Back to Blog

When someone searches “plumber near me” or “best landscaper in [your city],” Google decides who shows up first. Your Google Business Profile is the single biggest factor in that decision.

Yet most local businesses set it up once and never touch it again. That’s leaving money on the table.

The Basics (Get These Right First)

Business Name

Use your actual business name—not stuffed with keywords. “John’s Plumbing” is correct. “John’s Plumbing - Best Emergency Plumber 24/7 Service” will get you penalized.

Address

Must be a real physical location where you conduct business or meet customers. PO boxes don’t count. If you’re a service-area business that goes to customers, you can hide your address while still showing your service area.

Phone Number

Use a local number, not a toll-free number. Local numbers perform better in local search. Make sure it’s a number you actually answer.

Hours

Keep these accurate and updated. Include holiday hours. Nothing frustrates customers more than showing up to a closed business.

Categories

Your primary category is crucial—it’s the main way Google understands what you do. Be specific: “Plumber” is better than “Contractor.” You can add secondary categories too, but don’t go overboard.

The Optimization Checklist

Photos (Critical)

Businesses with photos get 42% more requests for directions and 35% more website clicks.

Add these:

• Exterior of your location (helps customers find you)
• Interior shots
• Team photos
• Photos of your work (before/after)
• Photos of your equipment/vehicles

Quality matters: Use well-lit, clear images. Phone photos are fine if they’re not blurry or dark.

Keep adding: Upload new photos regularly. Google notices activity.

Business Description

You get 750 characters. Use them wisely:

• Lead with what you do and who you serve
• Mention your service area
• Include what makes you different
• Add a call to action

Skip the keyword stuffing. Write for humans.

Services

List every service you offer with descriptions. This helps Google match you to specific searches. “Water heater installation” is a service someone might search for—make sure it’s listed.

Products

Even service businesses can use this section. List your service packages or common jobs with prices if you’re comfortable sharing them.

Attributes

These are the badges like “Women-owned,” “Veteran-owned,” “LGBTQ+ friendly,” etc. Check everything that applies. Customers filter by these.

Posts: The Underused Feature

Google Business Profile lets you publish posts that appear in your listing. Most businesses ignore this completely.

Post types:

• Updates: News, announcements, tips
• Offers: Special promotions with expiration dates
• Events: Workshops, open houses, community events

Best practices:

• Post weekly (at minimum, monthly)
• Include an image
• Keep text under 300 words
• Add a call-to-action button

Posts expire after 7 days (except events and offers), so consistency matters.

Reviews: The Make-or-Break Factor

Getting More Reviews

• Ask immediately after successful jobs
• Send a direct link via text or email
• Make it part of your process, not an afterthought
• Train your team to ask

Responding to Reviews

Positive reviews: Thank them specifically. Mention details from their review. Keep it genuine.

Negative reviews: Respond quickly, professionally, and take it offline. “We’re sorry to hear this. Please call us at [number] so we can make it right.”

Never argue publicly. Never offer compensation publicly (it invites fake reviews).

Review Velocity

Google cares about how often you get reviews, not just your total. A steady stream of new reviews beats a bunch of old ones.

Q&A Section

People can ask questions on your profile. Monitor this:

• Answer questions quickly
• You can seed common questions yourself (have someone ask, then answer)
• Flag inappropriate questions

Common Mistakes

1. Keyword stuffing your business name - Google will suspend you
2. Using a virtual office address - Against the rules, and Google is getting better at detecting these
3. Ignoring negative reviews - Makes you look like you don’t care
4. Inconsistent information - Your name, address, and phone should match exactly everywhere online
5. Letting it go stale - No new photos or posts signals an inactive business

Tracking Performance

Google provides insights on your profile:

• How people found you (search terms)
• Actions they took (calls, directions, website clicks)
• Photo views compared to competitors

Check monthly. If something changes dramatically, investigate.

---

The Bottom Line

Your Google Business Profile is free. Optimizing it costs nothing but time. For local businesses, it’s often the highest-ROI marketing activity you can do.

Set a recurring reminder: once a month, add photos, write a post, and respond to any new reviews. That consistency compounds over time.