The three spots above the websites are the ones that get the calls.
When someone searches “plumber near me,” Google usually shows a map with three businesses before any regular results. Those spots come from Google Business Profiles, not websites. A complete, active profile is often the fastest way for a local trade business to get more calls.
Profile setup includes
- ✓Verification help, or recovery if the profile is stuck
- ✓The right primary and secondary categories
- ✓Service area set up for the towns you cover
- ✓Every service listed with a short description
- ✓Photos, hours, booking link and a written business description
- ✓Linked to your website and tracked for calls and clicks
Your profile is often the first thing a customer sees.
For many local searches, people call straight from the map listing without ever visiting a website. Your photos, reviews, hours and how you answer reviews are doing the selling.
Categories decide what you show up for
Your primary category carries a lot of weight. “Electrician” and “Electrical installation service” are different categories that trigger for different searches. Picking the right one is a small change that matters.
Reviews, and your replies
The number, recency and content of reviews all matter, and so does responding. A short, specific reply to every review shows both Google and customers that someone's paying attention.
Activity signals
Adding new job photos, updating hours for holidays and posting updates keeps the profile fresh. It takes about ten minutes a week once it's set up.
About Google Business Profiles.
My business doesn't show up on Maps at all. Can you fix that?
I work from home. Do I have to show my address?
Will you need access to my Google account?
Is this included with a new website?
Not sure how your profile stacks up?
Send me your business name. I'll look up your Google Business Profile, compare it to the top three competitors in your area, and tell you what's missing. Free.