You already have the website. Now you need the phone to ring. This guide is the other half of the job — the one most agencies don't do.

Google Business Profile is where 80% of your local customers actually find you. A fully optimized profile outranks a half-finished one by a landslide, and it's all within your control. Every step in this kit is something you can do yourself in 15 minutes or less. Follow it and you will climb.

The Three Laws

1. Completeness beats cleverness. Fill every field. Every one. Empty fields tell Google you might not be a real business.
2. Recency beats volume. Ten recent reviews beat 200 from 2021. One weekly post beats a flurry and a month of silence. Google rewards active profiles.
3. Specificity beats generic. "Tankless water heater installation in [your city]" outranks "plumbing services" every time. The exact words matter.

What's in this kit

• 01The 1-Hour Setup Checklistp. 4
• 02Your Business Description (fill-in-the-blank)p. 6
• 03Service Menu Keywords by Tradep. 9
• 04The Weekly Post Calendarp. 12
• 05The Review Request Systemp. 17
• 06Review Response Templatesp. 19
• 07The Monthly Maintenance Checklistp. 21
• 08Not Ranking? The Troubleshooting Treep. 22

Work through this in order. If you have not verified your profile, start there. Everything else builds on it.

Part A · Account & Claim (15 min)

• Go to google.com/business and sign in with a Google account you will keep forever — use a business address, never a personal one. 5 min
• Search for your business name. If it exists unclaimed, click "Claim this business." If not, click "Add your business." 2 min
• Verify by postcard, video, phone, or email (Google picks). Postcard takes 5-14 days. Video is fastest — record a walkthrough of your office/truck as prompted. 5-14 days
• Once verified, the dashboard unlocks. Do not proceed to Part B until verification is complete. wait

Part B · Core Business Info (15 min)

• Business name. Use your legal business name exactly — no keyword stuffing. "Bob's Plumbing" not "Bob's Best 24/7 Emergency Plumbers Near Me." Stuffing gets you suspended. 1 min
• Primary category. This is the #1 individual ranking signal. Pick the most specific match: "Plumber," "HVAC Contractor," "Roofing Contractor," "Electrician" — not "Contractor." 1 min
• Secondary categories (3-5). Add every specific sub-service you offer. A plumber adds "Water Softening Equipment Supplier," "Gas Installation Service." A roofer adds "Gutter Cleaning Service," "Roof Inspector." 4 min
• Phone number. Use your main line. Must match your website and every directory listing exactly. 1 min
• Website URL. Link to your home page, not a landing page. If you have a call-tracking number, put it on the website — not on GBP. 1 min
• Business hours. Fill every day. If you have 24/7 emergency availability, add it as special hours with the note "Emergency service available." 3 min
• Service areas. List individual cities and neighborhoods you serve. Don't use a radius — list "Mesa," "Chandler," "Gilbert" by name. Up to 20 areas. 4 min

Part C · Description & Services (15 min)

• Business description (750 characters max). Use the template in Section 02. Include your city and top 3 services naturally in the first two sentences. 8 min
• Services list. This is the hidden keyword goldmine. Add every specific service from the list in Section 03 — use the exact service names, not generic ones. 5 min
• Attributes. Toggle every applicable attribute: "Women-owned," "Veteran-owned," "LGBTQ+ friendly," "Wheelchair accessible," "Free Wi-Fi" — whatever applies. These are filter signals. 2 min

Part D · Photos (10 min)

• Logo — square, high-res, readable at small sizes. 1 min
• Cover photo — a wide landscape shot of your team, truck, or a finished project. No stock photos. 1 min
• 5 interior/office photos — your workspace, showroom, warehouse, or office. 3 min
• 5 work-in-progress or completed-project photos — before/after shots are gold. 3 min
• 2 team photos — faces of the people who show up at customer homes build instant trust. 2 min

Part E · Features (5 min)

• Enable messaging. Settings → Messaging → On. Download the Google Business Profile app on your phone so you can respond from anywhere. 2 min
• Seed the Q&A section. Ask yourself 5 common questions from your own phone's Google Maps app and answer them. Example: "Do you offer free estimates?" "Is there a warranty?" This gets the Q&A section populated before customers start asking. 3 min

You have 750 characters. That is about three short paragraphs. Google reads every word. The template below is the proven formula — used by top-ranking contractors across the country — with five variants, one per trade.

