# Google Business Profile Optimization Guide

> Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is the single most influential factor in local pack rankings. A fully optimized GBP generates 7x more clicks than an incomplete one. Businesses with 100+ photos receive 520% more calls and 2,717% more direction requests than the average listing.

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## Profile Completeness Checklist

Every field in GBP contributes to ranking signals, user trust, or conversion actions. Complete profiles rank higher and convert better.

| Field | Impact | Priority | Notes |
|-------|--------|----------|-------|
| Business Name | Critical (ranking) | P0 | Must match real-world name exactly. No keyword stuffing — Google suspends for this |
| Primary Category | Critical (ranking) | P0 | Single biggest ranking factor after proximity. Choose the most specific category available |
| Address | Critical (ranking) | P0 | Must match NAP across all citations. Use Suite/Unit format consistently |
| Phone Number | High (ranking + conversion) | P0 | Use a local number, not toll-free. Must match citations |
| Website URL | High (conversion) | P0 | Link to location-specific page, not homepage (for multi-location) |
| Hours of Operation | High (ranking + UX) | P0 | Inaccurate hours trigger negative reviews. Update holidays, seasonal changes |
| Secondary Categories | High (ranking) | P1 | Add every legitimately relevant category (up to 9 additional). Each unlocks new attributes |
| Business Description | Medium (conversion) | P1 | 750 characters max. Front-load keywords naturally. Describe services, differentiators, service area |
| Attributes | Medium (ranking + UX) | P1 | Check every applicable attribute. Google uses these for filter searches |
| Photos | High (engagement) | P1 | Minimum 25, target 100+. Cover all categories. Add new photos monthly |
| Products | Medium (conversion) | P1 | List every product/service with descriptions, prices, and photos |
| Services | Medium (ranking) | P1 | Structured service list with descriptions. Keywords matter here |
| Google Posts | Medium (engagement) | P2 | Weekly minimum. Keeps profile active and adds keyword signals |
| Q&A | Medium (conversion) | P2 | Seed 10-20 common questions with answers. Monitor for competitor sabotage |
| Booking URL | Medium (conversion) | P2 | Direct link to appointment scheduling reduces friction |
| Messaging | Low-Medium (conversion) | P3 | Enable only if you can respond within 24 hours consistently |

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## Primary and Secondary Categories

### How Categories Affect Rankings

The primary category is the strongest single signal for which searches your listing appears in. Google uses it to determine relevance for query matching. A dentist with the primary category "Dentist" will outrank one with "Dental Clinic" for "dentist near me" searches, even if both offer identical services.

### Category Selection Strategy

1. **Research competitors**: Check what primary category the top 3 local pack results use for your target keywords. Use GMBSpy, Pleper, or manual inspection to identify competitor categories
2. **Be specific**: "Personal Injury Attorney" outranks "Lawyer" for personal injury searches. "Thai Restaurant" outranks "Restaurant" for Thai food searches. Always choose the most specific applicable category
3. **Use secondary categories liberally**: Add every category that genuinely describes your business. A dentist might add: Cosmetic Dentist, Pediatric Dentist, Emergency Dental Service, Teeth Whitening Service, Dental Implants Provider
4. **Monitor category changes**: Google adds and removes categories regularly. Check quarterly for new categories that apply to your business
5. **One primary only**: You cannot rank for everything. Choose the primary based on your highest-value service and search volume

### Category Impact on Attributes

Each category unlocks different attributes. Adding "Restaurant" gives you menu attributes. Adding "Hotel" gives you amenity attributes. The more categories you add, the more attributes become available — and attributes influence both rankings and user filtering.

### Common Category Mistakes

- Adding categories for services you do not actually offer (policy violation, risks suspension)
- Using a broad category when a specific one exists
- Not updating categories when the business adds new service lines
- Ignoring category-specific features that unlock (menu editor for restaurants, class schedule for fitness studios)

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## Business Attributes

Attributes serve two purposes: they help Google match your listing to filtered searches (e.g., "wheelchair accessible restaurants near me"), and they build user trust by answering questions before users ask.

