs unified provider profiles with cross-platform data and analytics

Use Cases

• Homeowners — Find the best-rated, most-reviewed service providers in your area before hiring
• Property Managers — Build a vetted vendor list across multiple service categories for your portfolio
• Marketing Agencies — Generate qualified local business leads for outreach campaigns
• Insurance Adjusters — Quickly find licensed, BBB-accredited contractors for claim referrals
• Real Estate Agents — Curate recommended service provider lists for clients
• Market Researchers — Analyze local service markets, pricing, and competitive landscapes

Platforms Searched

Platform	Data Extracted
Google Maps	Name, address, phone, website, rating, review count, category, Maps URL
Yelp	Name, address, phone, rating, review count, price range, categories, review excerpts
Thumbtack	Name, rating, reviews, hire count, services offered, service area
YellowPages	Name, address, phone, website, categories, years in business, specialties
BBB	BBB rating (A+ to F), accreditation status, complaint count, years in business

Output Fields

Each provider profile includes:

Field	Description
businessName	Business name
address	Full street address
city / state / zipCode	Parsed address components
phone	Primary phone number (formatted)
email	Email address (when available)
website	Business website URL
serviceType	Primary service category
categories	All categories across platforms
specialties	Specific services and specialties
serviceArea	Service area description
priceRange	Price indicator ($, $$, $$$, $$$$)
yearsInBusiness	Years the business has operated
overallRating	Weighted average rating across platforms (1.0–5.0)
totalReviews	Total review count across all platforms
platformsFound	Number of platforms where this provider was found
platforms	Platform-specific data (URLs, ratings, reviews per platform)
bbbRating	BBB letter grade (A+ to F)
bbbAccredited	BBB accreditation status (true/false)
bbbComplaints	Number of BBB complaints
reviews	Review excerpts (when enabled)

Analytics Summary

Every run includes an analytics summary with:

• Top Rated — Highest-rated providers (minimum 3 reviews)
• Best Value — High rating + low price range
• Most Reviewed — Providers with the most reviews across platforms
• Multi-Platform Count — Providers found on 2+ platforms (trust signal)
• BBB Accredited Count — Number of BBB-accredited businesses
• Platform Breakdown — How many providers found per platform
• Category Breakdown — Distribution across service categories

Input Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Default	Description
serviceType	string	Yes	plumber	Service to search for (e.g., "electrician", "dentist", "HVAC")
location	string	Yes	Austin TX	City, state, or ZIP code
maxResults	integer	No	100	Maximum unique providers to return (1–1000)
minRating	number	No	—	Filter by minimum rating (1.0–5.0)
platforms	array	No	All 5	Which platforms to search
includeReviews	boolean	No	false	Include review excerpts per provider
maxConcurrency	integer	No	2	Concurrent requests per platform (1–5)
proxyConfiguration	object	No	—	Apify proxy settings (recommended)

Example Input

{
  "serviceType": "plumber",
  "location": "Austin TX",
  "maxResults": 50,
  "minRating": 4.0,
  "platforms": ["google_maps", "yelp", "thumbtack", "yellowpages", "bbb"],
  "includeReviews": true,
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": true
  }
}

Example Output

{
  "_type": "provider",
  "id": "prov_a1b2c3",
  "businessName": "ABC Plumbing & Drain",
  "address": "1234 Main St, Austin, TX 78701",
  "city": "Austin",
  "state": "TX",
  "zipCode": "78701",
  "phone": "(512) 555-0123",
  "email": "info@abcplumbing.com",
  "website": "https://www.abcplumbing.com",
  "serviceType": "Plumbing",
  "categories": ["Plumber", "Drain Cleaning", "Water Heater Repair"],
  "specialties": ["Emergency plumbing", "Sewer line repair", "Water heater installation"],
  "priceRange": "$$",
  "yearsInBusiness": 15,
  "overallRating": 4.7,
  "totalReviews": 342,
  "platformsFound": 4,
  "platformList": ["google_maps", "yelp", "yellowpages", "bbb"],
  "platforms": {
    "google_maps": { "found": true, "rating": 4.8, "reviewCount": 187 },
    "yelp": { "found": true, "rating": 4.5, "reviewCount": 98, "priceRange": "$$" },
    "yellowpages": { "found": true, "rating": 4.0, "reviewCount": 12, "yearsInBusiness": 15 },
    "bbb": { "found": true, "rating": "A+", "accredited": true, "complaints": 2 }
  },
  "bbbRating": "A+",
  "bbbAccredited": true,
  "bbbComplaints": 2,
  "reviews": [
    { "platform": "yelp", "text": "Best plumber in Austin! Fixed our leak same day..." }
  ]
}

Pricing

$0.01 per unique provider found (Pay Per Event)

• You only pay for unique, deduplicated providers
• A provider found on 3 platforms still costs $0.01 (one charge)
• Analytics summary is included free
• Example: 50 providers = $0.50

Tips for Best Results

1. Use proxies — Multiple platforms block datacenter IPs. Residential proxies give the best results.
2. Be specific — "emergency plumber" finds more relevant results than just "plumber"
3. Start with all platforms — More platforms = better deduplication and richer profiles
4. Use minRating filter — Set to 4.0+ for quality leads, leave empty for full market coverage
5. Enable reviews — Review excerpts help qualify providers, especially for outreach

Service Types That Work Well

• Home services: plumber, electrician, HVAC, roofer, painter, landscaper, pest control
• Professional: dentist, lawyer, accountant, veterinarian, chiropractor
• Auto: mechanic, auto body, tire shop, car wash, towing
• Personal: house cleaner, maid service, locksmith, handyman, mover
• Commercial: janitorial, commercial HVAC, office cleaning, security

Integration — Python

from apify_client import ApifyClient

client = ApifyClient("YOUR_API_TOKEN")
run = client.actor("sovereigntaylor/local-service-finder").call(run_input={
    "searchTerm": "example query",
    "maxResults": 50
})

for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items():
    print(f"{item.get('title', item.get('name', 'N/A'))}")

Integration — JavaScript

import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';
const client = new ApifyClient({ token: 'YOUR_API_TOKEN' });

const run = await client.actor('sovereigntaylor/local-service-finder').call({
    searchTerm: 'example query',
    maxResults: 50
});

const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach(item => console.log(item.title || item.name || 'N/A'));