The Google Business Profile Audit Checklist for Contractors

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A well-optimized Google Business Profile (GBP) can be a game-changer for contractors looking to attract local clients and stand out from the competition. This comprehensive audit checklist will help you identify opportunities to improve your profile’s visibility, accuracy, and conversion potential.

Profile Basics

Business Information

[ ] Verify your business ownership is claimed and verified
[ ] Ensure your business name exactly matches your legal name (avoid keyword stuffing)
[ ] Confirm your primary category correctly represents your main service
[ ] Add relevant secondary categories for additional services
[ ] Check that your phone number is accurate and working
[ ] Verify your website URL is correct and directs to a mobile-friendly landing page
[ ] Confirm your business hours are up-to-date, including special holiday hours
[ ] Ensure your service area or address is accurate (service area for mobile businesses, physical address for storefront)

Description

[ ] Create a compelling 750-character description that includes:
- Primary services and specialties
- Years of experience and credentials
- Unique selling propositions
- Geographic areas served
- Call-to-action
[ ] Naturally incorporate relevant keywords without overstuffing

Visual Elements

Photos and Videos

[ ] Upload a high-quality logo (minimum 250×250 pixels)
[ ] Add a professional cover photo (minimum 1080×608 pixels)
[ ] Include at least 10 high-quality project photos showing your best work
[ ] Add photos of your team, vehicles, equipment, and/or facility
[ ] Create short videos demonstrating services, project transformations, or client testimonials
[ ] Ensure all images are well-lit, properly framed, and relevant to your services
[ ] Add captions to photos where appropriate

Virtual Tours

[ ] Consider adding a Google Street View virtual tour of your facility (if applicable)
[ ] Create 360° images of completed projects when possible

Service Offerings

Products & Services

[ ] Add all relevant services with accurate descriptions and pricing (if fixed)
[ ] Include service categories that align with your target keywords
[ ] Add high-quality images for each service
[ ] Ensure service descriptions include benefits, not just features

Attributes

[ ] Set all applicable business attributes (payment methods, accessibility features, etc.)
[ ] Add any special credentials, certifications, or insurance details
[ ] Include information about COVID-19 safety protocols if relevant

Customer Interaction

Reviews

[ ] Respond to all reviews, both positive and negative, in a professional manner
[ ] Analyze review patterns for service improvement opportunities
[ ] Implement a systematic approach to request reviews from satisfied customers
[ ] Ensure your average rating exceeds 4.0 stars
[ ] Aim for a minimum of 50 reviews for competitive categories

Q&A Section

[ ] Create and answer FAQs that potential customers might have
[ ] Monitor for new questions and answer promptly
[ ] Upvote helpful questions and answers

Messaging

[ ] Enable the messaging feature
[ ] Set up automated responses for common inquiries
[ ] Establish a process to respond to messages within 24 hours
[ ] Create a message greeting that encourages specific questions

Content Marketing

Posts

[ ] Publish at least 4 posts per week if SAB and 3 posts per week for Storefront
[ ] Create a mix of post types:
- What’s New updates
- Offer posts with clear CTAs
- Event posts for promotions or community involvement
- Educational content showcasing expertise
[ ] Include high-quality images with every post
[ ] Incorporate relevant keywords naturally in post content
[ ] Add appropriate CTAs to each post

Booking

[ ] Set up appointment booking if applicable to your business
[ ] Ensure your availability calendar is kept current
[ ] Test the booking process to confirm it works smoothly

Technical Optimization

Keywords

[ ] Research and identify primary and secondary keywords relevant to your contracting niche
[ ] Naturally incorporate these keywords in your:
- Business name (if part of legal name only)
- Business description
- Services list
- Photo captions
- Posts
- Q&A section

NAP Consistency

[ ] Ensure your Name, Address, and Phone number are consistent across:
- Your website
- Social media profiles
- Online directories
- Industry association listings
- Chamber of Commerce listings

Link Building

[ ] Create citations on relevant industry directories
[ ] Ensure local business listings point to your GBP
[ ] Request links from suppliers, partners, and customers when appropriate

Competitive Analysis

Competitor Review

[ ] Identify top-ranking competitors in your service area
[ ] Analyze their:
- Category selections
- Review volume and quality
- Photo and video content
- Posting frequency and topics
- Services highlighted
- Unique selling propositions
[ ] Identify gaps and opportunities to differentiate your profile

Performance Tracking

Insights Analysis

[ ] Regularly review performance metrics:
- Search queries leading to your profile
- Customer actions (website clicks, calls, direction requests)
- Photo views
- Post engagement
[ ] Track profile views by day and time to optimize posting schedule
[ ] Monitor the impact of profile changes on performance metrics

Regular Maintenance

[ ] Schedule monthly audits to ensure information remains current
[ ] Update seasonal hours, services, or promotions as needed
[ ] Refresh photos quarterly with new project completions
[ ] Remove outdated posts and information

Local SEO Integration

Website Alignment

[ ] Ensure your website contains the same NAP information as your GBP
[ ] Include schema markup on your website to reinforce local SEO signals
[ ] Create location-specific landing pages if you serve multiple areas
[ ] Link from your website to your GBP and encourage reviews

Local Content

[ ] Create GBP posts about local events, community involvement, and area-specific services
[ ] Highlight projects in specific neighborhoods or communities
[ ] Mention local landmarks or well-known areas in your service descriptions when relevant

Implementation Plan

Now that you’ve completed your audit, prioritize improvements based on:

Critical errors or inaccuracies that need immediate correction
High-impact, low-effort optimizations to implement within one week
Medium-term improvements to roll out over the next month
Ongoing maintenance tasks to schedule regularly

Be Visible Media, a leading SEO agency based in Cebu, Philippines, offers comprehensive Google Business Profile audit services tailored specifically for contractors. By implementing data-driven optimizations and industry best practices, Be Visible Media transforms underperforming business profiles into powerful lead generation tools.

By systematically working through this checklist, contractors can create a Google Business Profile that not only ranks well in local searches but effectively converts viewers into leads and customers. Remember that GBP optimization is not a one-time task but an ongoing process of refinement based on performance data and changing market conditions.

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Dale Basilla

Founder at Be Visible Media

Dale is an SEO with over a decade of experience. Since 2008, he has helped businesses improve their online visibility through strategic search optimization techniques. Dale brings a unique technical perspective to SEO challenges. He is known for his data-driven approach and ability to translate complex SEO concepts into actionable strategies. A self-starter and always hungry for knowledge. In my free time, I play games, scuba dive on weekends, eat out (Japanese & Korean foods) and finds time to help other Filipinos through HOWPO.