### Attribute Types

| Type | Examples | Impact |
|------|----------|--------|
| Factual | Wheelchair accessible, Free Wi-Fi, Outdoor seating, Parking available | Filter-based ranking and user trust |
| Subjective | Popular for lunch, Good for groups, Cozy, Upscale | Google collects these from user input; you can suggest |
| Identity | Black-owned, Women-led, Veteran-led, LGBTQ+ friendly | Matching for identity-based searches, growing in usage |
| Service | Online appointments, Curbside pickup, Delivery, In-store shopping | Critical for service-based filtering post-COVID |

### Attribute Best Practices

- Check every attribute that legitimately applies — leaving attributes blank is a missed signal
- Review attributes quarterly; Google adds new ones without notification
- Identity attributes are optional and should only be used if genuinely accurate
- Service attributes (online appointments, curbside) significantly affect conversion for relevant searches

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## Photos Strategy

Photos are an underinvested ranking and conversion signal. Listings with more than 100 photos receive dramatically more engagement than those with fewer than 10.

### Required Photo Types

| Photo Type | Minimum | Purpose | Tips |
|------------|---------|---------|------|
| Exterior | 3+ | Help customers find the building. Daytime, nighttime, street view | Include signage. Capture from the angle customers approach |
| Interior | 5+ | Show the environment. Helps set expectations | Well-lit, clean, during business hours. Show key areas |
| Team/Staff | 3+ | Build trust and personal connection | Professional but approachable. Include leadership and frontline |
| Products | 5+ | Showcase what you sell | High quality, well-lit, consistent styling. Show variety |
| At Work | 3+ | Demonstrate service delivery | Action shots of team serving customers or performing services |
| Food & Drink | 10+ (restaurants) | Primary conversion driver for restaurants | Professional food photography. Show signature dishes |
| Common Areas | 3+ | Meeting rooms, waiting areas, parking | Especially important for offices, medical, and hospitality |

### Photo Optimization

- **File naming**: Use descriptive, keyword-rich file names before upload (e.g., `chicago-dentist-office-interior.jpg` not `IMG_4521.jpg`)
- **Geo-tagging**: Embed GPS coordinates in photo EXIF data matching the business address before upload
- **Resolution**: Minimum 720px wide. Recommended 1200px+. Google displays photos prominently
- **Frequency**: Upload 2-5 new photos per month to signal an active, current business
- **Customer photos**: Encourage customers to upload photos. User-generated photos carry significant trust signals
- **Remove bad photos**: Monitor for low-quality, irrelevant, or competitor-uploaded photos. Flag inappropriate photos for removal through GBP
- **360 tours**: Google-approved photographers can create 360 virtual tours. These increase engagement time on the listing by 2x on average
- **Cover photo**: Set the cover photo intentionally. While Google may override it, a strong cover photo influences first impressions
- **Logo**: Upload a clear, correctly sized logo (250x250px minimum). This appears in Google Maps and search results

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## Google Posts

Google Posts appear directly on your GBP listing in search results and Google Maps. They expire after 7 days (except Events, which expire after the event date), making consistent posting essential.

### Post Types

| Type | Use Case | Character Limit | CTA Options |
|------|----------|-----------------|-------------|
| What's New | News, tips, announcements, seasonal content | 1,500 chars (first 100 visible) | Learn more, Book, Order, Call, Sign up |
| Event | Upcoming events with dates and times | 1,500 chars + date/time fields | RSVP, Get tickets, Learn more |
| Offer | Promotions, discounts, sales | 1,500 chars + coupon code + T&C | Get offer, Order online, Redeem online |

### Google Posts Best Practices

- **Frequency**: Minimum 1 post per week. Top performers post 3-5 times per week
- **Front-load the message**: Only the first 100 characters display without clicking "Read more." Put the hook and keyword in the opening
- **Include a CTA**: Every post should have a clear call-to-action button. "Book" and "Learn More" are the highest-engagement CTAs
- **Include a photo**: Posts with photos get 10x more engagement than text-only posts. Use 1200x900px minimum
- **Use keywords naturally**: Google Posts contribute to keyword signals for your listing. Mention services, location, and specialties
- **Track performance**: GBP Insights shows post views and CTA clicks. Use this to refine content strategy
- **Seasonal content**: Align posts with holidays, local events, and seasonal services (e.g., "HVAC tune-up before summer" in April)
- **No keyword stuffing**: Write for humans. Posts are visible to customers and should enhance trust, not look spammy

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## Q&A Section Management

The Q&A section on GBP is publicly visible and anyone can ask and answer questions — including competitors.

### Seeding Strategy

Proactively seed your Q&A with 10-20 of the most common customer questions. Log into a personal Google account (not the business account) to ask the questions, then answer from the business account. This is Google-approved behavior.

