If you only do one thing for your business online this year, make it this. Your Google Business Profile is the free listing that shows up when someone searches for a contractor in your area. It's the box with the map, your star rating, your phone number, and your hours. And for a lot of homeowners, it's the only thing they look at before picking up the phone.
Your Google Business Profile shows up above websites, above ads, and above everything else on the page. You could have the best website in the world and still lose to a competitor with a better profile. The good news is that setting it up right doesn't cost anything and doesn't take long. Most contractors just never bother to do it properly.
Here's how to get it done.
Claim Your Profile
Head to business.google.com and sign in with your Google account. Search for your business name. If it already shows up on Google Maps, which it might even if you never created a listing, you'll need to claim it. If it doesn't exist yet, you can create one from scratch.
Google will ask you to verify that you actually own the business. This usually happens through a phone call, text message, or sometimes a video verification where you show proof like a sign on your truck or your business license. It can take anywhere from a few hours to a couple of weeks depending on the method.
Don't skip this step or put it off. An unclaimed profile is a problem waiting to happen. Someone else could edit your info, change your phone number, or even mark your business as permanently closed. If a previous employee or old marketing company claimed it, you'll need to go through Google's ownership transfer process. It's a pain, but it's worth it.
Pick the Right Categories
This is where a lot of contractors mess up right out of the gate. Your primary category is the single biggest factor in which searches your profile shows up for. Google gives you one primary category and up to nine secondary categories.
For your primary category, pick the most specific option that describes your main service. Don't go with something broad like "General Contractor" if you're primarily a roofer. Use "Roofing Contractor" instead. Think about what a homeowner would actually type into Google when they need your help, and pick the category that matches that search.
For secondary categories, add every service that legitimately applies to your business. A plumber might add "Water Heater Installation Service," "Drain Cleaning Service," and "Sewer Service." A remodeler might add "Kitchen Remodeler," "Bathroom Remodeler," and "Home Builder." Each category you add is another type of search where your profile can show up. Just don't add categories for work you don't actually do. Google can penalize you for that.
Fill Out Everything
Google rewards complete profiles. An incomplete profile tells Google your business might not be active or serious. Here's what to fill out:
Business name. Use your real business name exactly as it appears on your website, truck, and business cards. Don't stuff keywords in here like "Joe's Plumbing - Best Plumber in Manchester NH." Google can suspend your profile for that.
Address or service area. If customers come to your location, show your address. If you go to them, which is the case for most contractors, hide your physical address and set your service area instead. Google lets you list the cities and zip codes you cover. This is totally normal for guys working out of their truck or home office.
Phone number and website. Use your main business number and link to your website. Make sure this information matches what's on your website and every other directory you're listed on. Google cross-checks this, and mismatches hurt your ranking.
Hours. Set your regular hours and keep them updated. If your hours change seasonally, update them. Nothing frustrates a homeowner more than calling during what they think are business hours and getting no answer.
Business description. You get 750 characters. Use them to explain what you do, where you do it, and what makes you different. Write it like you're explaining your business to someone at a barbecue. No keyword stuffing, just a clear and honest description.
Services. Add every service you offer with a short description for each one. This helps Google understand the full scope of what you do and connect you with more types of searches.
Add Real Photos
Photos make a huge difference. Profiles with lots of photos get significantly more calls and direction requests than profiles with few or no photos. But they need to be real photos of your actual work, not stock images pulled from the internet.
Start with the basics: your logo, a cover photo, a picture of your truck or team, and shots of your workspace if you have one. Then start adding photos of completed jobs. Before-and-after shots work great for contractors. A freshly finished deck, a new roof, a kitchen remodel. These are the photos that make homeowners feel confident about hiring you.
Make it a habit to snap a few photos at the end of every job. It takes thirty seconds and gives you a steady stream of fresh content for your profile. Google likes seeing new photos added regularly because it signals that your business is active.
Get Your Reviews Rolling
Your Google reviews show up right on your profile, and they're one of the first things homeowners look at. We wrote a whole post on how to get more Google reviews as a contractor, but here's the short version: ask after every job, send them the direct review link, and follow up once if they don't do it right away.
Respond to every review you get, good or bad. A quick "Thanks, glad you're happy with the work" on a positive review goes a long way. A calm, professional response to a negative review shows future customers that you care and you handle problems like a pro.
Post Updates Every Week
Google Business Profile has a posting feature that most contractors never use. It's like a mini social media feed that shows up right on your listing. Posts expire after about seven days, so consistency matters.
You don't need to write anything fancy. Here are some easy ideas:
Finished job photos. "Just wrapped up a full bathroom remodel in Nashua. Here's how it turned out." Attach a photo.
Seasonal tips. "Fall is a great time to get your gutters cleaned before the leaves really start piling up. Give us a call if you need help."
Behind the scenes. "Our crew heading out at 6 AM for a full day of roofing in Concord." Snap a photo of the team or the truck.
Posting once a week takes about five minutes. It tells Google your business is active and gives homeowners more reasons to trust you when they find your profile.
Keep Your Info Consistent Everywhere
Your business name, address, phone number, and services need to match across your Google Business Profile, your website, Yelp, the BBB, Angi, Thumbtack, and anywhere else you're listed. Google cross-references all of this. If your phone number is different on Yelp than it is on your website, or your business name is slightly different on the BBB, it confuses Google and can drag down your ranking.
Take an hour one afternoon and go through every listing you can find. Make sure everything lines up. It's boring work, but it makes a real difference in how often you show up in search results. This also helps with AI search tools like ChatGPT and Claude, which cross-check the same information when deciding which contractors to recommend.
Don't Set It and Forget It
The biggest mistake contractors make with their Google Business Profile is treating it like a one-time setup. You fill it out, walk away, and never touch it again. That's how you end up with outdated hours, no recent photos, stale reviews, and a profile that slowly drops out of the top results.
Think of your profile like your truck. You wouldn't go two years without an oil change. Your Google profile needs regular attention too, just a lot less of it. Add photos after jobs, respond to reviews, post an update once a week, and check your info every few months to make sure nothing is off.
The contractors who show up in that map pack at the top of Google aren't doing anything complicated. They just have a complete, accurate, active profile. That's the bar, and most of your competition hasn't cleared it yet.
Want to see how the rest of your online presence stacks up? Grab a free website audit and we'll give you the full picture. Or if you're ready for a website that works as hard as you do, check out what we build for contractors.