Your Google Business Profile is the most powerful lever you control for showing up at the top of local search. The profile itself, your reviews, and how active you keep it decide whether Google and AI tools recommend you when someone nearby is ready to buy. Here is how to get every piece right.
1 Claim and verify your profile
Go to business.google.com and search for your business. If it exists, claim it. If not, create it. Then complete verification (by video, phone, postcard, or email, depending on what Google offers you).
Nothing else in this guide counts until your profile is verified. An unverified profile cannot be trusted or fully ranked.
2 Get your core information exactly right
Set your business name (your real name, no stuffed keywords), address, phone number, website, and hours. Then make sure those exact details match everywhere else you appear online: your website, your Facebook page, every directory.
Use the same format every time. "Street" not "St." in one place and "St." in another can read as two different businesses.
Why it matters: Google cross-checks your details across the web. Disagreement reads as a risk signal and holds you back.3 Choose the right primary category
Your primary category is the single biggest lever you control for the local map pack. Pick the most specific one that describes what you do. Not "Contractor" if you are a "Roofing Contractor." Not "Store" if you are a "Pet Supply Store."
Then add every relevant secondary category. If you are a vet that also boards animals, add both.
Why it matters: category is consistently the top factor in what Google shows in the local pack.4 List all your services and products
Add every service you offer as its own item, with a short description for each. If you sell products, add those too, with photos and prices where it makes sense.
Use the words your customers actually search, not industry jargon. "Furnace repair" beats "HVAC remediation."
5 Write a real business description
You get 750 characters. Lead with what you do and where you do it, in the first sentence. Then cover who you serve, what makes you different, and the main services. Write it for a human, but work your key terms in naturally.
First line example: "[Business] is a family-run roofing company serving Fredericton and the surrounding area since [year]."
6 Set every attribute
Work through the attributes Google offers for your category: accessibility, amenities, payment types, service options, and identity attributes (such as women-owned or veteran-owned) if they apply. Fill in every one that is true.
These show up as helpful details in your listing and help Google match you to specific searches.
7 Add strong photos, and keep adding them
Upload a clear logo and cover photo, then real photos: your exterior (so people recognize it from the street), interior, your team, and your actual work. Video helps too.
Then keep adding a few every month. Profiles with recent, frequent photos get measurably more engagement than ones with stale images.
Why it matters: photos drive the clicks, calls, and direction requests that signal an active, trusted business.8 Set your hours, including special hours
Set regular hours accurately, then add special hours for holidays and any closures in advance. Being shown as open when someone searches is itself a ranking factor, and being wrong about hours is a fast way to lose trust and earn a bad review.
9 Turn on messaging and booking if they fit
If you can respond promptly, enable messaging so customers can reach you straight from the profile. If you take appointments, connect booking. Both turn a viewer into a lead without them ever leaving Google.
10 Build a steady stream of 5-star reviews
This is the heavy hitter. Review count, recency, and your responses are among the strongest local ranking signals there are, and reviews are the first thing a buyer reads before choosing.
- Ask every happy customer, in person and by follow-up message.
- Make it one tap: grab your review link from the profile and share that exact link.
- Respond to every review, good and bad. Thank the good ones, stay calm and helpful on the rest.
- Aim for a steady trickle over time, not a sudden burst.
11 Post every week
Use Google Posts to share an update, offer, or event every week. Posts signal an active business and give people a fresh reason to call, click, or visit. One post does little. A post every week, month after month, compounds.
12 Seed your own Questions and Answers
Anyone can post a question on your profile, and anyone can answer, so get there first. Add the real questions customers ask, then answer them yourself clearly. It is free, useful content that you control.
13 Keep it fresh: a simple monthly habit
Optimization is not one and done. Once a month: add a few photos, post at least weekly, ask for and respond to reviews, and double-check your hours and info are still correct. That steady activity is exactly what Google rewards.
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