How to update your Google Business Profile the right way (a contractor's checklist)

Your Google Business Profile (the box that shows up on Google and in Maps with your hours, reviews and "Call" button) is the single biggest lever a local contractor has. It's also the thing most of us set up once in a hurry and never touch again.

Here's the order I go through a profile in. Do it top to bottom, once, and you'll be ahead of most of the shops in your area.

1. Claim it and make sure there's only one

Search your business name plus your city. If you see two listings, or an old one from a previous address, fix that first — duplicates split your reviews and confuse Google. Claim the one with the most reviews, and request removal of the other through the "Suggest an edit" link (or merge, if Google offers it).

2. Primary category: be specific, not broad

The primary category carries more weight than almost anything else. "Plumber" beats "Contractor." "Flooring contractor" beats "Home improvement." Pick the one category that describes most of your revenue, then add secondary categories for the rest. Don't add categories for work you don't actually do — Google cross-checks this against reviews and your website.

3. Services: list every one, in plain words

Under each category, Google lets you add services. Add every job you'd say yes to on the phone, with the words a customer would type: "water heater replacement," not "hydronic systems." Each service can carry a short description — use it. This is what lets your profile match a search you never wrote a web page for.

4. Hours, and "more hours"

Real hours, including holidays. If you answer the phone after hours, that's fine — but don't list 24/7 unless a human really picks up at 3 a.m. Missed calls during listed hours hurt you more than shorter hours do.

5. Service area, not an address you don't want shown

If you work from home or a shop customers don't visit, hide the address and set a service area instead (cities or ZIPs, not a 300-mile radius). Showing a residential address you don't serve customers at is the most common reason profiles get suspended.

6. Photos: real jobs, every month

Ten photos of real work beat a logo and a stock photo of a handshake. Shoot finished jobs, before/after pairs, your truck, your crew. Add a couple every month — Google notices profiles that are maintained. Name the files something useful before uploading ("tile-shower-remodel-kissimmee.jpg").

7. Write the description like you'd say it

750 characters. Who you are, what you do, where, and for how long. No keyword lists. Example: "Family-run flooring contractor serving Kissimmee and Osceola County since 2011. Tile, LVP, hardwood and carpet, installed by the owner's crew — not subbed out."

8. Q&A: ask and answer your own questions

Anyone can post a question on your profile, and if you don't answer, a stranger might. Post the five questions you get on every call — "Do you give free estimates?", "Are you licensed and insured?", "How soon can you start?" — and answer them yourself.

9. Reviews: ask for ones that name the job

"Great guy, five stars" helps a little. "Mike replaced our water heater the same day in Winter Park" is what gets matched to the next search. When you ask for a review, ask the customer to mention what you did and where. Reply to every review, including the bad ones, in one or two calm sentences.

10. Link the profile to a website that says the same thing

Google checks that your website agrees with your profile: same name, same phone number, same services, same service area. If your site still lists a service you dropped or an old number, fix it. If you don't have a site yet, even a one-page site with your services and areas will help the profile rank.

What not to do

• Don't stuff your business name with keywords ("Mike's Plumbing — Best Plumber Orlando 24/7"). It's the fastest way to get suspended.
• Don't buy reviews or run a review-swap group. Google is good at spotting these now.
• Don't set up a second profile for a "new location" that's just your brother-in-law's garage.

If you'd rather I just look at it

Send me your business name and city and I'll look your profile up the way a customer would and tell you the first thing I'd fix — that's the free Visibility Score. If you want it done for you, the Local Entity Build covers all of the above and the website to match.