### Recommended Seed Questions by Industry

**Service Businesses (Plumbers, HVAC, Electricians)**
- Do you offer free estimates?
- What areas do you serve?
- Are you licensed and insured?
- Do you offer emergency service?
- What are your hours?

**Restaurants**
- Do you take reservations?
- Do you have vegetarian/vegan options?
- Is there outdoor seating?
- Do you offer catering?
- Is parking available?

**Healthcare (Dentists, Doctors, Chiropractors)**
- Are you accepting new patients?
- What insurance do you accept?
- Do you offer payment plans?
- How do I schedule an appointment?
- What should I bring to my first visit?

**Retail**
- Do you offer curbside pickup?
- Can I return items in-store?
- Do you price match?
- What brands do you carry?

### Q&A Monitoring

- Check Q&A weekly for new questions from real customers
- Respond within 24 hours — unanswered questions erode trust
- Watch for competitor-posted misleading questions or answers
- Upvote your official answers to push them to the top
- Flag inappropriate, spam, or fake questions for removal

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## Products and Services Sections

### Products Section

The Products section displays visually with photos, prices, and descriptions. It is separate from the Services section.

- Add every product with a clear name, description (up to 1,000 characters), price (or price range), and photo
- Organize products into collections for easy browsing
- Include target keywords naturally in product descriptions
- Link each product to the relevant page on your website
- Update seasonally and when inventory changes

### Services Section

The Services section is structured as a list of service categories with individual services underneath.

- Create service categories that match your primary and secondary GBP categories
- Add every service you offer with a description (up to 300 characters per service)
- Use keywords in service names and descriptions — Google uses these for relevance matching
- Include pricing where possible (fixed price or range). Listings with prices receive higher engagement
- Update when new services are added or discontinued

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## Business Description Optimization

The business description has a 750-character limit and appears in the "About" section of the listing.

### Writing Guidelines

1. **First sentence**: State what you do, who you serve, and where. Front-load keywords. Example: "Serving Chicago's North Shore since 2005, Lakeside Dental provides comprehensive family dentistry including cleanings, implants, cosmetic dentistry, and emergency dental care."
2. **Middle section**: Differentiate. What makes you different from competitors? Awards, specialties, unique approach, experience
3. **Final sentence**: CTA. "Call today for a free consultation" or "Schedule your appointment online."
4. **Keyword strategy**: Include primary service keywords, location names, and neighborhood references naturally
5. **What to avoid**: Do not include URLs, phone numbers, promotional language ("best in town"), or ALL CAPS. These violate Google's guidelines and can trigger edits or suspension

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## Hours and Special Hours

### Standard Hours
- Set accurate hours for every day of the week
- If hours vary by department (e.g., pharmacy hours vs store hours), set up separate listings for departments where applicable
- "Open 24 hours" and "Closed" are both valid settings
- Update immediately if hours change — incorrect hours are the number one driver of negative reviews for local businesses

### Special Hours and Holidays
- Pre-set special hours for every major holiday in your market (minimum: New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve)
- Add special hours for local events, weather closures, or temporary changes
- Google prompts businesses to confirm holiday hours — always respond to these prompts
- Set special hours at least 2 weeks in advance; Google may surface them in search results

### More Hours
- Use "More hours" for secondary hour sets: happy hour, delivery hours, drive-through hours, senior hours, kitchen hours
- These appear as additional information on the listing and can match niche searches

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## Booking and Appointment Integration

- Add your booking URL in the "Appointment" field in GBP
- Supported booking partners (Calendly, Acuity, Reserve with Google partners) enable in-SERP booking
- Reserve with Google (if available for your category) allows users to book without leaving Google — highest conversion path
- Test booking links monthly to ensure they work and direct to the correct page
- For multi-location businesses, ensure each listing links to the correct location's booking page

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## GBP Insights and Analytics

GBP provides performance data that should be reviewed monthly at minimum.

