When someone searches 'emergency plumber near me' or 'dentist open Saturday', Google shows three businesses on a map before any normal results. Being one of those three is often worth more than every other marketing channel combined. Here's the checklist we use with every local client.
Your Google Business Profile
Pick the right primary category. It's the single strongest ranking signal on your profile. Be specific: 'Cosmetic dentist' beats 'Dentist' if that's your focus.
Complete every field. Services, service areas, opening hours, holiday hours, attributes and a keyword-natural description.
Add real photos monthly. Team, premises, work in progress. Profiles with fresh photos get noticeably more clicks.
Post weekly. Offers, updates and FAQs. Posts keep your profile active and give searchers another reason to choose you.
Reviews
Ask every happy customer, automatically. A short text or email after the job, with a direct link to your review form.
Reply to every review. Thank the good ones, respond calmly and helpfully to the bad ones. Future customers read your replies.
Aim for steady volume, not bursts. Ten reviews a month beats fifty in a week and nothing after.
Your website
One page per location, and make each one genuinely unique. Local team, directions, parking, reviews from that location.
One page per core service. 'Teeth whitening' deserves its own page, not a bullet point.
Add LocalBusiness schema. Structured data helps Google connect your site to your profile.
Make calling effortless. A tap-to-call number above the fold on mobile, on every page.
Citations
Keep your name, address and phone number identical everywhere. Directories, social profiles, industry sites. Inconsistency erodes trust with Google.
Where to start
If you only do three things this month: fix your primary category, set up automated review requests, and build a proper page for your most profitable service. Want us to check how you stack up? Request a free audit and we'll send you a prioritised list.