How to use: highlighted fields are your blanks. Replace them with your own details. Aim for ~650 characters (leaves breathing room). Paste into GBP → Edit Profile → Business Description.

Four ingredients. Every one matters.

01 · The primary keyword in the first 10 words

Google's parser weighs the opening of your description heavily. "Bob's Plumbing is Mesa's trusted plumber..." is stronger than "We are a family-owned business that..." Get your trade and your city into the first sentence.

02 · Specific services named, not listed

"We handle emergency leaks, water heater replacement, drain cleaning, and sewer repair" beats "full-service plumbing." Naming actual services hits search queries. Generic terms hit nothing.

03 · At least one secondary city

Google uses the cities in your description to determine your true service radius. If you only mention one city, you rank in that one city. Mention three and you rank in all three.

04 · A single call-to-action at the end

End with your phone number and one clear next step ("Call [Phone]" or "Book online"). Profiles that close with a call-to-action have measurably higher click-to-call rates, and Google rewards the behavioral signal.

Checklist before you save

• Primary keyword (plumber, HVAC, roofer, electrician) appears in the first sentence
• Primary city appears in the first sentence
• 3+ specific services named
• 2-3 additional cities mentioned
• Year established included if 3+ years
• One key differentiator (licensed, certified, family-owned, warranty)
• Ends with phone number and call-to-action
• Under 750 characters (target 600-700)

Inside your GBP dashboard there's a "Services" section. Most contractors fill in 2-3 generic entries and stop. That's leaving money on the table. Every service name you add becomes a matchable phrase when someone searches nearby.

How to use: go to your profile → Services → Add each one below as a separate service, using these exact names. Add a 1-2 sentence description per service. Aim for 15-25 services total.

Why painters win on GBP

Painting has the highest visual-proof-of-work conversion rate of any trade on GBP. Homeowners scroll photos. They click the profile with the best before/afters. That one behavior — "show me what your work looks like" — is the painter's entire edge.

Photo strategy for painters (specifically)

• Before/after pairs. Every single completed project. Same angle, same lighting if possible. Post as a pair. These get 3x more clicks than single shots.
• Drip-free cut lines. Close-up shots of clean edges against trim, ceilings, and windows. Shows craftsmanship no sales copy can match.
• Cabinet transformations. Kitchen cabinet refinishing photos are the single highest-converting image type for painters on GBP. If you do cabinets, lead with them.
• Deck restorations. Gray, weathered deck → rich-stained deck is a universal "wow." Post one every month during deck season.
• Team on-site. Crew photos in uniform. Signals "real company, not a guy with a brush" — worth a meaningful trust bump.

Each service in your GBP menu can have a description of up to 300 characters. Most contractors skip this. Those who fill it in rank higher — because those descriptions become matchable text for search queries.

The 3-sentence formula

1. What it is — name the service in plain language.
2. Who it's for / when you need it — the customer-facing angle.
3. Your differentiator + city — what makes you the right call.

Examples

30-minute exercise

Block 30 minutes this week. Open your GBP dashboard. For every service you offer, write one description using the formula above. That is usually 15-25 entries. When you're done, your profile will have more rich text content than 95% of your local competitors.

Google uses post frequency as a proxy for "is this business actually open and active?" A profile with a post every week signals life. A profile with no posts in 3 months signals abandonment. Rankings follow.

The four post types (Google's categories)

• Update — general news, tips, behind-the-scenes. The workhorse category. Use for most posts.
• Offer — time-limited promotion or discount. Has a "Redeem" button.
• Event — anything with a date (sale, open house, service fair).
• Product — specific service or product (Update is usually better for services).

The 4-week rotation that works

Pick one post from each week below. Rotate the cycle every month. Add one seasonal/weather-triggered bonus post when conditions warrant.

