Homeowner searching on his phone at home

Google Business Profile setup for contractors, done right.

Pick the right setup, enter the details customers rely on, and give nearby homeowners a clear way to reach you.

See the checklist
Technician checking an outdoor air conditioning unit

Local SEO · Practical setup guide/By ··4 min read

The short version

  1. 01Pick the true setup

    Service-area, storefront or hybrid. Choose what’s real today.

    Read this part
  2. 02Claim, don’t duplicate

    Find the listing you already have. One business, one profile.

    Read this part
  3. 03Fill in real details

    Name, category, services and an honest service area.

    Read this part
  4. 04Link a real next step

    Send the booking link to a page that answers the call.

    Read this part

Pick the setup that matches today.

Google sorts businesses three ways. Choose the one that’s true now, not the one you plan to be. A mailbox or virtual office doesn’t count as a location. Google’s rules have the details.

Service-area business

You travel to customers. Hide your address from the public profile.

Storefront

Customers visit a staffed, signed location during posted hours.

Hybrid

A staffed location customers visit, and you travel to jobs too.

Not sure which?

We’ll sort it out with you on a short call.

Book a free call
Handing over a set of keys

Find yours before you make one.

One business, one profile. If someone else controls the existing listing, sort out access first. A second profile doesn’t fix an ownership problem.

  1. 01Sign in with a Google account the business controls.
  2. 02Search your business name and city on Google and Maps.
  3. 03Found one? Claim it. Don’t make a second listing.
  4. 04Write down who owns it and who keeps it current.
Google profile management screen showing Edit profile, Photos, Edit services, and Bookings controls

AJILA Home Improvement’s profile controls. An interface example, not a results case study. Controls vary by profile.

Fill in what customers rely on.

This is a real profile’s management screen. Each number sits on the control you’ll use.

  1. 1
    Edit profileName, category, phone, hours and service area.
  2. 2
    PhotosPhotos of your own work.
  3. 3
    Edit servicesReal work in plain words, not “solutions.”
  4. 4
    BookingsWhere you link a real next step.
  5. 5
    Service areaThe outline shows where you say you work.
  6. 6
    Name and categoryThe name customers know. The most specific category.
  7. 7
    CallCall it yourself. Open the Website button too.
Aerial view of a tree-lined residential neighborhood

Set an honest service area.

Edit profile, then Location, then Service area. Up to 20 areas, ideally within about two hours of your base. Your website can explain the limits.

Don’t

  • ✕A separate profile for every town.
  • ✕Cities you’d never drive to for a job.
  • ✕“24/7 emergency” you can’t actually cover.

Do

  • ✓One profile with your real coverage.
  • ✓Towns where your crew takes jobs.
  • ✓Hide your address if customers don’t come to it.
See SEO for contractors

Verify with what Google asks for.

Google picks the method: text, postcard, video, or more than one. For video, record one continuous take showing your location, your tools or truck, and that you can manage the business. Stock photos and edited videos won’t pass. Rejected? Fix the stated issue on the same profile.

Photos that explain the work.

Four kinds of photos tell the whole story. Use your own, and ask before showing a customer’s home.

Construction crew in hard hats
The teamWho shows up at the door.
Technician on the phone in a work van
Truck and toolsWhat you bring to the job.
Concrete block wall under construction
In progressThe work that gets covered up.
Finished bathroom
FinishedThe result, with an honest caption.
We’ll shoot your jobs
Google Business Profile Booking screen with an Add a link control for online booking pages

Google’s booking-link screen. Options depend on your profile.

Link a real next step.

If Bookings is available, add a link. Say what they’re booking: a call or an estimate visit, not a start date.

  1. 1
    Add a linkPoint it to your estimate request or call scheduling page.
  2. 2
    Where it showsThe link appears on your profile on phones. Tap it there to test.
Homeowner sending a message from her laptop

Make your website say the same thing.

Same services, same area, same phone number. A homeowner who taps through from your profile should land on a page that answers the same questions. Start with our website checklist.

See analytics

Your profile checklist.

Print it, pin it up in the truck, or hand it to whoever runs your marketing. Run it at setup, and again when services, hours or coverage change.

Download the checklistOne page · PDF · Print-friendly
Rather have us check it with you?
Google Business Profile checklist Eight checks for contractors. Run it when you set up your profile, and again whenever services, hours or coverage change.
  1. 01The business controls the owner account.
  2. 02The name and category describe the real business.
  3. 03The address setting matches how customers are served.
  4. 04The service area matches the jobs you take.
  5. 05Verification is done, or the next step is written down.
  6. 06Phone, website and booking link are tested.
  7. 07Photos are yours, accurate and approved.
  8. 08Someone owns updates and new inquiries.
Checked byDate

What contractors ask first.

  1. 1

    Is Google Business Profile free for contractors?

    Yes, adding or claiming it is free. Help with setup, your website or ongoing management is a separate service.

  2. 2

    Should I show my home address?

    Not if customers don’t come there. Hide it and set a service area. Give Google the real address when it asks for verification.

  3. 3

    Can I create a profile for every city I serve?

    No. One operation gets one profile with a service-area list. Separate staffed locations are reviewed on their own.

  4. 4

    Does adding a city mean I’ll rank there?

    No. A service area says where you work. Google weighs relevance, distance and prominence.

  5. 5

    Can customers book construction work through the profile?

    A booking link can lead to a scheduling page. Say whether it’s a call, an estimate visit or a service visit.

Roofer carrying shingles across a roof

Go on. Let’s get your profile working.

We’ll set up the profile, the service pages and the tracking together.

Book a free call

Keep reading.

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