Google Business Profile basics for local service businesses

If you run a local business, a lot of people meet you for the first time on Google, not on your website. They search "septic pumping near me" or "radon testing" and see a map, a few names, some stars and a phone number. That little card is your Google Business Profile, and it's free.

It's also easy to get wrong in ways that hurt you. Google suspends or edits profiles that break its guidelines. This guide walks through what those guidelines actually say, so your profile works for you instead of against you.

The basic rule: look like you do in real life

Google's guidelines start with a simple idea. Represent your business the way it's consistently represented and recognized in the real world, across your signage, stationery and other branding. Google also requires that you avoid prohibited content and reflect your business accurately.

There should only be one profile per business. Duplicates cause problems with how your information shows up on Maps and Search.

If you keep that "real world" test in mind, most of the specific rules make sense.

Your business name

This is where people get tempted. Stuffing keywords into the name ("Joe's Plumbing Best Emergency Plumber 24/7 Cheap") might seem clever. Google doesn't allow it, and says unnecessary information in the name can get your profile suspended.

According to Google, your name shouldn't include:

• marketing taglines,
• store codes,
• trademark or registered symbols,
• words in all capitals (unless that's genuinely how the brand is written),
• business hours,
• phone numbers or website addresses,
• service or product descriptions,
• location information,
• legal terms like LLC or Inc, unless your real-world signage and paperwork consistently show them.

Put the details where they belong instead: address, service area, hours and category each have their own field.

Address or service area

Google wants a precise, accurate address and/or service area.

• P.O. boxes and remote mailboxes aren't acceptable as addresses.
• Virtual offices aren't eligible. If you rent a mailing address but don't operate there, Google says that location can't have a profile.
• Co-working spaces only qualify if you have clear signage, receive customers there during business hours, and staff it during those hours.
• Businesses showing an address should keep permanent signage with the business name at that address.

Many local service businesses don't have a storefront at all. A plumber, pumper, inspector or mobile groomer goes to the customer. Google calls these service-area businesses. You get one profile for your central office or location, with a defined service area, and Google says you should hide your address from customers. Its example is a plumber who runs the business from home: clear the address from the profile.

Google also says your overall service area shouldn't extend farther than about two hours of driving time from where you're based, though larger areas may be appropriate for some businesses.

Phone number and website

Use a phone number that connects to your individual location, and a website that represents that location. Google prefers a local number over a central call center when possible. The number must be under your direct control, and it can't redirect people to someone else's business or a landing page that isn't yours. Premium-rate numbers aren't allowed.

Categories

Pick as few categories as it takes to describe your core business, and make them as specific as possible. Google's test is helpful: choose categories that complete the sentence "This business IS a," not "This business HAS a."

Don't use categories as keywords or to describe features. A home inspector who also tests for radon is a home inspector. Google says it can pick up related details from your website and from mentions of your business elsewhere.

Business description

Use the description to explain your services and products, and your mission and history if you like. Be upfront and honest.

Google's rules for descriptions say no links of any kind, no low-quality or gimmicky text, and no focus on promotions, prices or sales. "Everything 50% off" belongs somewhere else.

Hours

List the hours customers can actually reach you. Seasonal businesses can set seasonal hours during the season and mark themselves temporarily closed in the off-season. Businesses that work only by appointment or on varied schedules may be better off not listing hours at all, according to Google's examples.

A ten-minute profile tune-up

1. Search your business name and check for duplicate profiles.
2. Compare your profile name to your sign, truck, invoices and website. Remove anything extra.
3. If you don't serve customers at your address, switch to a service area and hide the address.
4. Trim your categories to the most specific one or two that describe what you are.
5. Rewrite the description in plain language with no links or prices.
6. Confirm the phone number rings you, not a call center you don't control.
7. Update hours, including holiday hours.
8. Make sure your name, address and phone match everywhere else you're listed, including any directories.

Honesty applies here too

Your profile is advertising, and federal truth-in-advertising rules still apply. The FTC says ads must be truthful and not deceptive, and businesses need evidence to back up their claims. Anything you say in your profile or your posts, like "licensed and insured" or "certified radon mitigator," should be true and provable. Our guide to truth in advertising for small businesses covers the basics. And when you start asking customers for reviews, read how to ask for reviews the right way first.

Frequently asked questions

Can I add my city to my business name so I show up locally?

Not unless it's genuinely part of your real-world name on your signage and paperwork. Google lists location information as something your name must not include.

I work from home. Do I have to show my address?

No. Google's guidance for service-area businesses that run from a home address is to clear the address and set a service area instead.

Can I have separate profiles for each town I serve?

Generally no. Google allows one service-area profile unless you have separate locations with their own staff and service areas.

Is there a fee for a Google Business Profile?

Google describes the Business Profile as free. Be wary of anyone who calls claiming you must pay to "keep" or "verify" your Google listing. Our guide on directory listing scams explains that pitch.

Google updates its guidelines from time to time. Check the current version in Google Business Profile Help before making big changes.