Picture this: a care home owner is at her kitchen table on a Sunday night. A family is looking for a place for their mom, so she searches her own business name on her phone, the way they would. The hours are wrong. The phone number is the old one. The only photo is a blurry shot of the parking lot.
That listing is the first thing most local customers see. Often it is the only thing. Here is how to optimize your Google Business Profile in about 20 minutes. It is free, and you do not need to be a computer person.
“I’m not a computer person. I set that page up years ago and I’m scared to touch it.”
Fair. Here is the good news: you can’t break it. Google reviews every change before it goes live, and you can change anything back.
Think of it as your sign on the busiest road in town
Your website is your building. Your Google Business Profile is the sign out front on the highway: the name, the hours, the phone number, the reviews. People decide whether to pull in before they ever see the building.
Start here: open your profile
Sign in with the Google account that manages your profile. Your profile should be run from a company email you control, not a former employee’s or an old vendor’s personal account. Google’s own steps: Edit your Business Profile.
The 10 steps to optimize your Google Business Profile
Use your real business name, exactly
The name on your sign and your paperwork. No extra words like “Best Plumber Portland.” Google can suspend profiles for that.
1 minutePick the most specific category
Your primary category matters most. Pick the most specific one: “Assisted living facility,” not “Health.” Then add a few more for other real services. Google says a category change may ask you to verify again. That’s normal. Google’s category guide
3 minutesFix your hours, including holidays
Set regular hours, then add special hours for holidays. Wrong hours lose trust fastest.
2 minutesCheck your phone number and website
Use the number a customer should actually call. Make sure the website link loads on a phone.
1 minuteSet your service area and keep your home private
If customers don’t come to you, list the areas you serve instead of a street address. Your home stays off the map.
2 minutesWrite a plain-language description
About 750 characters. Who you help, what you do, and where, the way you’d say it to a neighbor.
5 minutesAdd real photos
Your logo, the outside, the inside, your team at work, finished jobs. Real beats stock every time. Add a few new ones each month.
3 minutesList your services
One line each. A customer should know in seconds whether you do what they need.
3 minutesAsk for reviews and answer every one
Reviews are what people read most. Here is exactly how to ask: In Business 20 Years and Only 3 Google Reviews? Got a bad one? Here’s what to do.
OngoingPost once a week
Share a short update, offer or event. It shows customers, and Google, that you’re open and active.
5 minutes a week
Check it like a customer would
On your phone, check
- Hours are right today
- The phone number dials
- The website opens
- Photos look like you
Watch out for
- Old phone numbers
- Your home address showing
- A stranger listed as owner
- Reviews with no reply
Some changes take a few days to show, because Google reviews them first.
Who owns your Google Business Profile?
Your profile, reviews and photos are business assets. Years of five-star reviews are worth real money. Make sure the account that owns them is yours, under a company email you control, with two-step sign-in turned on. You own it, so keep the keys.
Do this today · 5 minutes
Search your business name on your phone. Are your hours right? If not, fix them now.
Questions owners ask
Is a Google Business Profile free?
Yes. Creating and managing your profile is free.
How long until my changes show up?
Google reviews edits before they go live. Most show within a few days. A name or category change may ask you to verify again first.
Do I need to show my home address?
No. If customers don’t visit you, set a service area instead, and your street address stays private.