The Google Business Profile Checklist for Local Businesses

Your Google Business Profile is often the first thing a nearby customer sees, before your website, and sometimes instead of it. A complete, accurate, active profile is the fastest local SEO win most businesses can get. Use this checklist to make sure yours is working for you.

Basics: is your information complete and correct?

• Business name exactly as it appears on your sign, with no extra keywords added
• Primary category that's as specific as possible, plus a few relevant secondary categories
• Address, or service areas if you travel to customers
• Phone number that matches your website and directories exactly
• Website link to your homepage or the right location page
• Hours, including special hours for holidays and seasonal changes

Services and description

• List every service you offer, using the words customers search for
• Write a clear description: what you do, where, and who for
• Add products or a menu if they apply

Photos

• Logo and cover photo
• Your storefront from the street, so people can recognize it
• Inside your business, your team and real examples of your work
• New photos every month, since an active profile looks trustworthy

Reviews

• Make it easy: share your review link by text, email or a QR code at the counter
• Ask every happy customer, not just once in a while
• Reply to every review within a few days, especially the negative ones
• Never buy reviews or offer rewards for them; it breaks Google's rules

Keep it active

• Post updates, offers and events
• Answer questions in the Q&A section before someone else does
• Check your profile monthly, since anyone can suggest edits to it

Common mistakes we see in Queens and Nassau

• Wrong town. Places like Bellerose and Floral Park exist on both sides of the Queens–Nassau border. Make sure your pin and address are in the right one.
• Outdated seasonal hours. Waterfront businesses in Freeport and Long Beach lose visits and get bad reviews when summer hours aren't updated.
• Inconsistent phone numbers. Using different numbers on Google, your website and Facebook weakens trust with both Google and AI assistants.
• One profile for everything. If you serve customers in several languages, as many businesses in Flushing and Jackson Heights do, make sure your description and posts reflect that.

Check your profile in a minute

The free Local Visibility Score checks your profile's completeness, reviews and map ranking against nearby competitors. If you'd like it handled for you, Google Business Profile management is part of our Growth Plan.