Google Business Profile Checklist for Plumbers
Your Google Business Profile is the listing that appears on Google Maps and in the local results when someone searches for a plumber. It is free, and for most plumbers it is the most important marketing tool they have. Use this checklist to set yours up properly, or to check an existing one.
Before you start
- You should have one profile for your business. Service-area businesses, such as plumbers who travel to customers, should have one profile with a designated service area.
- Use a Google account you control and will not lose.
- Have your real business name, phone number, website and opening hours ready.
The checklist
- Business name. Use your real name, as it appears on your van, invoices and signage. Do not add keywords, towns or slogans, such as “Best Plumber Norwich”. This is one of the most common reasons profiles are suspended.
- Primary category. Pick the closest match from Google’s list, usually Plumber. Add secondary categories only if they truly describe your work, such as boiler repair or heating.
- Address and service area. If you work from home or have no public premises, hide your address and set the areas you really cover. Don’t use a virtual office, a mailbox or a friend’s address.
- Phone and website. Use a number that you answer, and link to the most relevant page of your website. Keep these identical everywhere online.
- Opening hours. Be accurate. Only claim 24/7 if you truly answer emergency calls around the clock, and update holiday hours.
- Services. List each service you offer, such as boiler repair, leak repair and bathroom fitting, with a short, honest description.
- Business description. Write a clear summary of who you are and what you do. Google allows up to 750 characters. Keep it factual, without links or special offers.
- Photos. Add your van, your tools and finished jobs, and keep adding new ones. Only post photos you own and that show your real work.
- Reviews. Ask every customer after a job, and send them a direct link. Reply to every review, good or bad, politely and briefly.
- Check your numbers. Once a month, look at calls, direction requests and website clicks to see what is working.
Mistakes that get profiles suspended
- Keywords in the business name.
- Showing a home address when you are a service-area business.
- A virtual office or mailbox address. Google doesn’t allow virtual offices for service-area businesses unless they are staffed during business hours.
- More than one profile for the same business.
- Incentivised reviews. Offering discounts, gifts or payment for a review is not allowed.
- Review gating. Asking only happy customers to leave a review, or discouraging negative ones, is also banned.
- Inconsistent details between your profile, your website and other listings.
Printable checklist
- Real business name, no keywords
- Correct primary category
- Address hidden, service area set
- Phone and website correct
- Accurate opening hours
- All services listed
- Clear business description
- Ten or more real photos
- Review request process in place
- Replying to every review
Next, read how plumbers rank on Google Maps in Norwich to see how your profile, reviews and website work together.