For many local searches, your Google Business Profile is the first thing a potential customer sees, often before they ever reach your website. A complete, accurate profile helps people trust you and helps Google understand what you do. This checklist walks through the steps that matter most.
It is one part of a bigger picture. If you want the full overview, start with our local SEO guide for small businesses.
1. Claim and verify your profile
Search for your business name on Google and Maps. If a profile already exists, claim it rather than creating a duplicate. Duplicates split your reviews and confuse customers. Google will ask you to verify that you own the business, and the method offered varies.
2. Choose the right primary category
Your primary category is one of the strongest signals about what you do. Pick the one that describes your main service most precisely, then add secondary categories only where they are truly accurate. Our guide to choosing Google Business Profile categories goes into more detail.
3. Make your details match your website
Your business name, address and phone number should be written the same way on your profile and on your website. Small differences, such as “Road” against “Rd”, are not usually a disaster, but consistency removes doubt. See local citations and NAP consistency. If you work from home or travel to customers, you can set up a service-area business and hide your address, as explained in our service-area profile guide.
4. Set accurate opening hours
Add your regular hours and update them for bank holidays and any changes. Nothing frustrates a customer more than turning up to a closed door.
5. Write a clear description
Explain what you do, who you do it for and where. Write it for people, not for search engines. Avoid stuffing in keywords, and note that Google has rules about what a description can contain, so keep it factual and free of offers or links.
6. List your services
Add each service you offer with a short, plain description. This helps customers see at a glance whether you can help, and it supports the pages on your website. If you want a model for how to describe services, see our own pages on web design and SEO optimization, and our guide to writing service pages.
7. Add real photos
Use genuine photos of your work, team or premises. Fresh, honest images tend to work better than generic stock pictures, and they show customers who they would be dealing with.
8. Keep it active
Update your profile when something changes, and use any posting or update features Google offers, as available features change over time. A profile that looks cared for is more reassuring than one that has been left for years.
9. Collect and answer reviews
Reviews sit right on your profile, so they matter. Ask genuine customers to leave one, reply to the feedback you receive, and never offer rewards in exchange for reviews. Our guide on how to get more Google reviews explains how to do this within Google’s rules, and you can use our review request templates and advice on replying to negative reviews.
10. Check it regularly
Look at your profile every month or so. Check that the details are right, that nobody has suggested an incorrect edit, and that there are no new reviews waiting for a reply.
Need a hand?
If you would rather not manage this yourself, our Google Business Profile management service looks after setup, updates and monitoring. If you are not sure where your profile stands, an SEO audit can include a review of your local presence. When you are ready, book a free consultation.
Related reading: How to get more Google reviews · What is an SEO audit? · Digital marketing in Milton Keynes
