Your Google Business Profile decides whether local customers find you or your competitor first. Fully optimized GBPs earn 5–10x more clicks and calls than half-finished ones. This is the exact optimization checklist we run for every small business on our platform.
Categories: primary + secondary
Your primary category is the single most important field. Pick the most specific match ("Plumber" over "Contractor"). Add 3–5 relevant secondary categories to expand the queries you rank for without diluting relevance.
Services, products and attributes
Add every service you offer as a separate service listing with a full description. Add products where applicable. Set attributes (women-owned, veteran-owned, appointment required, etc.) — Google surfaces these in results.
Photos, posts and Q&A
Upload geotagged photos every month — real work, real team, real interiors. Publish a Google Post weekly. Seed your own Q&A with the top questions customers actually ask.
Reviews: velocity + response rate
Automate review requests by text after every job. Respond to every review — positive and negative — within 24 hours. Google rewards recency and response rate.
Frequently asked questions
How often should I post on Google Business Profile?
Once a week is the sweet spot. Consistency beats volume.
Do photos really matter?
Yes. GBPs with 100+ photos consistently outperform those with fewer than 20.
Should I respond to bad reviews?
Always. A professional public response tells future customers how you handle problems — often more valuable than the positive reviews themselves.