Google Business Profile checklist for contractors

Updated October 15, 2026 · Bright Porch Sites

For local contractors, Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is often the first impression—before Facebook, before your website, sometimes before a referral finishes their sentence. Use this checklist to tighten yours. Official how-tos live at Google Business Profile Help.

1. Claim and verify the right listing

• Search your business name on Google Maps. Claim an existing listing if one exists rather than creating a duplicate.
• Complete verification with the method Google offers (postcard, phone, email, or video—availability varies).
• If you work from a truck and visit customers, set up as a service-area business and hide the home address when Google allows it.

2. Nail the basics

• Business name: Your real public name. Do not stuff keywords into the name (against Google’s guidelines).
• Primary category: Match what customers search (e.g., Plumber, Roofing contractor, Landscaper).
• Additional categories: Only services you actually offer.
• Phone: A number you answer. Consider a dedicated business line.
• Website: Link to a real site or landing page with click-to-call.
• Hours: Accurate, including emergency or weekend notes if relevant.
• Service areas: Towns and ZIP codes you truly cover in the St. Louis metro or your region.

3. Services and products

List services the way customers talk: “water heater repair,” “leak detection,” “asphalt shingle replacement,” not only internal jargon. Add short descriptions and starting prices only if they are accurate and you are comfortable publishing them.

4. Photos that convert

• Logo and a clear cover photo
• Team or truck (builds trust)
• Before/after job photos
• Interior/exterior work details

Skip stock photos of strangers’ houses. Real job photos outperform generic images for local trades.

5. Reviews and replies

• Ask happy customers to leave a review after a good job (Google’s own guidance encourages requesting reviews in a non-spammy way).
• Reply to every review—positive and negative—professionally and briefly.
• Never buy fake reviews or offer payment for five-star ratings; that violates Google policy and can backfire.

6. Posts, Q&A, and messaging

• Post occasional updates: seasonal offers, project photos, storm-prep tips.
• Monitor Questions & Answers; pin accurate answers about service area and licensing.
• Turn on messaging only if you will respond quickly.

7. Connect your website

Your Profile and website should reinforce each other: same phone number, same service list, same NAP (name/area) consistency. On the site, add a click-to-call button and, if useful, an embedded map or directions link.

Need a simple site first? Watch our free website tutorial, or get a done-for-you preview.

Monthly 10-minute tune-up

• Confirm hours and phone still correct
• Upload 2–4 new job photos
• Reply to new reviews
• Check that the website link still works on mobile

Consistency beats perfection. A complete, honest Profile with real photos will beat a half-empty listing almost every time.

Attributes and booking links

Where Google offers attributes (women-owned, veteran-owned, appointment required, and similar), only select what is true. False attributes can confuse customers and risk policy issues. If you use an online booking or quote tool, add the link in the Profile fields Google provides rather than hiding it in a photo caption.

Avoid these common mistakes

• Creating a second Profile because the first one “looks wrong”—fix the original instead
• Using a personal cell in some places and a Google Voice number in others
• Leaving the website field blank when you already have a page live
• Ignoring negative reviews until they pile up
• Posting copyrighted photos you do not have rights to use

Spend thirty focused minutes once, then ten minutes a week. That rhythm beats a perfect Profile you abandon after launch.