Google Business Profile for Trade Businesses

Search for your existing business before creating a listing. Use an account the business authorises and keep ownership/access recorded.

• Name: the actual name used by the business, without extra service or town keywords.
• Category: the most specific accurate choice currently offered.
• Address: follow the rules for customer-facing premises. If customers do not visit, use the appropriate service-area setup and hide the address.
• Contact: your working number and correct public website URL.

Google automatically determines which verification methods are available. Follow the options in your profile and record the actual result. Do not assume a postcard, approval time or method offered to another business applies to yours. For a home-based trade, use the service-area or customer-facing premises decision table.

If verification is complete but the listing is missing, use the missing-profile diagnosis and support packet. The video-verification guide has the existing preparation and submission record for a mobile trade without an office.

Official guidance checked 3 October 2026. Review these fields against the business you actually run. Keep a note of what changed and check the public result.

Keep profile details and website facts aligned. Use the mobile website task check to verify the enquiry route. A selected service area does not guarantee a rank throughout it.

Google says review count and positive ratings can help local ranking. Avoid formulas claiming a particular count, score or monthly pace will outrank another business.

Invite genuine customers to share their experience consistently, including those who may be critical. Use a direct link, let them decide whether to review and leave the wording to them. Do not offer a discount, gift or free service in exchange.

Use the neutral request and review ledger to record the job reference, request, actual review and any response separately. Do not assume a request is a review or that a review caused a booking.

Read the customer's feedback and reply factually. A public reply should not reveal private addresses, contact details or job information. Do not add a service and town merely to repeat keywords.

Draft positive reply to adapt: “Thank you for sharing your experience. I appreciate the feedback.”

Draft concern reply to adapt: “Thank you for the feedback. Please contact us through our usual business contact route so we can discuss this directly.” These are draft wording, not real customer reviews.

Report a review through the platform if it appears to break its rules. Disagreeing with feedback is separate from a policy breach. The negative-review guide covers addressing a concern.

Google describes local ranking through relevance, distance and prominence. Accurate categories and business facts help the customer understand the listing; the distance from the searcher is separate from the service area you select.

Use the prioritised Google audit to resolve incorrect contact details, verification status, website eligibility and missing useful evidence. Record what you found rather than assuming a lower position proves reviews, photographs or posts are the cause.

Use the features currently offered in your profile to keep customer information useful. A post about actual work or availability should use accurate wording, permissioned images and a working destination link. Do not publish private job information.

Check the public contact options rather than following an old guide's messaging instructions. If a booking or website link is available, use a route the business actually operates and check its destination. Do not imply a confirmed appointment when it only sends an enquiry.

Copy this update record: field or feature ___; reason ___; factual evidence ___; owner ___; submitted date ___; public result/date ___; next action ___. For requests and bookings, continue in the lead ledger.