Copy, fill in the highlighted blanks, attach a photo, hit publish.

Block 30 minutes. Same day every week. Monday mornings work well for most contractors.

• Minute 0-5 · Look at the 4-week rotation. Pick the post type for this week. 5 min
• Minute 5-10 · Grab a photo from this week's work on your phone. If you don't have one, use last week's. 5 min
• Minute 10-20 · Fill in the post template. Keep it short. Mention your city and one specific detail. 10 min
• Minute 20-25 · Open GBP app → Create post → paste text → attach photo → set CTA button. 5 min
• Minute 25-30 · Review for typos. Publish. 5 min

Seasonal bonus posts (add when conditions hit)

On top of the 4-week rotation, drop in a seasonal-trigger post any time the weather or calendar gives you a reason:

• First frost warning → "Insulate your pipes tonight. Here's how." (plumber)
• Heat wave forecast → "AC running 24/7? Watch for these 3 signs it's about to fail." (HVAC)
• Major storm incoming → "Storm damage emergency? We're on-call this weekend." (roofer)
• Holiday lighting season → "Outdoor lighting install? Book by Thanksgiving to guarantee install." (electrician)

These get 3-4x more engagement than regular posts because they're hyper-relevant to what's happening right now. Google notices the engagement and lifts the profile.

What NOT to post

• Generic "happy Friday" posts with no local or service angle
• Anything political or polarizing
• Links to third-party sites (these get demoted)
• Posts over 1500 characters (Google truncates hard)
• The same post copy repeated week to week (Google flags duplicates)

The single highest-converting moment to ask for a review is within 2 hours of finishing the job, while the homeowner is still feeling the relief of their problem being solved. Wait 24 hours and response rate drops 60%. Wait a week and it's near zero.

The ask, by channel

The text template (proven)

Why this works: It's casual, uses their first name, references the specific job (not a generic "thanks for your business"), and gives them a one-tap link. No pressure, no "5 stars please," no begging.

Every Google Business Profile has a unique, one-tap review link. Most owners don't know where to find it. Here's the fastest path.

Method 1 · From the GBP app (easiest)

• Open the Google Business Profile app on your phone. 5 sec
• Tap the Customers tab at the bottom. 5 sec
• Tap Reviews. 5 sec
• Tap Share review form. Copy the link that appears. 10 sec

Method 2 · From Google Maps (works everywhere)

• On your phone, open Google Maps and search your business name. 10 sec
• Tap your profile when it appears. 5 sec
• Scroll to Reviews, tap Write a review. 5 sec
• Copy the URL from your browser's address bar — that's your share link. 10 sec

Method 3 · Custom short link (best for printing)

The raw Google link is long and ugly. Shorten it with a free tool (bit.ly, TinyURL) to something like bit.ly/review-bobplumbing. Use this on:

• Business cards (QR code on the back)
• Invoice emails (clickable "Leave a review" button)
• Post-job follow-up texts
• Truck door magnets

Pro: print a QR-code review card

Print business-card-sized review cards with a QR code pointing to your review link and leave one with every completed job. Generate the QR at qrcode-monkey.com — it's free, no account needed.

Weekly review goal

Recency is what Google measures most. A profile with 40 reviews and one from last month outranks a profile with 200 reviews where the newest is from 2022. Keep the flow going.

A 5-star review with a genuine response is twice as persuasive to the next reader as a 5-star review with no response. It also signals to Google that you're an engaged owner — a direct ranking factor. Respond to every one.

The response formula

1. Thank them by name. First name is fine.
2. Mention the specific work. Shows other readers what you do.
3. Mention your city. Natural keyword placement.
4. Invite them back. Or thank them for referring others.

5-star template 01 · Standard

5-star template 02 · Warm, longer

5-star template 03 · Short & genuine

4-star responses

4-star reviews are common and usually mean "mostly great, one small thing." The right response shows you notice, care, and would handle it differently next time — without defending yourself.

