Think about the last time you searched for a plumber, a lawyer, or a restaurant nearby. You probably looked at the map results, checked the reviews, glanced at the photos, and tapped "Call" or "Directions." You may never have visited a single website.
Your customers do the same thing. For local service businesses, your Google Business Profile is the front door. It deserves at least as much attention as your website.
Start with your NAP
NAP stands for Name, Address, Phone. It needs to be exactly the same everywhere your business appears: your website, your Google Business Profile, Facebook, Yelp, the Better Business Bureau, and every directory listing.
When those details don't match, Google gets less confident about which information is correct, and customers get confused. It's one of the most common local SEO problems I find, and one of the easiest to fix.
Smith Roofing LLC
1200 Main St, Suite 200
(314) 555-0142
Smith Roofing
1200 Main St, Ste 2
(314) 555-0142
Smith Roofing LLC
1200 Main St, Suite 200
(314) 555-0199
Fill out everything
A half-finished profile looks like a half-run business. Make sure these are complete and current:
- Categories: the most specific primary category, plus relevant secondary ones.
- Services: every service you offer, with short descriptions.
- Service area and hours: including holiday hours.
- Photos: real ones. Your team, your trucks, your work, your office.
- Business description: written for customers, with the services and areas you want to be found for.
Post at least three times a week
Posting to your Google Business Profile is easy now, and most of your competitors still don't do it. Regular posts keep your profile active, give customers fresh reasons to choose you, and show Google that your business is open and engaged.
Aim for at least three posts a week. Here's what works:
| Post type | Example |
|---|---|
| Recent work | Before and after photos from a job this week |
| Offers | Free inspection after a storm, seasonal discounts |
| Answers | A quick answer to a question customers ask all the time |
| Updates | New service, new hire, new hours |
| Proof | A great review, shared with a thank-you |
This is a great fit for batching. When I produce a client's quarter of social content, Google Business Profile posts get produced and scheduled right alongside Facebook and LinkedIn.
Reviews: get them and answer them
Reviews are the first thing customers read. Ask every happy customer, and make it easy with a direct review link. Then respond to every review, good and bad. A calm, professional reply to a negative review often builds more trust than a page full of five stars.
Your weekly checklist
- Three or more posts published
- New photos added
- Every new review answered
- Hours and services still accurate
- NAP still matches your website and listings
Fifteen minutes a week, or zero if someone does it for you. Either way, treat it like the homepage it's become.
Alex Lamy16 years in marketing, from radio to agencies to running his own shop. Now a fractional marketer for St. Louis small businesses. You talk to him, he does the work.
Want this handled for you?
$125 per production hour. Meetings are free. Month-to-month, and you own everything. Want a reference first? I'll connect you with someone I did similar work for.
Book a 30-minute call
