When someone searches "plumber near me" or "nail salon in Dallas," the first thing they usually see is a map with three businesses under it. That's the local pack, and the profiles in it come from Google Business Profile. For many local businesses, it brings in more calls than the website itself.
The good news: it's free, and most competitors leave it half-finished. Here's a 10-step checklist to fix that.
How Google decides who shows up
Google says local results are based mainly on three things:
- Relevance: how well your profile matches what someone searched for.
- Distance: how far you are from the searcher or the location in their search.
- Prominence: how well known your business is, which includes reviews, links and your overall presence online.
You can't move your shop closer to every customer. You can make your profile more relevant and more prominent, and that's what the steps below do.
Industry research backs this up. The 2026 Local Search Ranking Factors survey by Whitespark, which polls local SEO practitioners, ranks the Google Business Profile itself as the biggest group of local pack signals, with reviews second.
The 10-step checklist
1. Claim and verify your profile
Search for your business on Google Maps. If a profile already exists, claim it. If not, create one at business.google.com and complete verification. Unverified profiles can be edited by others and rank poorly.
2. Pick the right primary category
Your primary category is one of the strongest signals you control. Choose the most specific one that matches your main service ("Emergency plumber" or "Plumber," not "Contractor"). Add secondary categories only for services you really offer.
3. Use your real business name
Don't stuff keywords into your name ("Joe's Plumbing Dallas Best Cheap Plumber"). It breaks Google's guidelines and can get your profile suspended.
4. Keep name, address and phone identical everywhere
Your name, address and phone number (NAP) should match exactly on your website, Google, Yelp, Facebook and directories. Mismatches confuse Google about which listing is real.
5. Set accurate hours, including holidays
If you show as closed when someone searches, you're far less likely to appear. Update special hours before every holiday.
6. Fill in services, products and attributes
List each service with a short description and price range if you can. Add attributes that apply, such as "online appointments," "wheelchair accessible" or "women-owned."
7. Add real photos, regularly
Upload photos of your work, your team, your vehicles and your location. A profile with a steady stream of fresh photos looks active. A profile with three photos from 2019 does not.
8. Build a steady flow of reviews
Ask every happy customer, every week, rather than in occasional bursts. Recent reviews matter more than old ones. We cover exactly how to ask in our guide to getting more Google reviews.
9. Reply to every review
Thank people specifically and respond calmly to complaints. Replies show future customers you care, and they show Google your profile is actively managed.
10. Post updates and link to a real website
Use Google Posts for offers, events and recent jobs. And link your profile to a fast, mobile-friendly website with a page for each main service and area you cover. Your website is where much of the "relevance" signal comes from.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Listing a P.O. box or virtual office as your address.
- Creating duplicate profiles for the same location.
- Buying reviews or offering discounts in exchange for them. It violates Google's policies and US rules on fake reviews.
- Setting it up once and never touching it again.
How long until you see results?
Basic fixes like categories, hours and photos can be picked up within days or weeks. Reviews and overall prominence build over months. Think of your profile like a storefront: it works best when someone keeps it tidy every week.
If you'd rather hand this off, our SEO plans include Google Business Profile setup and ongoing optimization, starting at $299 a month.