Your Google Business Profile is the box that appears when someone searches for your name or for what you do nearby. Customers decide from it in seconds, often without ever visiting your website. This checklist covers what to look at, in the order that tends to matter.
The basics that must be right
- Business name. Use the name on your sign, truck and invoices. Do not add keywords or a city to the name; Google can suspend profiles for that.
- Main category. Choose the one that matches your main source of income, such as "Plumber" or "Junk removal service". Add other categories only for work you really do.
- Phone number. One number that you answer or that texts back. It must match your website.
- Address or service area. If customers come to you, show the address. If you travel to them, hide the address and list the areas you cover. Do not list areas you do not serve.
- Hours. Include after-hours or emergency hours if you really offer them. Update holiday hours before the holiday.
Things customers look at
- Services. List each service with a short plain description. Use the words customers use.
- Photos. Real photos of your team, truck and finished work. Add a few every month. Avoid stock images.
- Reviews. Reply to every review, good or bad, in a calm and specific way. Never argue and never include private details about the customer.
- Questions and answers. Add the questions you hear most and answer them yourself.
- Website link. Link to the page that matches the profile, usually your home page or a service page.
Keeping it active
- Posts. A short update every week or two keeps the profile looking alive. An offer, a finished job or a seasonal reminder is enough.
- Messaging. If you turn on messages, answer them. A slow reply is worse than no option.
- Attributes. Mark things that are true, such as "online estimates" or "wheelchair accessible entrance".
- Duplicates. Search for your business name and phone number. If a second, older listing exists, claim or report it.
- Verification. Make sure the profile is verified, and that you, not a former employee or agency, own the main login.
What to do with the list
Print it and tick off what is already right. Fix the first five today; they affect the most customers. Spread the rest over a few weeks so the changes are easy to track. If a change makes your listing disappear or drop, tell Google through the profile's support form and wait; do not make several changes at once.
You can check many of these in a minute with our free Google Business Profile checker. For the full picture of how this fits with the rest of your local presence, read about Google Business Profile management, or see how reviews feed into it.