### Key Metrics to Track

| Metric | What It Tells You | Benchmark Targets |
|--------|-------------------|-------------------|
| Search Impressions | How often your listing appears | Increasing month-over-month |
| Direct vs Discovery Searches | Brand awareness vs category reach | Discovery > 60% indicates strong local SEO |
| Website Clicks | Traffic driven from GBP | Compare to total organic traffic |
| Direction Requests | Foot traffic intent | Steady or increasing |
| Phone Calls | Direct lead generation | Track by day/time to optimize staffing |
| Photo Views | Profile engagement quality | 2x+ industry average |
| Post Views | Content reach | Trending up with consistent posting |
| Booking Clicks | Conversion actions | Increasing with booking integration |

### Insights-Driven Optimization

- If Discovery searches are low, improve category selection and keyword signals in description, services, and posts
- If photo views are below average, invest in higher-quality, more frequent photo uploads
- If calls spike on certain days, align staffing and highlight availability for those days
- If direction requests are low relative to impressions, check that address and map pin are accurate
- Compare metrics month-over-month and quarter-over-quarter to identify trends

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## GBP Suspension Prevention

Google suspends listings for policy violations. Suspension removes the listing from Maps and Search, and reinstatement can take weeks.

### Common Suspension Triggers

| Trigger | Description | Prevention |
|---------|-------------|------------|
| Keyword-stuffed name | Adding keywords to business name (e.g., "Joe's Plumbing - Best Plumber Chicago") | Use exact legal business name only |
| Fake address | Using a P.O. Box, virtual office, or UPS Store for a storefront business | Use a real business address |
| Multiple listings for one location | Creating duplicate listings for the same address | Audit and merge duplicates |
| Fake reviews | Buying reviews or incentivizing ratings | Build reviews organically |
| Category abuse | Claiming categories for services not offered | Only use applicable categories |
| Address inconsistency | GBP address does not match signage or mail | Ensure exact match |
| Prohibited business types | Operating a business Google does not allow listings for | Check Google's prohibited content policies |

### If Suspended

1. **Identify the cause**: Review Google's email notification. Check GBP guidelines for the specific violation
2. **Fix the violation**: Correct the issue completely before requesting reinstatement
3. **Request reinstatement**: Use the GBP reinstatement form. Provide clear documentation (photos of storefront, business license, utility bills proving address)
4. **Wait and do not create a new listing**: Creating a new listing while suspended will result in the new listing being suspended too. Reinstatement takes 3-14 business days
5. **Escalation**: If standard reinstatement fails, use the Google Business Profile Help Community or contact GBP support via social media (@GoogleMyBiz)

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## Fake Review Handling

### Identification Signals

- Reviewer has no profile photo, no other reviews, or was recently created
- Review contains no specific details about the actual product/service/experience
- Multiple negative reviews appear within a short time window (coordinated attack)
- Review language matches patterns from other fake reviews (same phrasing across businesses)
- Reviewer has never been a customer (no matching records in CRM/POS)
- Review describes services you do not offer or references incorrect details

### Reporting Process

1. Open the review in GBP Manager
2. Click the three-dot menu and select "Report review"
3. Choose the applicable violation category (spam, fake, off-topic, conflict of interest)
4. Google reviews the report within 5-14 days
5. If rejected, submit an appeal through the GBP support form with documentation
6. For large-scale fake review attacks, contact GBP support directly with a compiled evidence document showing the pattern

### While Waiting for Removal

- Respond professionally to each fake review (the response is for real customers reading reviews, not the fake reviewer)
- Do not accuse the reviewer of being fake in your public response — this looks petty and litigious
- Accelerate genuine review generation to dilute the impact
- Document the pattern (screenshots, timestamps, reviewer profiles) for potential legal action

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## Multi-Department and Practitioner Listings

### When to Create Separate Listings

- **Departments within a business**: A hospital can have separate listings for the Emergency Room, Pharmacy, and specific departments if they have distinct phone numbers and hours
- **Practitioners within a practice**: Individual doctors, lawyers, or dentists within a practice can have their own listings if they operate semi-independently
- **Co-located businesses**: Two distinct businesses sharing an address can each have a listing if they have different names, phone numbers, and categories

### Rules for Practitioner Listings

- Each practitioner listing must have a unique phone number (direct line or extension)
- The practitioner must be public-facing and directly accessible to customers
- Practitioner listings must use the practitioner's name, not the practice name
- The primary category should reflect the practitioner's specialty
- Link to the practitioner's page on the practice website, not the homepage
- Ensure the practice listing and practitioner listings do not compete or confuse — they should complement each other

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## Key Principle

> Google Business Profile is your digital storefront. An incomplete GBP is like a store with the lights off and no sign on the door. Every field, every photo, every post, every review response is a signal — to Google for rankings and to customers for trust. The businesses that win local search are the ones that treat GBP optimization as an ongoing discipline, not a one-time setup task.
