The Google Business Profile Optimisation Checklist

Log in to Google Business Profile Manager (business.google.com) and confirm your listing shows as Verified with a blue tick. If it is pending, complete phone or postcard verification before touching anything else.

Your business name field must match your signage, website, and Companies House registration precisely. Do not add keywords, locations, or taglines to the name field. Google penalises keyword stuffing here.

Enter your full address including postcode. If you serve customers from a home address you do not want public, hide the address but keep your service area set. Hiding the address while keeping a service area is a legitimate option for home-based businesses.

The phone number on your GBP must be identical to the number displayed on your website and in any local directories. Mismatches confuse Google and hurt local rankings. Use a local area code where possible rather than an 0800 or 0300 number.

Link directly to your homepage or, if you have a dedicated landing page for local traffic, link there. Check the URL works and loads quickly. A broken or redirecting link wastes the authority signal.

Add every day of the week including days you are closed. Use the Special Hours feature for bank holidays, Christmas, and any planned closures. Google surfaces opening status in the map pack and incorrect hours trigger negative reviews.

Go to Business Information, then Location, and add every town, city, or postcode district you serve. Limit this to areas where you take work. Over-claiming a service area dilutes relevance signals for the places that matter.

Search the full category list at support.google.com/business/answer/3038177 before committing. 'Plumber' is weaker than 'Emergency Plumber' if that option exists. Pick the category that best describes what you primarily do, not the broadest option you qualify for.

Secondary categories cover additional services. A bookkeeper might add 'Tax Consultant' and 'Payroll Service.' Each category makes you eligible to appear for that search. Review the list annually as Google adds new categories regularly.

Search your main keyword in Google Maps and open three to five competitor listings. Click through to their profiles and check which categories they are using. If they rank higher than you, their category selection is worth studying.

Attributes appear under the Info tab and vary by category. Common options include wheelchair accessible, free parking, outdoor seating, women-led, and LGBTQ+ friendly. Each ticked attribute improves relevance for filtered searches. Review all available attributes for your category and tick every one that applies.

Under Products and Services, add each service you offer with a description and optional price range. This content appears directly in your profile and feeds Google's understanding of what you do. Service descriptions should include the words customers use to search, written naturally.

Start with a sentence like 'Smith & Sons is a family-run plumbing service covering Leeds, Bradford and Harrogate.' Google indexes this text and the first 250 characters are visible without expansion. Lead with the information that confirms you are the right result.

Think about the phrases someone types when they need your service: 'emergency boiler repair,' 'gas safe engineer,' '24-hour call-out.' Write these into the description as complete sentences rather than a keyword list. Stuffed descriptions read as spam and put customers off.

Close with a clear next step: 'Call us for a same-day quote' or 'Book online in under two minutes.' This is the bridge from search to contact. Do not end with a vague 'we look forward to hearing from you' sign-off.

Your cover photo is the image that displays prominently in map pack results. Use a photo that shows your premises, your team at work, or your best product in use. Minimum 720 x 540 pixels. No stock photos. Real photos perform better for trust and click-through.

Your profile photo appears in your Google Maps pin and next to your reviews. Use your logo at 250 x 250 pixels minimum or a clear headshot if you are a solo practitioner. The profile photo is the face of the listing.

Upload photos to each relevant category Google offers for your type: exterior, interior, team, products, food and drink (if applicable), and at work. Aim for a minimum of ten total, with new photos added at least once a month. Google rewards active listings.

Rename image files to something descriptive before uploading, for example 'leeds-plumber-boiler-installation.jpg' rather than 'IMG_4821.jpg.' Google reads image file names as part of its relevance assessment for local search.

Videos can be up to 30 seconds and 75MB. A short tour of your premises, a team introduction, or a before-and-after of a project all work well. Video presence is still rare enough in most local categories that it stands out in a listing.

Customers can upload photos to your listing. Check the Photos section monthly. If an uploaded photo is misleading or shows your business in a inaccurate way, use the Flag as Inappropriate option to request removal.

Posts expire after seven days unless you use the Event or Offer type. Set a weekly reminder to publish a new post. Topics can include a recent job, a seasonal tip, a promotion, a new service, or a customer testimonial. Consistency matters more than perfection.

Offer posts display with a yellow tag in search results and stand out visually. If you are running any promotion, use this post type. Set a realistic start and end date. An expired offer still visible on your profile looks careless.

Running a free consultation week, hosting a local event, or attending a trade show all qualify as events. Event posts remain live for the full duration of the event rather than expiring after seven days.

Every post has an optional button: Book, Order Online, Call Now, Learn More. Always select one. Posts without a button leave the reader with nowhere to go. 'Learn More' linking to a relevant page on your website is the minimum acceptable.

Posts with images receive higher engagement than text-only posts. Use a real photo where possible. If you need a quick graphic, Canva has free templates sized for GBP posts. Avoid stock imagery of generic handshakes or laptops.

Google indexes post text. Open with something like 'Our Leeds roof repair team completed another full re-slating this week.' This reinforces your category and location signals without sounding forced.

In GBP Manager, go to Home and find the 'Get more reviews' card. Copy your short link. Add this to your post-job email, your invoice footer, and your email signature. The shorter and more direct the ask, the higher the conversion. 'Here is a quick link to leave us a review if you were happy with the work' is enough.

Google's own guidance confirms that responding to reviews helps your ranking. Respond to five-star reviews with a personalised thank you that references the service provided. This adds keyword-rich text to your listing and signals to future customers that you are attentive.

A calm, factual response to a negative review does more for your reputation than the original complaint damages it. Acknowledge the concern, offer to resolve it offline, and give a direct contact method. Never argue in the review thread. Future customers read how you handle complaints, not just the complaint itself.

If you receive a review from someone you have never served, or a review that is clearly spam, use the three-dot menu next to the review to flag it. Submit a support request with evidence if the automated removal does not happen within a week.

Below 25 reviews, most local listings lack the social proof needed to compete in contested searches. Build a consistent request habit rather than a one-off push. Steady new reviews over time signal an active business more credibly than 50 reviews clustered in one month.

Log out of your Google account, then search your business. Click on your listing and find the Q&A section. Add the ten questions customers ask you most frequently and answer them from your business account. You are pre-empting objections and adding keyword-rich content to your listing.

Set a weekly reminder to check the Q&A section. Turn on notifications in GBP Manager under Settings so you receive an alert when a question is posted. Unanswered questions left sitting on your listing signal neglect and let competitors or random users answer incorrectly on your behalf.

When you answer from your business account, your reply is marked with your business name and appears at the top of the answer thread. Generic or incorrect answers from other users rank higher when you do not answer. Your authoritative answer pushes theirs down.

Each answer is indexed by Google. When answering 'Do you offer emergency call-outs?', write 'Yes, our Leeds plumbing team is available 24 hours for emergency call-outs. Call 0113 XXX XXXX for immediate help.' This is free keyword content and a direct conversion path.