Google Business Profile: a setup checklist that gets you calls

When someone searches for a service near them, the first thing they often see is not a website but the map and the business listings under it. Those come from Google Business Profile. It is free, it takes an afternoon to set up properly, and for many local businesses it brings more calls than the website does.

1. Claim and verify the profile

Search for your business name on Google Maps. If a listing exists, claim it; if not, create one at business.google.com. Google will ask you to verify that you own the business, usually by phone, email, a video of your premises or a postcard. Use the exact business name you use on your signboard and invoices, with no extra keywords.

2. Get the basics exactly right

• Name, address and phone must match your website and other listings word for word.
• Choose the primary category carefully: it matters more than anything else on the profile. Add a few secondary categories that are genuinely true.
• Set opening hours, including holidays, so people do not arrive to a closed door.
• Add your website and a booking, WhatsApp or call link.

3. Write a description people will actually read

You have 750 characters. Say what you do, who you do it for and where, in plain words. Mention your main services by the names customers use. Skip slogans and long lists of keywords; they read badly and do not help.

4. Add services and products

List each main service with a short description, and a starting price if you are comfortable sharing one. This helps you appear for more specific searches and answers questions before a customer even calls.

5. Photos: real, recent and often

• Your logo and a cover photo that shows what you do.
• The outside of your premises, so people recognise it when they arrive.
• The inside, your team at work, and real examples of your work or products.
• Add a few new photos every month. Profiles that look looked-after get more clicks.

6. Reviews: ask, and always reply

Reviews are the strongest trust signal on the profile. Ask happy customers directly, at the moment they are happiest, and send them the review link from your profile dashboard. Reply to every review, good or bad, politely and within a few days. Never buy reviews or offer something in return for a positive one; it breaks Google's rules and can get the profile suspended.

7. Keep it alive

• Post an update when you have news, an offer or a new piece of work.
• Answer questions in the Q&A section yourself.
• Check the Performance tab once a month: searches, calls, direction requests and website clicks.

The short version

Verify it, make the details match everywhere, write a clear description, add services and real photos, and build a steady habit of asking for and replying to reviews. That alone puts you ahead of most businesses in your area.