Google Business Profile Optimisation Checklist

This is the checklist we run on every new client profile. Work through it top to bottom; the items near the top have the most effect on ranking, the ones near the bottom on conversion. Allow half a day for a thorough first pass and an hour a month after that. The reasoning behind each item is in the Business Profile chapter of the guide.

Eligibility and access

• Business makes in-person contact with customers at the address or in the service area (no virtual office, PO box or mailbox)
• Profile is verified; video verification recorded if requested
• Ownership sits with the business's own Google account, not an agency or ex-employee; managers added as managers
• No duplicate profiles for the same business (search Maps for name, address and phone)
• Old premises profiles marked as moved or permanently closed

Core information

• Name is the real trading name only — no locations, services or slogans added
• Primary category chosen from what the current pack members use for your main search
• All true secondary categories added; none you do not operate
• Address matches website and citations exactly; map pin on the building
• Service-area business: address hidden, service areas set to realistic towns or postcode districts
• Primary phone is a local number matching citations; tracking number only as additional
• Website link goes to the most relevant page, with UTM parameters
• Opening hours correct; special hours set for upcoming bank holidays; "More hours" used if relevant
• Opening date set

Relevance

• Every service listed, grouped under the right category, each with a description
• Products added with photos and prices where applicable
• Business description written (up to 750 characters): what, for whom, where, why you
• All applicable attributes set: accessibility, payments, amenities, service options, identity
• Menu, price list or service menu linked if the category supports it

Reviews

• Review link generated and turned into a QR code
• Review request built into the customer process (till, invoice, follow-up)
• Every existing review responded to
• Policy-breaking reviews flagged with the correct reason
• Monthly review target set against the third-placed competitor

Media

• Logo and cover photo uploaded
• Exterior (from the street), interior, team, work and product photos — at least 15 to start
• Stock photos removed
• Monthly photo upload scheduled; files named descriptively before upload
• At least one short video of the premises or work

Engagement

• Ten common customer questions added and answered in Q&A from the business account
• Existing Q&A checked for wrong answers from the public
• Posting cadence agreed (fortnightly is enough), first post live
• Messaging on only if someone answers within hours; off otherwise
• Booking integration connected if your category and booking system support it

Website and tracking

• Landing page title and H1 match the primary category and location
• NAP on the website matches the profile character for character
• LocalBusiness schema on the website with the same data
• Grid rank tracking baseline recorded for the main keywords
• Performance (Insights) data noted: calls, directions, website clicks, views

Monthly maintenance

• Check for Google-applied or user-suggested edits to name, categories, hours, pin
• Check for new duplicate profiles
• Upload photos, publish posts, answer new Q&A and reviews
• Compare grid rankings and Insights with last month
• Quarterly: review categories against Google's updated list; recheck top citations

Common mistakes we still see every week

1. "Emergency Plumber London 24/7" as the business name. Suspension waiting to happen.
2. Primary category "Contractor" or "Consultant" because it sounded broad. It is the opposite of what you want.
3. Services section empty because "we listed them in the description".
4. Twelve photos, all from 2019, three of them stock.
5. A reply to a negative review that reads like a court statement.
6. Profile owned by the web designer who built the site in 2017.

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