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Google Business Profile Optimization Checklist

December 13, 2023 · by Reputory Team

Whether you’re a local coffee shop, a national franchise, or a B2B consultant, your Google Business Profile (GBP) is one of the most valuable online assets you control. It’s often the first thing potential customers see when they search for your business—and how they decide whether or not to click, call, or visit.

This step-by-step checklist will help you fully optimize your Google Business Profile to improve your local rankings, reputation, and lead conversion rates.

1. Claim and Verify Your Listing

If you haven’t already, go to business.google.com and claim your profile. Google will require you to verify ownership—usually via postcard, phone call, or email. This step unlocks full control of your listing.

2. Use Your Exact Business Name

Don’t stuff keywords into your business name. Use your legal or commonly recognized name only. Adding extra keywords (like “Best Dentist in Dallas”) violates Google’s guidelines and could result in suspension.

3. Match Your NAP Exactly

Your Name, Address, and Phone Number (NAP) must be accurate and match other citations online. This consistency helps Google confirm your business’s legitimacy and improves your ranking in local search results.

4. Choose the Right Primary Category

This is a major ranking factor. Your primary category should reflect your core offering (e.g., "Real Estate Agency", "Insurance Broker", "Dentist"). You can also add additional categories to describe secondary services.

5. Add a Detailed Business Description

Your description should be:

  • Keyword-rich (but natural)
  • Under 750 characters
  • Focused on what sets you apart

Example: “Reputory helps small businesses monitor reviews, fix listing inconsistencies, and grow online visibility—all from one intuitive dashboard.”

6. Set Business Hours Accurately

Always reflect your true business hours. Update holiday hours or closures promptly to avoid customer confusion and negative reviews.

7. Add High-Quality Photos

Listings with photos get 2x more engagement. Upload images that show:

  • Your storefront or signage
  • Interior shots
  • Team photos
  • Products, menus, or service examples

Use JPG or PNG formats, ideally 1200×900px minimum, and name your files descriptively (e.g., reputory-dash-screenshot.jpg).

8. Enable Messaging (If Applicable)

Enable chat so customers can message you directly through your GBP listing. Just make sure you (or your team) can respond quickly—Google tracks response times and may disable messaging for slow replies.

9. Add Your Services or Menu

Use the “Services” or “Menu” feature to add itemized lists of what you offer. This not only helps customers but adds more relevant keywords to your listing that boost visibility.

10. Post Weekly Updates

Use GBP Posts to share promotions, events, product launches, or educational tips. Fresh content keeps your listing active and shows Google you’re engaged.

Post Types:

  • What’s New
  • Offers
  • Events
  • Product Highlights

Each post lasts 7 days and supports CTAs like “Call now” or “Learn more.”

11. Collect and Respond to Reviews

Ask happy customers to leave reviews regularly and respond to every review—especially the negative ones. Review quantity, quality, and recency all affect ranking and trust.

12. Track Performance with Insights

Use the Insights tab to monitor:

  • How many people saw your listing
  • What search terms they used
  • What actions they took (calls, clicks, directions)

This helps you spot trends and opportunities to improve visibility and engagement.

13. Use UTM Tracking Links

Add UTM parameters to your website link so you can track traffic from GBP in Google Analytics:

https://www.yoursite.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=gbp

This gives you better visibility into how GBP drives leads and conversions.

14. Monitor for Changes or Spam

Google sometimes accepts third-party edits. Use a tool like Reputory to get notified when your name, phone number, or categories are changed without your approval.

15. Bonus: Add Your Appointment or Booking Link

If you take appointments or consultations, link to your calendar or booking system. This streamlines the conversion process and improves your chances of turning clicks into customers.

Final Thoughts

Your Google Business Profile isn’t just a listing—it’s your storefront, business card, and reputation all in one. Optimizing it means more visibility, better engagement, and stronger customer trust.

Not sure where to start? Reputory offers a free brand health check that includes a full GBP scan, review insights, and NAP consistency tracking. It takes 30 seconds to get started—and you might be surprised what you find.