Most Google Business Profiles for trade businesses are half-finished. The contractor set it up, added a phone number, and moved on. That's enough to exist on Google. It's not enough to rank.
The good news: five quick changes make a real difference, and none of them take more than a minute each. Pull up your profile at business.google.com and work through these one at a time.
1. Add Your Service Areas (Takes 60 Seconds)
Go to your profile, click "Edit profile," then scroll to "Service area." Add every city and zip code where you do work.
A lot of contractors only list their business address. Google uses that to rank them in searches near that address only. If you service a 30-mile radius around Tampa but only have your office address listed, you're invisible to anyone searching more than a few miles away.
Add your actual service area. Be specific. List cities, not just counties.
2. Pick the Right Business Category
Your primary category tells Google what kind of business you are. If it's wrong or too broad, you're ranking for the wrong searches.
To check it: click "Edit profile," then "Business information," then "Category." Look at what your primary category says.
For trade businesses, the right categories look like this:
- Plumber (not "Home Services" or "Contractor")
- HVAC contractor (not "Heating contractor" or "Air conditioning contractor" separately, pick the one that covers both)
- Roofing contractor
- Electrician
If yours is too general, update it. You can also add secondary categories for specialties, like "Water heater installation service" for a plumber.
3. Add at Least 10 Photos
Profiles with photos get significantly more clicks than profiles without them. Google's own data puts it at 42% more requests for directions and 35% more website clicks for profiles with photos versus those without.
You don't need professional shots. Pull out your phone and take pictures of:
- A completed job (before and after if you have them)
- Your truck or van with your logo visible
- Your team on a job site
- Your equipment or materials
Upload them to your profile under the "Photos" tab. Do it now, before you forget.
4. Write a Real Business Description
Most profiles have a one-line description or nothing at all. Your description is 750 characters and it shows up in your listing.
Use it. Write a few sentences that say what you do, what cities you serve, and what makes you worth calling. Keep it plain. Don't stuff it with keywords.
A good description for a Tampa plumber might read: "Family-owned plumbing company serving Tampa, St. Pete, and Clearwater since 2009. We handle everything from emergency repairs to water heater installs and repiping. Licensed, insured, and available same day for urgent calls."
That's it. Specific, clear, and readable.
5. Post an Update to Your Profile
Google Business Profiles have a posts feature, the same idea as a social media post. You can share job updates, seasonal offers, tips, or anything relevant to your customers.
Most contractors never use this. That's an easy gap to close.
Posting once a week tells Google your profile is active. Active profiles rank better than dormant ones. Click "Add update" from your profile dashboard and write two or three sentences about a recent job or a service you offer this time of year.
Don't overthink it. "Just finished a full HVAC replacement in South Tampa. System is running great and the homeowner has heat again before the cold snap hits." That's a post. Takes 45 seconds.
See Where You Stand First
If you're not sure how visible you are before making these changes, run a quick check with our free rank check tool. It shows your current position across your service area so you have a baseline to compare against.
These five things take about five minutes total. Most contractors won't do them. The ones who do show up more often, get called more often, and close more jobs without spending a dollar on ads.