Digital Ohana
When someone in Las Vegas searches "AC repair near me" or "best tacos in Summerlin," the first thing they usually see isn't a website. It's a map with a handful of businesses, each with a star rating, hours and a call button. Those listings come from Google Business Profile.
It's free, and it's often the first impression a local customer gets of you. Yet many of the businesses we talk to have a profile they set up years ago and haven't touched since. Some have never claimed theirs at all. Here's how to get the basics right.
Step 1: Claim and verify your profile
Go to google.com/business and sign in with a Google account you control. Use a business account you'll keep long term, not a former employee's personal email.
Search for your business. If a profile already exists, claim it. If not, create one. Google will ask you to verify that you're really the owner. Follow the steps it gives you, which can vary by business.
Step 2: Choose your categories carefully
Your primary category is one of the most important settings on the profile. It tells Google what you are.
- Pick the most specific category that fits. "Mexican restaurant" beats "Restaurant."
- Add a few secondary categories for other things you genuinely do.
- Don't add categories for services you don't offer just to show up in more searches.
Step 3: Get your hours right, including holidays
Few things frustrate a customer more than driving across town to find a locked door. Set your regular hours, and set special hours for holidays and closures. Las Vegas has plenty of holiday weekends and big event weekends where traffic changes, so it pays to keep these current.
Step 4: Add real photos
Photos help people decide whether to visit. Upload:
- Your storefront, so people recognize it from the street or parking lot
- Your team at work
- Your products, food, or finished jobs
- The inside of your space, if customers visit
Use real photos rather than stock images, and add new ones every so often.
Step 5: Ask for reviews, and answer them
Reviews matter to customers reading your profile. The simplest way to get more is to ask happy customers directly. Your profile gives you a link you can text or email to them.
Reply to reviews, good and bad. A short thank-you is fine for positive ones. For negative ones, stay calm, keep it brief and offer to make it right offline. Future customers read those replies too.
Don't buy reviews or offer rewards for them. It's against Google's policies and can backfire.
Step 6: Use posts for news and offers
Google Business Profile lets you publish short posts with a photo and a button. Use them for seasonal specials, new services, or events. They're quick to write and show customers your business is active.
Step 7: Link to the right page on your website
Your profile has a spot for your website. Make sure it points to a page that loads fast on a phone and makes the next step obvious. If someone taps through and lands on a slow page with no clear call button, you've lost the momentum the profile built.
For businesses with more than one location, link each profile to that location's page rather than the homepage.
Keep your details consistent
Your business name, address and phone number should match everywhere: on your profile, on your website, and on other directories. Mismatched details confuse customers and can confuse Google too.
How we help
Google Business Profile setup is part of every standard website we build. We set up or clean up your profile, match it to your new site, and add lead tracking so you can see which calls and form requests are actually coming in. If you want ongoing help, our care plan includes a monthly leads report. You can learn more about our approach on our local SEO page.
Start with a free homepage concept
Wondering how your profile and website look to a customer searching nearby? Ask for a free homepage concept. We'll look at your current site and profile and design a homepage that fixes what we find. You keep it whether or not you hire us.
