If someone searches for your business type in your city right now, your Google Business Profile (GBP) is likely the first thing they see — before your website, before your reviews, before anything else. And if it’s incomplete or unoptimized, you’re losing customers to competitors who took the time to fill it out properly.
Here’s how to fix that.
Step 1: Claim and Verify Your Profile
Go to google.com/business and search for your business. If it already exists (Google often creates listings automatically), claim it. If not, create one from scratch.
Verification usually happens via postcard, phone call, or email. Don’t skip this step — unverified profiles have limited visibility and can’t be fully managed.
Step 2: Fill Out Every Field
Most businesses leave their GBP half-finished. Google rewards completeness. Work through every section:
- Business name — use your real business name, not a keyword-stuffed version (“Austin Plumber LLC” not “Best Austin Plumber Cheap Fast”)
- Category — your primary category matters most. Choose the most specific one that fits. Add secondary categories for other services.
- Address and service area — if you’re a service-area business (you go to customers), set your service area and hide your address if you don’t receive customers at your location
- Hours — keep these current. Incorrect hours are one of the most common complaints customers leave in reviews
- Phone number — use a local number if possible
- Website — link to your homepage or a relevant landing page
Step 3: Write a Strong Business Description
You get 750 characters. Use them. Describe what you do, who you serve, and what makes you different. Work in your primary service keywords naturally — don’t stuff them, but don’t ignore them either.
Bad: “We are a plumbing company serving the Austin area.”
Better: “Family-owned plumbing company serving Austin and surrounding areas since 2011. We handle everything from emergency repairs and drain cleaning to full bathroom remodels. Same-day service available.”
Step 4: Add Photos (and Keep Adding Them)
Profiles with photos get significantly more clicks than those without. Add:
- Your logo
- Your storefront or vehicles (for service businesses)
- Your team at work
- Before and after shots if applicable
Don’t upload photos once and forget it. Google tracks how recently your profile was updated — fresh activity signals an active business.
Step 5: Choose Your Services and Attributes
Under the “Services” section, add every service you offer with a name and description. This is separate from your category and gives Google more context about what you do.
Attributes vary by business type but can include things like “woman-owned,” “veteran-owned,” “free Wi-Fi,” or “appointment required.” Fill out any that apply — they show up in search results.
Step 6: Collect Reviews Consistently
Reviews are one of the strongest signals in local search rankings. More importantly, they influence whether someone calls you or your competitor.
The best system is simple: after you complete a job, send a follow-up text or email with a direct link to your GBP review page. Most happy customers will leave a review if you make it easy. Most won’t bother if they have to search for it.
Respond to every review — positive and negative. It shows you’re engaged and gives Google more indexed content on your profile.
Step 7: Post Regular Updates
GBP has a posts feature — similar to social media but tied directly to your search presence. Post updates about promotions, seasonal services, completed projects, or anything relevant to your customers.
You don’t need to post daily. Once or twice a month is enough to signal to Google that your profile is active.
How Much Does This Actually Matter?
A lot. A fully optimized GBP can be the difference between appearing in the local “map pack” (the top three results shown above organic search) and not appearing at all. For most local businesses, those three spots get the majority of clicks — and calls.
Need help getting your Google Business Profile set up and optimized? Get in touch — it’s one of the first things we audit for every new client.