Google ranks map results on three things: relevance, distance, and prominence. You cannot move your office, but you control relevance and prominence completely. Most competitors leave both half finished, which is your opening.
Chapter 1
How do you set up a Google Business Profile the right way?
Short answer: verify the profile, choose the most accurate primary category, fill in every field, list every service with a description, set your service areas, and use your real business name.
- Primary category. The most important setting. Choose the category that matches the work you most want, not the broadest one.
- Secondary categories. Add the other services you genuinely offer.
- Business name. Your real name only. Stuffing keywords into the name risks suspension.
- Services. Every service, each with a short description.
- Service areas. The towns and counties you actually serve.
- Description, hours, and attributes. Complete all of them.
- Website link. Point to your homepage or the most relevant location page.
Chapter 2
What should you do on your Google Business Profile every week?
Short answer: add a post, upload real photos, ask for reviews, and reply to every new review and question. Consistent activity tells Google the business is active.
- Posts. Offers, recent jobs, tips, and updates. About one a week.
- Photos. Your team, trucks, and finished work. Real photos only.
- Reviews. Ask every happy customer right after the job.
- Replies. Respond to every review, positive and negative, and answer questions.
- Accuracy. Update hours for holidays and add new services as you launch them.
We include 4 posts a month and weekly photo updates in our management plan, because the routine is what most owners let slip.
Free: the Google Profile PlaybookThe exact setup and weekly routine we use to move profiles into the map pack.
Get the playbookChapter 3
How do you get more Google reviews?
Short answer: ask every customer right after the job, by text, with a direct review link, and make it part of the process instead of an afterthought.
BrightLocal's 2026 survey found 97% of consumers read reviews for local businesses. A steady flow of recent reviews matters more than a large old total.
- Ask in person at the end of the job, then send the link by text the same day.
- Send one reminder a few days later if they have not left one.
- Ask customers to mention the service and town. Those details help your rankings and AI visibility.
- Reply to every review within a few days.
- Never buy reviews or offer rewards for positive ones. It breaks Google's rules.
Source: BrightLocal Local Consumer Review Survey 2026, via Digital Applied summary.
Chapter 4
How does your Google profile affect AI recommendations?
Short answer: AI tools pull business details, categories, and reviews from your profile when they recommend local businesses, so a complete, active profile now helps you in AI answers too.
In BrightLocal's 2026 survey, 45% of consumers had used AI tools to find local businesses, up from 6% the year before. When someone asks an AI tool for the best plumber nearby, it looks for businesses whose details are complete, consistent, and confirmed by reviews.
Keep your categories accurate, your services detailed, and your reviews coming, and the same work pays off twice. See our local SEO and AEO guide for the rest of the picture.
Chapter 5
What Google Business Profile mistakes hurt rankings?
Short answer: the wrong primary category, keyword stuffed names, inconsistent details, no recent activity, and ignoring reviews.
- Wrong primary category. Picking a broad category over your main service.
- Keyword stuffing. Adding cities and services to the business name.
- Mismatched details. Different phone numbers or hours on your site and profile.
- Going quiet. No posts or photos for months.
- Unanswered reviews. Especially negative ones. A calm, helpful reply reassures future customers.
- Fake or bought reviews. They get removed and can get the profile suspended.
This guide is part of The Local Business Marketing Playbook, our complete guide to digital marketing and media for local businesses.
