Is your Google Business Profile costing you customers? A 10-minute checklist

For many local businesses, the Google Business Profile, the panel that appears on Google Search and Maps, gets more views than their website. If it's incomplete or out of date, customers quietly choose someone else. Grab your phone and run through this checklist.

The basics

• Business name: exactly your real name, without extra keywords stuffed in. Adding keywords can get your profile suspended.
• Primary category: the most specific category that describes your main business. This has a big effect on which searches you show up for.
• Hours: correct regular hours, plus special hours for holidays. Showing "open" when you're closed is one of the fastest ways to earn a bad review.
• Phone and website: both present and working.

The details that win the click

• Description: a clear, friendly summary of what you offer and what makes you different.
• Products, services or menu: filled in, with prices where it makes sense.
• Photos: recent, bright photos of your exterior (so people recognise you from the street), your interior, your team and your best products. Update them regularly.
• Attributes: things like accessibility, outdoor seating or payment options, where available for your category.

Reviews and activity

• Recent reviews: are new reviews still coming in? If not, see our guide to getting more Google reviews.
• Replies: have you responded to your recent reviews, good and bad?
• Updates: post occasional updates, offers or events, so your profile looks active.

Consistency everywhere

Your name, address and phone number should match exactly across Google, Apple Maps, Bing, Yelp, your website and social media. Mismatches confuse both customers and search engines.

How did you do?

If you found more than two or three gaps, your profile is likely costing you customers right now. The good news is that most fixes are quick. If you'd rather not do it yourself, our free brand check will show you exactly what to fix first.