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Simple Google Business Profile Checklist

Why this matters

Your Google Business Profile (GBP) is how customers find your hours, address, reviews, photos and call button on Google Search and Maps. A clean, complete profile gets more views and calls. Use this checklist to fix the highest-impact items quickly.

Quick decision rule

If you have 10 minutes: claim or verify, add correct hours, and a clear phone number. If you have 30 minutes: finish all fields and add photos. If you have 60+ minutes: follow the full checklist below and plan weekly updates.

Claim & verify

  • Claim your profile — Go to google.com/business and sign in with a business email.
  • Verify ownership — Choose postcard, phone, email, or instant verification. Do not skip verification; unverified profiles rank lower.
  • If another owner exists — Request access through the profile and follow Google's instructions.

Core business info (must-do)

  • Business name — Use your real, public-facing name only (no keyword stuffing). Example: "Hometown Coffee House" not "Coffee House Best Prices".
  • Primary category — Pick the single best match (e.g., "Plumber" or "Thai Restaurant").
  • Additional categories — Add up to 9 related categories that describe services (optional but helpful).
  • Address — Enter the exact, deliverable address. If you work at customers' locations, set as a service area business and hide address.
  • Service area — If you travel to customers, list the towns or ZIPs you serve instead of a street address.
  • Phone number — Local number preferred (not a call center). Use the number customers actually call.
  • Website URL — Link to your homepage or a clear contact page. Use UTM tracking for campaign measurement if you like.

Hours & special hours

  • Regular hours — Add accurate open/close times. Even if irregular, show standard hours.
  • Special hours — Add holiday closings and special event hours ahead of time.
  • Temporarily closed — Use the status in GBP, not removing the profile.

Business description & attributes

  • Business description — 750 characters max; write a clear 1–2 sentence summary that says what you do and who you help. Example: "Family-owned bakery making fresh sourdough and custom celebration cakes for Springfield residents since 2010."
  • Attributes — Toggle attributes that apply (e.g., "Wheelchair accessible," "Outdoor seating"). Customers use these to filter.

Products & services

  • Services — Add each service as its own entry with a short description and price range if possible.
  • Products — If you sell items, list top products with images and prices.

Photos & video

  • Profile photo — Use a clear logo or storefront shot (400x300+).
  • Cover photo — Choose a bright, high-quality image representing your business (recommended 1080x608).
  • Interior/exterior photos — Add several so customers recognize your place.
  • Team & action photos — Show staff, products, and services in use.
  • Video — Short clips (up to 30s) showing your space or services can boost engagement.

Posts & updates

  • Make a post weekly or when you have news — Use offers, events, or product posts. Example: "20% off winter coats this weekend — show this post in store."
  • Use clear calls-to-action — "Call now," "Book online," or "Learn more."

Reviews

  • Ask for reviews — After a sale or job, ask customers to leave a review and include a short link (use the GBP "Share review form" link).
  • Respond to all reviews — Thank positive reviewers; address negatives politely and offer a fix offline.
  • Decision rule — If review is unchecked or a repeated complaint appears, fix the underlying problem and mention it in your response.

Messages & bookings

  • Enable messaging only if you can reply quickly (within a few hours).
  • Set up booking provider — If you accept appointments online, link a booking provider for one-click scheduling.

Insights & tracking

  • Check GBP Insights weekly — Look at searches, views, and actions (calls, clicks, direction requests).
  • Track calls — Use a dedicated local phone number or call tracking to measure leads from GBP.

Local SEO tuning (easy wins)

  • Consistent NAP — Make sure Name, Address, Phone are identical across your website and directories.
  • On-page schema — Add LocalBusiness schema on your website (developer or plugin can do this).
  • Local keywords — Use city + service on your homepage and a dedicated service page. Example: "Plumbing services in Springfield."

Monthly maintenance checklist

  • Weekly: Post once, check messages, respond to new reviews.
  • Monthly: Add new photos, review services and hours, check listing accuracy.
  • Quarterly: Update products/offers and review GBP Insights for trends.

Common problems & quick fixes

  • Someone else claimed your profile — Request ownership through GBP and follow the email link; if delayed, use Google's support chat.
  • Incorrect duplicate listings — Find duplicates and mark them as "Duplicate" or request removal.
  • Profile suspended — Remove guideline violations (no keyword stuffing, real address) and appeal after fixes.

Final checklist (tick-off)

  • [ ] Claimed and verified
  • [ ] Correct business name and primary category
  • [ ] Accurate address or service area
  • [ ] Local phone number and website
  • [ ] Hours and special hours set
  • [ ] Business description and attributes
  • [ ] Services/products listed
  • [ ] Profile, cover, and at least 5 photos
  • [ ] Weekly posts and review responses scheduled
  • [ ] Messaging/booking set (if staffed)
  • [ ] Weekly/Monthly/Quarterly maintenance plan

Use this list as a one-page action plan. Do the must-dos first (claim, verify, hours, phone, photos), then work down the list over a few sessions.