In this guide
1Business Information (Foundation)
Business name: Use your real name — keyword stuffing gets you suspended. Primary category: Be hyper-specific. 'Emergency Plumber' > 'Plumbing' > 'Home Services.' Secondary categories: Add up to 9 additional relevant categories. Address: Must match your website and all citations exactly. Phone: Use a local number, not a tracking number, as your primary.
2Visual Content (Trust Signals)
Add 10+ high-quality photos: exterior, interior, team, products/services. Add a cover photo and logo. Upload new photos monthly — Google tracks photo freshness. Add a 30-second video walkthrough of your business. Businesses with 100+ photos get 520% more calls than those with fewer than 5.
3Products and Services
List every service with a description and price range. Google uses this data for query matching. If someone searches 'teeth whitening Hamilton,' your dental practice only appears if teeth whitening is listed as a service.
4Reviews (The Velocity Engine)
Respond to every review within 24 hours. Use keywords naturally in responses. Flag and report fake/spam reviews. Deploy a CAN-TAP NFC stand to maintain 3-5 new reviews per week.
5Posts and Updates
Publish Google Business Posts weekly. Use them for offers, events, and updates. Include a CTA button (Book, Call, Learn More). Posts expire after 7 days — consistency matters.
6Q&A Section
Pre-populate your Q&A with common questions and answers. This prevents competitors from asking misleading questions. Include keywords naturally in your answers.
Key takeaways
- ✓Primary category selection is the highest-leverage ranking decision
- ✓100+ photos = 520% more calls than <5 photos
- ✓List every service — Google can't rank you for services it doesn't know about
- ✓Weekly Google Posts keep your profile active in Google's eyes
- ✓Pre-populate Q&A before competitors or trolls do
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