A Google Business Profile checklist for local businesses
For a local business, your Google Business Profile may be seen by more customers than your website. Many people call or ask for directions from it without ever visiting your site. Work through this checklist and you’ll likely find at least one quick improvement.
Google Business Profile basics
- Business name: Use your real-world name only. Adding keywords such as “Best Plumber Arlington Heights” breaks Google’s guidelines and risks suspension.
- Address or service area: Show your address if customers visit you. If you travel to them and don’t serve people on site, hide it and set a service area.
- Phone and website: These should match what’s on your website and other listings.
- Hours: Keep regular hours accurate, and add holiday hours so customers don’t turn up to a locked door.
Choosing categories and services
Your primary category is one of the most important choices on the profile. Look at which categories well-ranked competitors use, then pick the one that most accurately describes your main business. Add secondary categories only where they truly apply.
Next, list your individual services with short, plain descriptions. These give customers more detail and can help make clear what you do.
Google Business Profile photos
Upload real photos of your premises, your team and your work. Stock images do little to reassure a customer. Add new ones from time to time, particularly of recent jobs.
Getting and answering Google reviews
- Ask every happy customer, and send a direct review link
- Respond to reviews, good and bad, in a calm and specific way
- Never offer a reward for reviews, and never post fake ones
- Report reviews that clearly break Google’s policies, but don’t expect removal just because a review is negative
When you reply to a bad review, you’re really writing for the next customer who reads it. Keep it brief, acknowledge the issue and offer a way to resolve it.
Keeping your profile current
Use posts for offers, events and news when you have something worth saying. Check your questions and answers too, since anyone can suggest changes to public business information. Log in regularly to make sure no edits have been applied that you don’t agree with.
Common Google Business Profile mistakes
- Using a virtual office or P.O. box as your address when you don’t really operate there.
- Duplicate profiles for the same location, which can split your reviews and confuse Google.
- Inconsistent details across directories after a move or a phone number change.
- Setting it up and forgetting it. Details go stale and customers notice.
How to measure your local SEO results
Your profile’s performance section shows searches, calls, direction requests and website clicks. Use those numbers to judge what’s working. Rankings can vary by the searcher’s location, so a single search from your office doesn’t tell you the full story.
Want a second opinion on yours? Our local SEO service covers this end to end, or you can request a free audit.