Google Business Profile: a complete setup checklist
Your Google Business Profile is often the first thing customers see. Use this checklist to make sure yours is complete, accurate and working hard for you.
When someone searches for a local service, the map results with business listings usually appear above the ordinary results. Those listings come from Google Business Profile. For many local businesses it brings in more calls than the website itself.
Here is a checklist to get yours right.
The basics
- Business name: your real trading name. Do not stuff keywords into it; Google can suspend profiles that do.
- Primary category: the single category that best describes your main service. This is one of the most important settings.
- Additional categories: add the other services you genuinely offer.
- Address or service area: if customers visit you, show your address. If you travel to them, set the towns and areas you cover.
- Phone number and website: make sure they match your website exactly.
- Opening hours: including holiday hours. Nothing loses a customer faster than turning up to a closed door.
Make it rich
- Services: list each service with a short description.
- Business description: explain what you do, where and for whom, in plain language.
- Photos: real photos of your work, your team, your vehicles and your premises. Add new ones regularly.
- Attributes: tick the ones that apply, such as wheelchair access or online appointments.
- Questions and answers: add common questions yourself, with clear answers.
Keep it active
Posts
Google Business Profile posts let you share offers, news and recent jobs. Posting regularly shows Google and customers that you are active.
Reviews
Ask every happy customer for a review, and make it easy with a direct link. Reply to every review, good or bad, politely and promptly. Reviews that mention the service and the town are especially helpful.
Messages
If you turn on messaging, answer quickly. Slow replies put people off.
Common mistakes
- Different phone numbers on the profile and the website.
- A PO box or virtual office as the address, which can get a profile suspended.
- Duplicate profiles for the same business.
- Ignoring negative reviews.
Setting up and managing Google Business Profiles is a core part of our local SEO service. Our free audit includes a full profile check.