Question 1

What should be on my Google Business Profile checklist?

Accepted Answer

In order of impact: your primary category, your individual services, at least ten real photos of your own work, your description with what you do and who for in the first sentence, your hours including public holidays, your attributes, your service areas, a website link pointing somewhere you own, monthly posts, and the questions and answers section filled in with the three things you get asked on every quote. The free Google test from YourHQ covers each one with a line on what good looks like.

Question 2

How do I see what customers see when they Google my business?

Accepted Answer

Open a private browser window first, because your normal browser knows you and flatters the results. Search your business name, then search what you do plus your town the way a stranger would. Look at the map result, the review count and how recent the newest review is, the photos, the website link, and anything wrong or out of date. Give yourself a mark out of two on each.

Question 3

How do I ask customers for Google reviews?

Accepted Answer

Ask at the moment of delivered value, on the day the job is finished, not weeks later. Recency matters more than volume: nine reviews with the newest from last week reads better than forty with the newest from two years ago. Get the direct review link from your Google Business Profile and save it in your phone, your email signature and on your invoice so it is always to hand. The free Google test includes a review request message written to be sent as it is.

The Google test.