When someone in Coral Springs searches for your business name or for a service like "plumber near me," the box on the right with your phone number, hours and reviews is your Google Business Profile. It's free, and for a local business it often matters more than the website.
Most owners claim it once and forget it. A profile that's filled in properly looks very different. Here's how to set one up, including a few things that tripped me up on my own profile this month.
Claim it and verify it first
Search your business name on Google and look for "Claim this business." Google usually verifies by video, phone or postcard. Do this before anything else, because an unverified profile limits what you can change.
Fill in the basics exactly
Use your real business name and nothing else. Adding keywords to the name is against Google's rules and can get the profile suspended.
- Pick the primary category that matches your main service. For me that's Website designer.
- Add a couple of secondary categories that honestly describe what else you do. Google's list is fixed, so a category you want may simply not exist.
- Add your phone number, website, hours, and a booking or contact link.
Set your service area (this one got me)
If you work at customers' homes or offices, you're a service-area business. Add the cities you actually serve, and the counties too. A Coral Springs plumber might list Coral Springs, Parkland, Margate, Coconut Creek and Tamarac, plus Broward County.
I skipped this at first. My map pin showed up in the Everglades, nowhere near Coral Springs, until the service areas were saved. If your pin looks wrong, check this setting.
Add services, prices and real photos
List each service with a short description and a price if you have one. It helps people decide before they call, and it gives Google more to match against what they searched for.
Use real photos: your logo, your work, you. Skip stock images. Add a new one every week or two and delete duplicates.
Posts and reviews
Posts are short updates that show on your profile. One a week is plenty. My first post was rejected until I took my phone number out of the text. The Call button already does that job, so keep numbers and links out of the body.
Reviews matter most, and they have to be real. Ask happy customers, send them your direct review link, and reply to every review. Never buy reviews, never offer a discount for one, and don't write them for your customers. Google can remove them.
Keep it matching everywhere else
Google compares your profile to your website and other listings. If your name is "Smith Plumbing" on one and "Smith Plumbing LLC" on another, or your phone number differs, it has to guess which is right. Pick one version of your name, phone and service area and use it on your site, your social profiles and every directory.
It also helps to link your profile from your website, and your website from the profile. They back each other up.
Give it a few days
Changes aren't instant. Edits can take from a few minutes to a few days to show up, and a new review sometimes takes a day to appear publicly. Check from a private browser window, not while you're logged in.
Setting up a Google Business Profile is included in my Professional website, which is $799. I also offer ongoing profile management, which is new: $99 a month with a website plan or $149 a month on its own. See what's included, or tell me about your business and I'll quote you within 24 hours.
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