· Notes

The Google Business Profile checklist for mom-and-pop shops

A plain-English, 15-point Google Business Profile checklist for salons, auto shops, restaurants and home services. What to fix, and what to never do.

Lee esta guía en español →

Short answer: A strong Google Business Profile has your real business name, the right main category, correct hours, a phone number that matches your website, real photos, and honest reviews you reply to. Google says local results are mainly based on relevance, distance and popularity. Distance you can't change. The rest is on this checklist.

Your Google Business Profile is the box that shows up on Google Search and Maps with your hours, phone, photos and reviews. It's free from Google. For a salon, auto shop, restaurant or home-services business, it often does more work than the website. Here's what to check, in order.

Part 1: Get the basics exactly right

1. You own it. Search your business name on Google Maps. If the profile says "Own this business?", it hasn't been claimed. The owner of the business should be the Owner on the profile. Anyone helping you, including AP Visible, should be added as a Manager. A Manager can't remove the Owner, and you can remove a Manager yourself.

2. Your name is your real name. Google's guidelines say to represent your business the way it's known in the real world, across signage, stationery and other branding. Don't add keywords like "Best Brakes Aurora" if that isn't your name. It breaks the rules and can get the profile suspended.

3. The main category fits what you do. Pick the most specific category that describes your business as a whole ("Auto repair shop", "Hair salon", "Mexican restaurant"), then add a few secondary categories for other real services. The main category matters most, so check it at least once a year.

4. Address or service area, set correctly. If customers come to you, show your address. If you go to customers (cleaning, landscaping, mobile mechanic) and don't serve people at your address, Google says to remove the address and set a service area. You can list up to 20 cities or ZIP codes. A rented mailing address or virtual office isn't eligible for a profile.

5. Hours are right, including holidays. Wrong hours send customers to a locked door. Set special hours before Thanksgiving, Christmas and the Fourth of July.

6. Phone and website match everywhere. Use the same business name, phone number and website on your profile, your site, Facebook, Yelp and every directory. Mismatches confuse customers and search engines alike.

Part 2: Make it useful

7. Write the description in plain words. Say what you do, for whom, and where, in a few sentences. No keyword lists.

8. Add your services or menu. List the services people actually search for ("brake repair", "balayage", "catering"), with prices if you're comfortable sharing them.

9. Upload real photos. Your storefront (so people recognize it), the inside, your team at work, and your best results. Add new photos every month or two. Skip stock photos.

10. Turn on the features that fit. Booking links, menus and messaging are available for many business types. Only turn on messaging if someone will answer.

11. Post occasionally. A short update about a seasonal special or new service shows the business is active.

12. Answer common questions in your description and on your website. Parking, payment types, languages spoken, walk-ins. If your shop serves customers in Spanish, say so.

Part 3: Reviews, the honest way

13. Ask every customer, not just the happy ones. Google's Maps policy prohibits offering incentives such as payment, discounts or free services for reviews, and prohibits discouraging negative reviews or selectively asking only happy customers. A simple "We'd appreciate a review" card or text to everyone is safe.

14. Never buy, trade or fake reviews. Google removes fake engagement. The FTC's rule on consumer reviews (16 CFR Part 465) also bans buying positive or negative reviews and suppressing reviews. It isn't worth the risk to a listing that took years to build.

15. Reply to every review, good and bad. Thank people by name for good reviews. For a bad one, stay calm, apologize for the experience, and offer to make it right offline. Future customers read the replies.

What you can't control

Google says local results are mainly based on relevance, distance and popularity. Nobody can move your shop closer to a searcher, and no honest provider can promise you the top spot. What you can do is keep the profile complete and accurate. Google says businesses with complete and accurate info are more likely to show up in local search results.

Quick 5-minute self-check

  • Search your business name on your phone. Is the phone number right? Are today's hours right?
  • Does the profile say "Own this business?" If so, claim it.
  • Is your main category the most specific one that fits?
  • When did you last add a photo or reply to a review?

Want it on paper? The printable listing checklist fits on one page and covers your profile, your website, your directory links and your reviews.

AP Visible offers a free audit that checks your profile the way a customer would, by hand. Call or text (331) 298-2109.

Frequently asked questions

Is Google Business Profile free?

Yes. Creating and managing a Google Business Profile is free from Google. You only pay if you hire someone to manage it.

Should a home-services business show its address?

Only if customers come to that address. If you travel to customers and don't serve them at your address, Google says to remove the address and set a service area of up to 20 cities or ZIP codes.

Can I offer a discount for a Google review?

No. Google's Maps policy prohibits incentives such as payment, discounts or free services in exchange for reviews. Ask every customer the same way, with nothing attached.

Can I add keywords to my business name on Google?

No. Google's guidelines say to use your business name as it appears in the real world, on your signage and stationery. Adding keywords breaks the guidelines and can get a profile suspended.

Sources

Written by Priscilla Patel, CEO of AP Visible, which builds websites and manages Google profiles for family-run shops around Aurora and Naperville, Illinois. More notes →

Start with the free check

See how you look online right now.

We’ll show you exactly what a customer sees when they search for you — free, no pressure, no jargon. Worst case, you learn something useful.

Call or text us(331) 298-2109 Get a free audit30-second form, no pressure