Your Google Business Profile is usually where most first contact happens: calls, directions, reviews, and the decision to trust you. It is also the engine of your map pack ranking. Here is the checklist we run for every contractor.
Why the profile is your most valuable asset
For a local business the profile, not the website, is where most people first find and judge you. A fully optimized, consistently active profile ranks higher and converts better. And it is free to own.
The optimization checklist
- Primary category, the most specific match to your core service ("Roofing contractor," not just "Contractor").
- Secondary categories for your other services.
- Every service listed, with a short description each.
- Complete business info, exact name, address, phone, hours, and service area, matching your website.
- Photos, real job photos added regularly, not just a logo.
- Google Posts, a short update or offer every week to signal activity.
- Reviews and responses, a system to earn them and a reply to every one.
- Q&A, seed the common questions and answer them yourself.
- Messaging, turned on so buyers can reach you instantly.
Common mistakes that tank your ranking
- Stuffing keywords into your business name (against the rules, and reportable).
- The wrong primary category, the most common ranking killer.
- Inconsistent name, address, or phone versus your website and directories.
- A profile you set up once and never touch again.
How often to maintain it
A profile is not "set it and forget it." Post weekly, add photos, keep earning reviews, and keep information current. Consistent activity is a signal most competitors ignore, which is exactly why it works. See how it fits the bigger picture in our local SEO guide, or have us run it as part of our Google Business Profile service.