Profile checklist
Last updated . Figures are approximate and change with the market, so check current prices before you decide.
This checklist follows Google's own help pages, which we link as we go. Some Business Profile features changed in 2024 and 2025, so a few popular tips from older guides no longer apply. Those are flagged below.
How Google decides who to show
Google's guidance on local ranking names three factors. Relevance is how well your profile matches what someone searched for. Distance is how far you are from the searcher. Prominence is how well known you are, based partly on links and reviews. The same page says there is no way to request or pay for a better local ranking.
You cannot change distance. Optimization work is about relevance (complete, accurate information) and prominence (reviews, a consistent presence across the web). A complete, accurate profile does not guarantee a top position. It removes reasons for Google to rank someone else above you.
Step 1: Check you qualify, then verify
Business Profiles are for businesses that deal with customers in person, either at a location or by travelling to them. Google's representation guidelines say P.O. boxes, remote mailboxes and virtual offices are not eligible addresses. Service-area businesses should hide their address if customers do not visit it.
Verify the profile so you are shown as the authorised owner. Photos and posts appear publicly only after verification.
Step 2: Business name
Use the name customers see on your storefront, website and stationery. Google's guidelines list what to leave out: taglines, store codes, phone numbers, URLs, hours and product descriptions. Adding keywords or a location to the name "could result in the suspension" of the profile, according to the same page. This is the most common shortcut and it is the one most likely to cost you the listing.
Step 3: Categories
Google lets you pick a primary category plus up to nine additional ones. The primary category is the strongest signal of what you are, so choose the most specific one that fits your main activity. Add secondary categories only for things you genuinely do, and do not use categories as keywords.
Step 4: Services, hours and details
- List each service separately, with a short description.
- Enter regular hours, and add special hours for holidays. Appointment-only businesses should check Google's guidance before listing hours.
- Set your service areas if you travel to customers. Google's guidelines say these should generally be no more than about two hours' drive from your base.
- Fill in attributes that apply, such as accessibility, payment methods or online appointments.
- Add a local phone number and a website link that goes to your own site. Links and numbers that redirect elsewhere are discouraged.
Step 5: Description
Describe what you do, who you serve and where, in plain sentences. Google's guidelines say the description should not contain links, promotions, prices or sales offers. Write it for a customer, not for a search engine.
Step 6: Photos
Add a logo, a cover image and photos of the exterior, interior, team, products and work. Google's photo requirements are JPG or PNG, 10 KB to 5 MB, at least 720 by 720 pixels recommended, sharp, well lit and without heavy filters. Videos can be up to 30 seconds and 75 MB. Use your own photos. Stock images do not show customers what to expect.
Step 7: Reviews
Reviews feed the prominence factor, and replying to them is on Google's list of tips. The rules on asking are specific. Per Google's prohibited content policy:
- You may ask customers for reviews that reflect a genuine experience.
- You may not offer anything of value for a review, including discounts or free goods.
- You may not pressure customers to review on the premises, set quotas for staff, or ask for specific wording.
- You may not selectively ask only happy customers or discourage negative reviews.
- Fake reviews, paid reviews and reviews from accounts with a conflict of interest are prohibited.
In practice: send every customer the same short message with your review link after the job is done, and reply to every review, including the bad ones, politely and with specifics.
Step 8: Posts
Posts can be updates, offers or events. Google's posts help page says posts older than six months are archived unless a date range is set, and that low-value or auto-generated text can be rejected. Post when you have something real to say: a seasonal opening time, a new service, an event.
Step 9: Messaging and Q&A
Older checklists tell you to switch on chat and to seed the Q&A section. Both have changed.
Google discontinued Business Profile chat and call history on 31 July 2024. Google suggests making sure a phone number is on the profile and using text messages or WhatsApp where eligible. For Q&A, trade press reports that Google ended the Q&A API on 3 November 2025 and announced that Q&A would be replaced by an AI-powered Ask button. Features are rolling out unevenly by region, so check what you see in your own dashboard before you plan around it. What this means in practice: put your answers to common questions in the description, services and on your website.
Step 10: Keep your name, address and phone consistent
Your business name, address and phone number (NAP) should be written the same way on your website, your profile and the directories where you appear. Google's guidance says your website and phone number should represent your specific location. Pick one format for the address and phone number and copy it everywhere.
Step 11: Spam and suspension risks
Google's guidelines name the common causes of trouble: keyword-stuffed names, duplicate profiles for the same location, virtual office addresses, inaccurate information and policy violations. Google's help page on suspended profiles says you can submit an appeal if you think the profile should be reinstated, and appeals can be submitted only once, so fix the problem before you appeal and attach evidence.
Do not buy reviews, do not create several profiles for one place and do not edit your business name to add keywords.
The checklist
| Step | What to do | Done when |
|---|---|---|
| Eligibility | Real address or hidden service area | No P.O. box or virtual office |
| Verification | Complete Google's verification | Profile shows as verified |
| Name | Use your real trading name only | Matches your sign and website |
| Categories | One specific primary, extras only if true | Up to 9 extras, no keyword categories |
| Services | List each one with a description | Every service you sell appears |
| Hours | Regular and special hours | Holidays covered |
| Description | Plain text, no links or offers | Says what, who and where |
| Photos | Logo, cover, place, team, work | Real, sharp, current images |
| Reviews | Same review link for every customer | No incentives or quotas |
| Replies | Answer every review | Within a few days |
| Posts | Updates, offers or events when relevant | Nothing older than six months left standing |
| NAP | One format everywhere | Website, profile and directories match |
| Phone | Local number on the profile | Call button works |
FAQ
How long does Google Business Profile optimization take?
Some edits show within days. Google may review others first, and verification can take days. Climbing in a crowded city takes longer, and nobody can promise a position.
How many categories can I choose?
One primary category and up to nine additional ones, ten in total. Choose the most specific primary category that fits your main activity and add others only for services you actually offer.
Can I ask customers for reviews?
Yes, if you ask for an honest review and offer nothing in return. Google's policy prohibits discounts, free goods, staff quotas, pressure on the premises and asking for specific wording or only from happy customers.
Does the Q&A section still exist?
Google has been withdrawing it. The Q&A API ended on 3 November 2025 and press reports describe an AI-powered Ask button replacing it. What you see depends on your region and account, so check your own profile.
What gets a profile suspended?
Typical causes are keywords in the business name, duplicate profiles, virtual office or P.O. box addresses and inaccurate details. If it happens, fix the issue and use Google's appeal tool with supporting evidence.
Can I do this myself?
Yes. Everything above is free to do. If you would rather hand it over, that is what we do.
How OnePDA can help
Our Google Business Profile service is €249 one-off, excluding VAT where it applies. It covers:
- full optimization of categories, services, hours, service areas and description
- a guide for your photos
- a review link and a QR card
- five local directories
- tracking set up
The profile stays in your name and we work through manager access you can remove at any time. We do not promise the top spot on the map, and we never write or buy reviews.
If you want monthly upkeep, local SEO services start at €290 a month with a three-month minimum, then month to month. They add four posts a month written by us, automatic review requests, directories kept up to date, one new local page every quarter and a monthly report of calls, directions, reviews and positions.