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Google Business Profile checklist 27 things that decide whether Google, and the AI tools that lean on it, know who you are and trust you. Check them off as you go; your progress saves in this browser.
Start with the High impact items. We can’t see inside your profile from outside, so this list is something you do yourself in a sitting or two. It’s based on Google’s published guidelines and widely studied local-search ranking factors. Rankings can’t be guaranteed.
Core information Choose the most specific primary category High impact 10 min Why: Your primary category is one of the strongest signals for which searches you appear in. “Emergency plumber” and “Plumber” are matched differently.How: Look at the categories your top local competitors use, then pick the one that best describes your main money-making service.Add every secondary category that truly applies Medium 10 min Why: Secondary categories widen the searches you can show for without diluting your primary one.How: Add each distinct service you actually deliver (for example “Water heater installation service”). Don’t add categories for things you don’t do.Set your address or service area correctly Medium 10 min Why: Customer-facing locations should show an address. If you travel to customers, hide the address and list the areas you serve.How: In Profile → Business location and Service areas. Keep it to places you genuinely serve.Match phone number and website to your site High impact 5 min Why: Matching name, address and phone (NAP) across your profile and website is a core consistency signal.How: Use the same phone format on both. Link the website field to your home page or the location page for this profile.Add accurate hours, including holidays Medium 10 min Why: Wrong hours cause bad reviews and lost customers, and assistants quote them directly.How: Set regular hours, then add special hours for upcoming holidays. Mark “temporarily closed” rather than deleting the profile.Write a clear 750-character description Medium 20 min Why: It’s one of the few places you control the wording. Plain, factual descriptions are easier for both people and machines to use.How: Say what you do, who for, where, and what makes you different. No links, phone numbers, promotions or all-caps (these break the guidelines).Fill in attributes Polish 5 min Why: Attributes (accessibility, payment types, “women-led”, online appointments) answer questions customers ask and feed filtered searches.How: Profile → Edit → More. Turn on only what’s true.Everywhere else you appear Link your website and profile to each other High impact 15 min Why: Reciprocal links tell Google the website and the listing are the same business.How: Put a “Find us on Google” link and map in your site footer. Add your profile URL to your schema’s sameAs list.Use the free tool Use identical name, address and phone everywhere High impact 15 min Why: Inconsistent listings make engines unsure which details are right, and assistants may quote the wrong one.How: Pick one format (for example “Suite” vs “Ste.”) and copy it exactly into your website, schema and every listing.Claim Bing Places for Business Medium 20 min Why: Bing’s index feeds Microsoft Copilot and some other AI search products, so a missing Bing listing is a gap in what those tools know about you.How: Go to bingplaces.com and import from your Google profile in a few clicks.Claim Apple Business Connect Medium 20 min Why: Apple Maps, Siri and other Apple surfaces use it for iPhone users.How: Go to businessconnect.apple.com and verify your business.Fix Facebook, Yelp and your top industry directories Polish 45 min Why: These sites are corroborating sources that assistants and search engines cross-check.How: Update name, address, phone, hours and website. Remove old duplicates where you can.Add LocalBusiness schema to your website Medium 20 min Why: It states your name, address, hours and profiles in a machine-readable form.How: Use the free generator and paste the result into your home page.Use the free tool Finished the list? Run the free site scan , then check what assistants say with the AI visibility test .
