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Local SEO GuideUpdated June 22, 202611 min
Google Business Profile Optimization Checklist
A practical local SEO checklist for improving relevance, distance clarity, and prominence signals.
Key Takeaways
- Complete business details help relevance.
- Reviews, links, and reputation support prominence.
- A complete profile is not a one-time task.
The Three Local Ranking Inputs
Google describes local results as mainly based on relevance, distance, and prominence. You cannot control every part of that system, but you can improve the information Google and customers use to evaluate your business.
Profile Checklist
Work through the high-impact profile fields first, then build a recurring maintenance routine.
- Primary and secondary categories match real services.
- Address, service area, phone, website, and hours are accurate.
- Special hours are updated before holidays.
- Services and products are described in plain language.
- Photos show the team, location, work, and proof of service.
- Reviews receive helpful, specific replies.
Ongoing Routine
Review the profile monthly. Add recent photos, answer new questions, respond to reviews, verify hours, and compare your visible services against the queries customers are actually using.