Google Business Profile optimization guide for Raleigh businesses

Short answer: choose the most specific primary category, fill in every section (services, service areas, hours, attributes, description), upload real photos regularly, post at least monthly, and build a steady flow of reviews you respond to. Then make sure your website and other listings match the profile exactly.

How Google ranks local businesses

Google says local results are based mainly on three factors:

• Relevance: how well your profile matches what someone searched.
• Distance: how far you are from the searcher or the location in the search.
• Prominence: how well known your business is, including reviews, links and mentions across the web.

You can't change distance. Everything below improves relevance and prominence.

1. Claim and verify your profile

Search your business name on Google Maps. If there's a profile, claim it. If not, create one at business.google.com. Verification methods vary (video, phone, email or postcard), and you can't fully manage the profile until it's verified.

2. Choose the right primary category

This is the single most important setting. Choose the most specific category that describes your main business: "Roofing contractor" rather than "Contractor," or "Family law attorney" rather than "Lawyer." Then add secondary categories for other core services. Look at the top three map results for your main search to see which categories they use.

3. Set up your location or service area correctly

• Customers come to you (shop, office, restaurant): show your address.
• You go to customers (plumbers, cleaners, contractors): hide your address and add the service areas you cover, such as Raleigh, Cary, Wake Forest and Garner.
• Both: show your address and add service areas.

Never use a virtual office or PO box. That can get the profile suspended.

4. Fill in every section

• Business name: your real name exactly as on your signage. Adding keywords breaks Google's guidelines.
• Services: list every core service, with a short description for each.
• Hours: include special and holiday hours.
• Phone and website: link to your homepage or a matching location page.
• Description: what you do, who you serve and where, in plain language.
• Attributes: veteran-owned, women-owned, wheelchair accessible, online appointments and so on.

5. Add real photos regularly

Upload photos of your team, work, vehicles, location and finished projects. Real photos beat stock images, and a steady stream of new ones signals an active business. Aim for a few new photos every month.

6. Post updates

Google Posts show recent projects, offers, events and news. They help keep your profile active and give searchers a reason to choose you. Once or twice a month is plenty for most small businesses.

7. Build and respond to reviews

• Ask every happy customer, right after the job, with a direct review link sent by text or email.
• Ask them to mention the service and area ("kitchen remodel in North Raleigh").
• Respond to every review, positive or negative, politely and specifically.
• Never offer discounts or gifts in exchange for reviews. It violates Google's policies.

8. Make your website match

Your profile and website should reinforce each other. Each main service on your profile should have a page on your site, and your name, address and phone should appear identically. Add LocalBusiness schema with our free schema generator.

Mistakes that cost the most visibility

1. A primary category that's too broad.
2. Keyword-stuffed business names, which risk suspension.
3. Different phone numbers or addresses on other directories.
4. Months without a new review.
5. Setting up a service-area business as a storefront.
6. Ignoring the Q&A section, where anyone can post questions and answers about you.

Want a quick score? Take the free local SEO checklist. To see how your profile stacks up against the businesses above you in the map pack, request a free competitor analysis.