When someone searches for "[your service] near me", Google shows a map with three businesses above everything else. Those three spots get a huge share of the clicks and calls, and they come from Google Business Profiles, not websites. A profile is free, and it's often the first thing a new customer sees.
1. Claim your free profile
Go to google.com/business and search for your business name. If it's already listed, claim it. If not, create it.
- Pick the primary category that best describes what you do. It matters more than anything else on the profile.
- Work from home or travel to customers? Set it up as a service-area business and hide your address. You list the towns or areas you cover instead.
- Add your opening hours, phone number and website, and write a short description in plain English.
Google will ask you to verify that you run the business. That might be a phone call, an email or a short video. Do it straight away, because an unverified profile won't show up properly.
2. Add real photos
Profiles with photos get more clicks than ones without. Stock images don't count for much, so use your own:
- Your logo and a cover photo
- Your work: finished jobs, products, before-and-afters
- You or your team, your van, your workspace
Add a few new ones every month. It shows Google, and customers, that you're active.
3. Ask for reviews
Reviews are the biggest thing you can influence. More recent, good reviews help you rank and help people choose you.
- Copy the "Ask for reviews" link from your profile and send it to happy customers right after a job.
- Keep it personal: "It would really help my small business if you could leave a quick review."
- Reply to every review, good or bad, politely and quickly.
Never pay for reviews or offer discounts in exchange for them. It's against Google's rules and can get reviews removed.
Quick win
Set a reminder for once a week: add one photo, post one update, and ask one customer for a review. Ten minutes a week keeps your profile ahead of most local competitors.