4-star template 01 · Graceful acknowledgment

4-star template 02 · Ask how to improve

4-star template 03 · Offer a follow-up

Negative review responses

Negative reviews happen. The way you respond is more important than the review itself — future customers read your responses to gauge who you really are. Three rules:

1. Never argue in public. Even if they're wrong. Especially if they're wrong.
2. Acknowledge the feeling, not just the facts. "I can see why that was frustrating" is stronger than "Our records show..."
3. Move it offline. Give a direct email or phone number for the owner.

Negative template 01 · Legitimate complaint

Negative template 02 · Disputed facts

Negative template 03 · Unreasonable or fake

Pick the same hour on the same day every month — first Monday works well. Make it non-negotiable. This is what separates profiles that keep climbing from profiles that plateau and slip.

The checklist (in order)

• Review inbox. Respond to every review posted in the last 30 days you haven't responded to yet. Use the templates in Section 06. 10 min
• Check & answer Q&A. Open GBP → Q&A. Answer anything new from customers. Delete any spam. 5 min
• Upload 4-6 new photos. Grab them from this month's jobs. Keep them varied — before/after, team, truck, finished project. 10 min
• Audit hours. Verify hours are correct. Add any special hours for upcoming holidays. 2 min
• Scan services list. Did you start offering a new service this month? Add it. Did you stop offering one? Remove it. 3 min
• Read GBP Insights. Open Insights tab. Note: how many calls came from GBP? How many direction requests? What search terms did people use? Screenshot for the month-over-month comparison. 10 min
• Check competitor profiles. Search your top 2-3 service keywords from an incognito window. How does your profile compare? New reviews? New photos? Note any moves worth copying. 10 min
• Schedule next month's posts. Using the rotation in Section 04, draft the next 4 posts. Schedule them if you're using the recurring-post feature. 10 min

Quarterly bonus (every 3 months, 30 extra minutes)

• Refresh the business description. Swap in one new keyword variation; rotate the city callouts. 10 min
• NAP consistency check. Google your business name. Click through every directory listing. Verify Name + Address + Phone match your GBP exactly. Fix any that don't. 15 min
• Update cover photo. Seasonal cover photos lift click-through rates. Fall/winter/spring/summer — one new cover each quarter. 5 min

If you've been running this playbook for 60+ days and still aren't in the Local 3-Pack for your primary service keyword, work through these five questions in order. Most ranking problems fall into one of them.

You've verified everything above and the profile is genuinely in shape. Now look outside the profile. These are the second-tier causes.

Proximity limits

Google Maps weights proximity heavily. If you're searching from 10 miles outside your registered address, you may not appear in your own searches even with a perfect profile. Always test from within your service radius. Use an incognito window to avoid personalization bias.

Competitive market saturation

If the top 3 results in your market each have 400+ reviews and you have 20, you're not outranking them in the next 30 days. The strategy becomes: rank on less competitive keywords first — more specific service names or neighboring cities — then work up.

Category mismatch

Sometimes the issue is your secondary categories are pulling the wrong search queries. If you're a plumber but you added "General Contractor" as a secondary, you're competing in a much larger category. Remove categories that don't reflect your real core services.

Website signals

Your website is also a ranking factor for your GBP. If your website has your city in the title tag, H1, and naturally throughout the copy, GBP ranks higher. If your website doesn't mention the city, GBP suffers. SiteSmith-built websites handle this automatically — if you're using a different site, verify the home page and service pages include your primary city in the first 100 words.

Spam from competitors

Some competitors report legitimate profiles to try to get them suspended. If you notice sudden ranking drops with no changes on your end, check GBP → Settings → Notifications for suspension messages. If you've been suspended, use the reinstatement form immediately — it's usually resolved in 3-5 business days.

When to get help

If you've worked through the diagnostic tree, verified all five basics, addressed the second-tier causes above, and still aren't ranking after 90 days of consistent execution — there's likely a specific technical issue that needs hands-on diagnosis. That's what the SiteSmith Pro tier is built for: we take the profile, audit it against a 40-point checklist, fix the underlying issue, and manage it going forward.