Your Google Business Profile is often the first thing a family sees about your agency. A complete, accurate profile builds trust before anyone visits your website. Use this checklist to audit yours.
Basics
- Business name: use your real, legal or commonly used name. Adding keywords to the name can get your profile suspended.
- Address: if clients do not visit your office, you can hide the address and show a service area instead. Follow Google's rules for service-area businesses.
- Phone number: use a local number that matches your website. If you use call tracking, keep your main number as a secondary listing.
- Website link: point to the page that best matches the location, not always the homepage.
- Hours: set accurate hours, including any after-hours phone line. Update them for holidays.
Categories and services
- Pick the primary category that best describes what you do. Search for what competitors in your area use, then choose what is true for you.
- Add secondary categories only where they apply.
- Add each service you offer, such as personal care, companion care, dementia care, respite care, and transportation, with a short description.
Service area
- List the cities and counties you actually serve.
- Keep it realistic. Listing every town within two hours dilutes the profile and does not help you rank there.
Description
Write 2 to 3 short paragraphs about who you help, which services you provide, how long you have operated, and what to expect when calling. Avoid stuffing it with keywords. Write it the way you would explain it to a family on the phone.
Photos and video
- Upload a clear logo and cover photo.
- Add real photos of your office, staff in uniform or with name badges, and vehicles. Avoid photos that show client faces unless you have written permission.
- Add new photos regularly so the profile looks active.
Reviews
- Keep a direct review link ready to share.
- Reply to every review, positive or negative, in a calm and professional tone.
- Never include private health information in a reply. Acknowledge the feedback without confirming someone is a client or sharing care details.
Posts and updates
Posts can announce hiring, seasonal tips, or new services. They are not a ranking shortcut, but they keep the profile fresh and give visitors something useful.
Common mistakes that cost calls
- An old phone number or office address still showing
- Duplicate profiles for the same location
- A primary category that does not match what you do
- Reviews with no reply
- A website link that goes to a page with no clear next step
- Ignoring messages and questions in the profile
Need a hand?
If you would like us to review your profile against this list, request a free audit. Or learn how we manage profiles on an ongoing basis on our Google Business Profile page.