Why it matters
When someone searches for a local service, Google often shows a map with a few businesses at the top, with their star ratings and a call button. Those listings come from Google Business Profile. For many local service businesses, it brings in more calls than the website itself, and it’s free.
Before you start
Have these ready: your exact business name as customers know it (don’t add extra keywords to the name), your phone number, website address, opening hours, the main category that describes your business, the suburbs or areas you serve, and a few genuine photos of your work, vehicle or team.
Setup checklist
Go to google.com/business and sign in with the Google account you want to manage the business from.
- Enter your business name and choose the most specific main category, for example “Drainage service” rather than just “Plumber” if that fits better. You can add extra categories later.
- If customers don’t come to you, choose not to show an address and add your service areas instead. Home-based businesses should do this so their home address stays private.
- Add your phone number and website.
- Verify the business. Google will offer one or more methods, often a short video showing your business, signage, vehicle or tools. Follow Google’s instructions exactly.
- Add opening hours, a short description of what you do and where, and your services with plain names.
- Upload real photos: your work, your vehicle, equipment and before-and-after shots where appropriate.
Reviews: the part that makes the biggest difference
Ask happy customers for a review straight after a job, while it’s fresh. From your profile you can copy a direct review link to text or email them. Reply politely to every review, good or bad. Never buy reviews, offer rewards for them, or write them yourself: it breaks Google’s rules and can get the profile suspended.
Keep it fresh
Add new photos now and then, keep hours up to date (including holidays), and answer questions that customers post. Small, regular updates show Google the business is active.
Then measure what it brings in
Once customers start finding you, AAA Signal shows how many people reached your website from Google and how many enquiries came in, in a short weekly email. Free for 7 days, no card needed.
Explore this AAA Signal feature · View pricing from A$19/month
Keep reading
- Is my website getting me customers? A simple 15-minute check
- Why isn’t my business showing up on Google? Common reasons and what to do
- How to track enquiries from your website (forms and phone calls)
- A weekly website check for small business owners (10 minutes)
- A weekly SEO report checklist for small-business owners
- How to read average keyword position without being misled
- What to include in a small-business SEO report
- Discovered – currently not indexed: what to check next
- Sitemap returns 200 but no page URLs were found: a troubleshooting guide
- Search Console clicks vs Analytics sessions: why the numbers differ
Google’s Page indexing report documentation · Google Analytics reporting documentation