The Google Business Profile Checklist

Your Google Business Profile is one of the most visible sources of business information in local search, yet many profiles remain incomplete or outdated. This checklist covers the fields buyers use to understand the company. Work through it once, then use the upkeep section to keep the information current.

01Set up and verify

• Claim your business profile.
• Complete verification (video, postcard, or whatever method Google offers you).
• Confirm you have owner access rather than manager-only access.

02Core information

• Enter your real business name only, with no keywords or location added.
• Set the most specific true primary category.
• Add every relevant secondary category.
• List every service you offer, with clear, specific names.
• Write a full business description using the space Google gives you, without keyword stuffing.
• Enter accurate hours, and set special hours for holidays and closures.
• Add your website, phone, and any booking or appointment link.

03Service area setup (if you go to customers)

• If customers never come to your address, set yourself as a service area business.
• Hide the street address so only your service areas show publicly.
• List the real towns or counties you serve, kept realistic.

04Photos and content

• Upload real photos of finished jobs, work in progress, your crew, and your trucks.
• Add your logo and a cover image.
• Publish a Google Post with an offer or update, and plan to post about weekly.
• Seed and answer the common questions in the profile's Q&A section.
• Add only the attributes that genuinely apply to you.

05Weekly upkeep (about 20 minutes)

• Add two or three new job photos.
• Publish one post.
• Reply to any new reviews.
• Answer any new questions and check nothing has drifted.

06Avoid these

• Do not stuff keywords or your city into your business name. It risks a suspension.
• Do not claim 24/7 hours unless someone actually answers.
• Do not create separate profiles for towns where you have no staffed location.
• Do not bother geotagging photos. It does nothing.

Work the full reasoning in the complete Google Business Profile checklist. If you are just starting, see claim and verify your Google Business Profile the right way, and if you go to customers, read the service area business rules that differ.