Google Business Profile for trades: service-area setup

Prepare one reliable business fact sheet

Before opening the settings, put your business name, phone number, website, actual services and normal working hours into one note. Add the places you can realistically cover and the Google account you will use. This prevents a rushed setup turning an old mobile number or an ambitious service area into public information. Google says eligible businesses can manage their presence on Search and Maps through a Business Profile at no charge.

Separate facts from aspirations. If you want bathroom installation work but currently advertise general repairs, decide which services you genuinely deliver before changing the profile. If you finish on site at five but return calls later, work out what hours accurately describe the business. Do not tick round-the-clock opening simply because the website accepts messages overnight. The information should help a customer decide whether to contact you.

• Business name as used with customers, not an extra list of keywords.
• A working phone number and the correct website address.
• Main service, additional genuine services and realistic coverage.
• Who checks messages, who can edit the profile and where account recovery is maintained.

Check eligibility and the basic service in Google’s getting-started guidance.

Find the existing profile before creating another

Search for the business name and town, and check any old names you have used. A profile may already exist even if you never finished setting it up. Review the address, photographs and phone number carefully so that you do not claim a similarly named business. Keep a note of the profile you are working on; switching between Google accounts can otherwise make it look as though your edits have disappeared.

If another person manages your existing listing, use Google’s ownership process instead of opening a competing copy. The process differs for a service-area business, so follow the relevant official route. Once access is settled, keep the business owner in control. Google supports separate owner and manager accounts, which means a designer or assistant can help without sharing your password. Remove access when that working relationship ends.

For an existing listing, follow Google’s ownership request instructions.

For help from someone else, review the owner and manager roles.

Describe the business you run, not every search you want

Use the name your customers actually recognise. Google’s representation rules require accurate real-world information; adding towns and services to the name just for search visibility is not a sound shortcut. Choose the most specific available category that describes the core business, then only add other categories that genuinely apply. Categories describe the business; the service list explains the work it offers.

For an illustrative sole-trader plumbing business, the practical question is whether a homeowner can recognise the firm and understand its work. Write down the services you handle yourself and those you do not offer. Do not let a broad category or a copied description imply specialist work or credentials you cannot substantiate. Check the wording against your website, van and quotation details so that customers are seeing the same business in each place.

Use Google’s business representation guidelines when choosing names and categories.

Set address visibility and service areas correctly

If you travel to customers and do not serve them at your business address, Google says to remove that address from public display. A genuine customer-facing premises is different; simply owning a workshop or receiving post there does not establish that customers can visit. Do not invent a branch in a nearby town to look closer to the work you want.

In the profile, use Edit profile, then Location and Service area. Google currently allows up to 20 named areas, such as cities or postcodes, rather than a radius setting. That is a limit, not a target. A short accurate list is more useful than filling every slot with places you rarely visit. Check the current guidance if the controls change.

The current controls and address rules are explained in Google’s service-area guidance.

Complete the verification Google offers you

Google determines which verification methods are available for a business. Follow the options shown in your own account; another tradesperson’s experience does not guarantee that you will receive the same method. Have access to the business information and equipment you may need to demonstrate, and use the official verification instructions rather than an unsolicited message offering a shortcut.

Keep account recovery details accessible to the owner and record when you submitted the verification. If something is still pending, check its actual status before changing unrelated information repeatedly. Never share a verification code with someone who contacts you unexpectedly. If you need assistance, work from the help links inside your account so that you know which profile and process you are dealing with.

For the available methods and next steps, see Google’s verification instructions.

Give a profile visitor a useful next step

Open the website link from the profile on your phone. The destination should immediately show the same business, the relevant services, coverage and a clear way to get in touch. A broken link, a Facebook login screen or a homepage with no service information creates extra work for someone already considering you. Use an address you can keep current when the website changes.

For a planned installation, the next step might be a short project enquiry. For an urgent service you genuinely offer, it may be a telephone call during your stated hours. Test both as a visitor rather than assuming that a visible button works. Send a clearly labelled test through your own enquiry route and confirm receipt before relying on it for real customers.

Decide what to ask using our first-contact form guide.

For the website side of that journey, see how we present plumbing businesses online.

Keep a small maintenance routine

Once the profile is working, schedule a short check when services, hours or contact details change. Use genuine photographs with permission, and make it clear what work they show. If the business stops covering an area, update that information in both places. Treat the profile as another public entrance to the business rather than a setup exercise that can be forgotten.

Record which enquiries mention Google, whether the work fits and what happened next. Keep unknown sources as unknown. A customer may discover the profile, check your website and finally call after a recommendation, so a simple log is more useful than claiming perfect attribution. Review that log alongside your diary to decide which service information needs improving next.

• Monthly: check phone, website link, services, coverage and access permissions.
• Before holidays or changed opening: update the information customers will rely on.
• After suitable completed work: add permissioned evidence and invite honest feedback.
• When enquiries are unsuitable: correct the service or area wording before expanding promotion.

For neutral wording after a job, use our Google review request templates.

Keep the wider website checks in view with our local visibility overview.