Things I tell my own clients.

7 Google Business Profile mistakes that cost you calls

Your Google Business Profile is the first thing customers see. Most businesses set it up once and forget it. That is like opening a shop and never turning the lights on. Here is what I fix first, every single time.

1. Wrong or missing categories

Your primary category tells Google what you are. Pick the wrong one and you will never show up for the right searches. A roofer should be “Roofing contractor”, not “General contractor”. Check what the top three competitors use and match the pattern.

2. No services listed

Every service you offer is a keyword. “Roof repair”, “roof replacement”, “emergency roof leak” should all be listed with short descriptions. Empty service lists are missed searches.

3. Old or stock photos

Profiles with real photos of real work get far more calls. Upload your team, your trucks, your finished jobs. Add new photos every month. Google notices fresh activity.

4. No posts

Google Posts are free ads on your own profile. One post a week about an offer, a finished job, or a seasonal tip keeps your profile alive in Google's eyes.

5. Ignored Q&A

Anyone can ask questions on your profile, and anyone can answer them. If you do not answer, a competitor or a troll might. Add your own common questions and answer them yourself.

6. No review replies

Reply to every review, good or bad. It shows customers you care, and it shows Google your business is active. A short, human reply beats a corporate template.

7. Wrong hours, especially holidays

Nothing kills trust like driving to a “closed” shop that Google said was open. Update holiday hours every season. It takes two minutes.

How to get Google reviews without begging

Reviews decide who wins the map pack. But most owners feel awkward asking. The trick is timing plus making it stupidly easy.

Ask at the happy moment

Do not ask a week later by email. Ask right when the customer is smiling: when the job is done, when they pick up their car, when they say thank you. That is when yes is easy.

Make it a 10-second job

Create a short review link in your Google Business Profile dashboard. Turn it into a QR code, print it on the invoice or a small card, and hand it over. Every extra click loses half your reviews.

Say this exact line

“If you are happy with the work, a quick Google review helps our small business more than you know. It takes ten seconds.” Honest, short, no pressure. It works.

Reply to all of them

When customers see you replying, the next customer is more likely to leave one too. It becomes a loop.

What not to do

Never buy reviews. Never offer discounts for five-star reviews. Google deletes them in waves and can suspend your profile. Slow and real always wins.

Why your competitor outranks you (and the 20-minute check)

Open an incognito window and search your main service plus your city. If a competitor is above you, here is how to see why, without paying for tools.

Check 1: Their profile vs yours

Count their reviews against yours. Look at their photos, their posts, their services list. In most local markets, the winner simply has more of everything. That is fixable.

Check 2: Their website pages

Do they have a dedicated page for each service and each area they serve? If you have one “Services” page and they have twelve city pages, that is your answer.

Check 3: Their review speed

Scroll their reviews by date. Getting three reviews a month while you get one a quarter? Google reads that as “customers prefer them”.

Check 4: Their citations

Search their business name in quotes. You will see every directory they are listed on. Make a list and get yourself on the same ones. Free and effective.

Your NAP is a mess. Here is the 30-minute fix.

NAP means Name, Address, Phone. Google cross-checks yours across the whole internet. If it finds three different versions, it trusts you less, and the map pack goes to someone cleaner.

Step 1: Pick one version

Decide the exact business name, the exact address format, and one phone number. Write it down. This is your source of truth forever.

Step 2: Fix Google first

Update your Google Business Profile to match your chosen version exactly. Same commas, same abbreviations.

Step 3: Fix the big directories

Update Facebook, Yelp, Bing Places, Apple Maps, and your website footer and contact page. These carry the most weight.

Step 4: Search yourself

Google your business name plus phone number in quotes. Every wrong listing you find, claim it or request a correction. Thirty minutes now saves months of confusion later.