Your Google Business Profile is often the first thing a customer sees, before your website. Here's the checklist we use for our own businesses and our clients.
The basics
- Business name: your real name only. Adding keywords like "Best Tint | Ceramic | PPF" can get the profile suspended.
- Primary category: the most specific category for what you do most.
- Secondary categories: only ones that truly apply.
- Address or service area: service-area businesses can hide their address and list the areas they cover.
- Phone number: the same number as your website, everywhere.
- Hours: accurate, including holiday hours.
- Website link: to your homepage or the most relevant page.
Services and photos
- List every service with a short description and starting price if you publish one.
- Upload real photos of your work, team and storefront or vehicle. Add new ones regularly.
- Add a logo and a cover photo that looks good cropped on a phone.
Reviews
- Ask every happy customer, right after the job, with your direct review link.
- Reply to every review, good or bad, in a calm, helpful tone.
- Never buy reviews or offer discounts in exchange for them. Google can remove them or penalize the profile.
Tip: a review QR card on your counter or a text with your review link after each job is the simplest way to keep reviews coming.
Connect it to your website
Your website should use the same name, phone and service areas as your profile, and have a page for each service listed on Google. That consistency helps Google trust both. It's part of our local SEO setup.
Quick answers
Can I put keywords in my Google business name?
No. Use your real business name. Keyword stuffing can get the profile suspended.
Should a mobile business show its address?
Service-area businesses that go to customers can hide their address and list the areas they serve instead.
Want us to handle it?
We build sites and set up Google for Chicago local businesses.