Google shows your Business Profile on Search and Maps when people look for what you offer. Google says local results are mainly based on relevance, distance and prominence, and that complete, accurate information helps you show up for the right searches. Work through this checklist from top to bottom, then come back to it every few months.
1. Verify the profile
Verification tells Google you are allowed to manage the business. Google says a verified business is more likely to show up in search results. You also need a verified profile to reply to reviews.
2. Use your real business name
Use the name customers see on your sign, website and receipts. Google's guidelines forbid adding extra words to the name, such as taglines, keywords, locations, phone numbers or opening hours. Doing so can get the profile suspended.
3. Match address, phone and website
Give a phone number that reaches this location, and use a local number rather than a central call centre where you can. Link to a website page that represents this location. If you visit customers instead of hosting them, hide your address and set a service area. Google says a service area should not extend farther than about 2 hours of driving from where the business is based.
4. Choose categories carefully
Categories tell Google what your business is, which is the relevance part of local ranking: how well a profile matches what someone searches for. Google's rule of thumb is to pick categories that complete the sentence "This business is a…", not "This business has a…".
Google asks you to use as few categories as possible and to make them as specific as possible. Add a secondary category only for another core part of the business, never as a keyword.
5. Set regular hours and special hours
Give your regular customer-facing hours for all seven days, including the days you are closed. Before public holidays and events, add special hours so Google does not send customers to a locked door.
6. Write a useful description
The description can be up to 750 characters. Describe what the business does, who it serves and what makes it different. Google's guidelines say to keep it relevant and honest, and not to use it for promotions, prices or sales, or for links.
7. Fill in attributes
Attributes are the facts Google shows as short labels, such as wheelchair access, Wi-Fi, outdoor seating or online appointments. The list depends on your category. Fill in every attribute that is true for you. Google names attributes as part of the complete information that helps profiles show up.
8. List your services or products
List the services you actually sell, using the words customers search for. A plumber might list boiler repair, leak detection and bathroom installation. Keep each one to what you do today.
9. Add photos and videos
Add a logo, a cover photo and photos of the outside, the inside, your work and your team. Google's requirements:
- Photos: JPG or PNG, between 10 KB and 5 MB, at least 250 × 250 px, with 720 × 720 px recommended.
- Videos: up to 30 seconds, up to 75 MB, 720p or higher.
- Photos should be in focus and well lit, without heavy filters or edits.
10. Publish posts
Posts appear on your profile and tell customers what is new. Google offers three kinds: updates, offers and events. Google archives posts older than 6 months unless the post has a date range, so a profile with no recent posts can look inactive.
11. Know what changed with Q&A
12. Get reviews and reply to them
Google names the number of reviews as part of prominence. Ask happy customers for a review, and reply to every review, positive or negative. Google's policies forbid offering anything in exchange for a review.
Keep it current
Google says a profile with inaccurate information might not show up for relevant searches. Update the profile whenever something changes: new hours, a new service, a new phone number. Recheck the whole list every few months.
Work through the checklist in Reach
Reach scores your profile out of 100 on the dashboard home and lists what is missing, such as a cover photo, a description, recent posts or replies to reviews. Before you connect Google, Reach can score only what your public listing shows.
Connect your Google Business Profile and you can fix most of the list from the Presence page: description, additional categories, regular and special hours, attributes, services, service areas, phone numbers, links, logo, cover and photos. Changes go to Google when you save, and Reach tells you which fields Google applied.
From the Posts page you can publish updates, offers and events to Google now or schedule them for later.
Frequently asked questions
- How many categories should I add?
- As few as describe your core business. Google asks for categories that are as specific as possible and that describe what the business is, not everything it offers.
- How long can the business description be?
- Up to 750 characters. Focus on the business itself, not on promotions or prices.
- What size should my photos be?
- Google accepts JPG or PNG photos between 10 KB and 5 MB. The minimum is 250 × 250 px and Google recommends 720 × 720 px.
- Do posts expire?
- Google archives posts after 6 months unless you set a date range on the post.