Your Google Business Profile is free, and for local searches it often gets more views than your website. Yet most profiles we see in Central New York are only half filled out. Use this checklist to make sure yours is working as hard as it can.
The basics
- Claim and verify your profile at business.google.com.
- Use your real business name, exactly as it appears on your signage. Adding keywords or towns to it breaks Google’s guidelines.
- Use a local phone number and your main website URL.
- Match your name, address and phone to your website exactly.
Categories and services
- Pick the most specific primary category that fits what you do.
- Add secondary categories only for services you really offer.
- List each service with a short description.
Location and service area
- If customers visit you, show your address.
- If you travel to customers, set a service area of towns or counties and hide your address.
- Keep your service area realistic; listing all of New York won’t help you rank in Utica.
Hours
- Set regular hours, and update holiday hours before every holiday.
- Mark yourself temporarily closed during extended breaks instead of leaving wrong hours up.
Photos
- Upload your logo and a cover photo.
- Add real photos of your work, your team, your vehicles and your storefront.
- Add new photos every month or two. Fresh activity signals an active business.
Description and posts
- Write a description that says who you serve, what you do and where, in plain language.
- Publish posts for offers, events, new projects and seasonal reminders.
Reviews and Q&A
- Create a short review link and send it to every satisfied customer.
- Reply to every review, thanking positive reviewers and addressing concerns professionally.
- Answer common questions in the Q&A section yourself before strangers do.
Keep it current
Set a calendar reminder to review your profile once a month. Fifteen minutes of upkeep keeps you ahead of most competitors in local search.
Want help getting found locally? See our SEO and local marketing services.
Founder and lead developer of DigitalRocket in Syracuse. Jon has spent more than 20 years building websites and software, including over a decade at Syracuse advertising agencies, and now helps Central New York businesses put AI to work, connect their tools with custom software, and run fast, secure websites.