The Google Business Profile Checklist for Local Service Businesses

For a local service business, your Google Business Profile is the single highest-ROI thing you can fix — it’s free, and it drives roughly a third of how you rank in the local map results. Yet most profiles are half-finished. Here’s the checklist to get yours right.

1. Claim and verify it

If you haven’t claimed your profile, do that first. An unclaimed or unverified profile can’t be optimized and won’t rank well.

2. Nail the core info

• Business name — your real name, no keyword stuffing (that can get you suspended).
• Primary category — the most accurate one; this heavily influences what you rank for.
• Additional categories — every service you genuinely offer.
• Service area — the cities and ZIP codes you actually serve.
• Hours — accurate, including holiday hours.

3. Add every service

Use the Services section to list each thing you do, with short descriptions. This tells Google exactly which searches you’re relevant for.

4. Keep photos fresh

Profiles with recent, real photos get more clicks and calls. Add new job photos regularly — a stale profile signals an inactive business.

5. Earn reviews — the compliant way

Recent reviews matter more than your all-time total. Ask every customer for an honest review after the job, the same way every time. (Read how to do this compliantly — the rules changed in 2026.)

6. Post and answer questions

Use Google Posts for offers and updates, and answer the Q&A section yourself before competitors or bots do.

7. Watch for spam competitors

Fake or keyword-stuffed competitor listings can outrank you unfairly. Auditing and reporting them is one of the highest-ROI single actions in local SEO.

Want us to handle all of this for you? It’s part of Get Found. Or start with a free AI Marketing Audit to see how your profile scores today.