Your Google Business Profile is the first thing many potential customers see before they visit your website. It appears in the Map Pack, in direct brand searches, and in Google Maps. For most trade businesses, it generates more direct enquiries per hour of setup time than any other marketing activity.
Most trade GBPs are incomplete. The category is too broad. The description is generic. The services list is empty. The photos are stock images or nothing at all. A complete, well-optimised GBP requires roughly four hours of setup time and delivers ongoing value without ongoing cost.
How to Set Up Your GBP Correctly
Business name — exact match only
Your business name in your GBP should match exactly the name on your legal registration, invoices, and website. No keyword stuffing — 'Sheffield Plumbing Services — Emergency Boiler Repair' as a business name violates Google's policies and risks profile suspension. The business name is for identification, not marketing. The category and description fields are where the keyword work happens.
Primary category — be specific
The primary category is the most important single field in your GBP. It tells Google what type of business you are and determines which searches you are eligible to appear for. 'Plumber' outperforms 'Home Services'. 'Electrician' outperforms 'Contractor'. 'Roofing Contractor' outperforms 'Building Services'. Check what category your top-ranked local competitors use and match it. Google provides a fixed list of categories — choose the most specific one that accurately describes your primary service.
Secondary categories for each service line
You can add up to 10 secondary categories. Each secondary category makes you eligible for a wider set of search terms. A plumber might add: Heating Contractor, Bathroom Remodeler, Gas Installation Service. An electrician might add: Electrical Installation Service, EV Charging Station, Security System Installer. Add every category that accurately reflects a service you provide. Do not add categories for services you do not offer.
Description — specific and service-focused
The description field allows up to 750 characters. Use all of it. Start with what you do, where you do it, and your key qualifications. Include the specific services you provide. Mention the towns and areas you cover. Reference any accreditations. Write it in natural language — not a keyword list. A strong description: 'Gas Safe registered heating engineer covering Sheffield, Rotherham and Barnsley. We install, service and repair all major boiler brands, including Worcester Bosch, Vaillant and Ideal. Emergency call-outs available. All work guaranteed in writing for 12 months.'
Photos — real work, updated regularly
Profiles with more than 10 photos receive significantly more views and direction requests than profiles with fewer photos. Upload photos of: completed jobs (labelled with job type and location), your van, your tools, your team, your accreditation certificates. Update photos monthly. Google tracks photo recency and rewards active profiles. Phone photos of real work consistently outperform professional stock images for conversion — they prove the work is real.
Services list — name every service individually
The services section allows you to list individual services with descriptions. This is a direct relevance signal for the searches you want to rank for. A plumber with no services listed versus a plumber who has listed 15 individual services — boiler installation, boiler repair, central heating installation, power flushing, bathroom fitting, and so on — will rank for a fraction of the search terms the listed plumber does. Add every service you provide, by its specific name.
Maintaining your GBP after setup
Setup is the foundation. Activity is what builds on it. Post to your GBP at least twice per month. Respond to every review within 48 hours. Update your photos regularly. Check your profile quarterly to ensure all information is current.
Profiles that are active — posting, responding, and regularly updated — consistently outrank identical profiles that are static. Google uses activity signals as part of its prominence assessment. A profile that has not posted in six months looks abandoned compared to one that posts weekly.