If you run a local trade or service business — a plumbing company, an electrical contractor, a cleaning service — Google Business Profile is the single most important free tool you have. It puts your business on Google Maps and in the local results at the top of a search page.
This guide walks you through every step of setup, including the fields most owners skip that directly affect whether Google shows you or your competitor.
Step 1: Claim or Create Your Profile
Go to business.google.com and sign in with a Google account. Search for your business name. If it already appears, click Claim this business. If it doesn't, click Add your business to Google.
Choose your primary business category carefully. For a plumber, that's Plumber — not "Home Services" or "Contractor". The category tells Google what searches to match you with. You can add secondary categories later (for example, a plumber might also add Gas Installation Service).
Enter your business name exactly as it appears on your website and invoices. Don't stuff keywords into the name field — Google can suspend profiles that do this.
Step 2: Verify Your Business
Google needs to confirm you're a real, local business. The most common method is a postcard sent to your business address with a code. Enter the code in your profile to complete verification.
Some businesses are offered phone or email verification, or instant verification if your website is already connected to Google Search Console (Google's free tool for monitoring how your site appears in search). Use whichever option Google offers you.
Until you're verified, your profile won't appear in local search results. Don't skip this step or leave it half-done.
Step 3: Fill In Every Field — Including the Ones Most Owners Skip
Once verified, go through every section in your profile dashboard. Here's what matters most:
- Business description: You get 750 characters. Use them. Write a plain-language description of what you do, where you work, and why you're worth calling. An electrician might write: "Licensed electrician serving the Northside area. We handle switchboard upgrades, safety inspections, new home wiring, and emergency callouts. Family-owned, 15 years in the trade." Don't repeat your business name or stuff keywords — just write naturally.
- Services: This is the field most owners leave blank. Open the Services section and add every job type you do — hot water systems, burst pipes, drain clearing, gas fitting. Each service can have its own name and description. Google uses this to match you with specific searches, so "burst pipe repair" in your services list helps you show up when someone types exactly that.
- Service area: If you travel to customers (a plumber does, a dentist doesn't), add your service areas. List the suburbs, towns, or regions you cover. Don't list areas you don't actually serve — it won't help and can hurt your relevance in the places you do work.
- Hours: Set your opening hours accurately. Add special hours for public holidays. Customers who see "open now" are more likely to call. Inaccurate hours lead to bad reviews.
- Phone number and website: Use a number you answer. Link to your actual website homepage.
- Attributes: Google offers attribute options based on your category — things like "free quotes" or "on-site services". Tick every one that applies. These appear in your profile and help customers make decisions quickly.
Step 4: Add Photos
Profiles with photos get more clicks than those without. Add at least these three types:
- Logo: Your business logo, square format.
- Cover photo: A clear, professional image — your van with signage, your team on a job, or your shopfront.
- Job photos: Real photos from real jobs. A plumber might add a photo of a completed bathroom fit-out or a new hot water system install. These build trust fast.
Use real photos, not stock images. Google can detect stock photos, and customers can tell the difference.
Step 5: Set Up Q&A and Keep the Profile Active
The Questions & Answers section on your profile is publicly visible — and anyone can post a question or answer, including strangers. Check it regularly.
Better yet, seed it yourself. Log in and post the questions your customers ask most often, then answer them. A plumber might add: "Do you offer same-day callouts?" and answer it directly. This fills a gap before a customer has to ask, and the keywords in those answers help with local search.
Beyond Q&A, post an update at least once a month. It can be a completed job, a seasonal tip, or a new service. Active profiles signal to Google that your business is open and engaged.
Setup takes about an hour. Keeping it current takes fifteen minutes a month. For a local trade business, few things return as much as a complete, accurate Google Business Profile.