How to get your trade business on Google Maps.
A Google Business Profile is free, and it is what puts your business on the map when someone searches for your trade in their suburb. Here is how to set one up properly, and what gets profiles suspended.
Freethe map listing customers see first
Open the full sample
One fixed price to build it.
The same figures as the quote form, fixed before any work starts. Ongoing care is a separate monthly plan from $800.
- One to three pages
- Your licence number on every page
- Contact form and tap to call
- Four to six pages
- A page per service or suburb
- Everything in One page
- Seven pages or more, or an online shop
- Everything in Standard
What a Google Business Profile is
It is the listing that shows on Google Maps and in the map at the top of local searches: your name, phone number, reviews, photos, hours and a link to your website. For a search like "roofer Ipswich", it is often the first thing a customer sees, before any website.
Set it up
- Go to google.com/business and sign in with the Google account you want to own the profile.
- Use your real business name, exactly as it appears on your van, cards and invoices.
- Pick your main category as the closest match to your trade, such as Electrician or Roofing contractor. You can add more categories after.
- If customers don't come to you, set it up as a service-area business. Google then hides your address and shows the suburbs you cover instead, so your home address stays private.
- Add your phone number and website.
Verify it
Google won't show the profile until you prove the business is real. It chooses the method, which can be a video of your business, a phone call or text, an email, or a postcard. Follow the steps in the profile and check its status there. Keep your details the same while it is being reviewed.
Fill in everything
- Services, each one you want more of, in your words.
- Service areas, the suburbs and towns you actually cover.
- Hours, including whether you take urgent work.
- Photos of real jobs, your van and you. Add new ones as you finish jobs.
- A short description of what you do and where.
What gets profiles suspended
Google's guidelines for business profiles are strict. Don't:
- Add keywords to your business name, like "Smith Electrical Best Electrician Brisbane". Use the name you actually trade under.
- List an address you don't work from, such as a PO box or a virtual office.
- Make a second profile for the same business to cover more suburbs.
Read Google's guidelines for representing your business for the full list.
Keep it active
A profile with recent photos, posts and reviews gives customers a reason to pick you. Post a finished job every week or two, and ask every customer for a review: how to ask.
On Care Growth at $1,000 a month, WebGecko keeps your profile posting and sends a review request after every paid job.
More questions tradies ask
Websites for your trade
Each trade gets searched for differently. These pages cover what goes on a site for yours.
Questions before you start
Is a Google Business Profile free?
Yes. Creating and running a Google Business Profile costs nothing.
Can I hide my home address?
Yes. If customers don't visit you, set the profile up as a service-area business. Google hides the address and shows the areas you serve.
Can I put keywords in my business name?
No. Google's guidelines say the name must match your real-world business name. Extra keywords can get the profile suspended.
Do I need a website as well?
The profile has a website field, and customers often check the website before they ring. Why a website and a profile work together.
Get your fixed price.
Five minutes on the quote form, and the price is fixed before we start. WebGecko is a small studio in Forest Lake, building and looking after websites for Queensland trades and small businesses.
0494 737 600Prices in AUD. Your quote and accepted agreement set the final scope and payment terms.