Google Business Profile for Trade Businesses

Google Business Profile (GBP. Formerly known as Google My Business) is a free tool that lets you manage how your trade business appears in Google Search and Google Maps. When someone searches for "electrician near me", "boiler repair [town name]", or "emergency plumber [postcode]", the results they see prominently are dominated by Google Business Profile listings: not websites.

The "Local Pack": the box of three businesses that appears at the top of a local search result, often above all organic website results. Is driven entirely by Google Business Profile. If you're not on Google Business Profile, you don't appear in the Local Pack. Full stop.

Why GBP is the highest-priority tool for most tradespeople:

• It's free. Unlike Google Ads, there's no cost per click.
• The traffic it generates is extremely high intent. Someone searching "emergency electrician Birmingham" wants an electrician right now.
• It shows your business on Google Maps, which is how many people navigate to find a local service provider.
• The review system on GBP directly influences both your search ranking and whether a searcher chooses to contact you.
• It's one of the few places where a sole trader or small trade business can appear alongside larger companies on equal footing.

For any trade business doing local work, GBP setup and optimisation is the marketing task with the highest return on time invested.

If you don't yet have a Google Business Profile, here's how to create and verify one.

Step 1: Create your profile

Go to business.google.com and sign in with a Google account (create one if needed, you can use your business email). Search for your business name, if a profile already exists (sometimes Google creates unverified profiles automatically), claim it. If not, create a new one.

Step 2: Enter your business details

• Business name: Your actual business name. Don't stuff keywords into the name field ("Smith Electrical EICR London Electrician"). Google has cracked down on this and it can get your listing suspended.
• Business category: Choose the most specific, accurate category. "Electrician" is better than "Contractor". You can add additional categories later.
• Address or service area: If you work from a commercial premises, add the address. If you work from home and don't want your home address public, hide it and use a service area instead. For most domestic tradespeople, a service area (e.g. "North London", or a list of postcodes) is appropriate.
• Phone number and website: Use a number you actually answer. If you have a website, add it.

Step 3: Verification

Google requires verification before your profile appears publicly. Verification methods vary depending on your business and location:

• Postcard: Google mails a postcard with a code to your business address. Arrives in 5–14 days. Enter the code in GBP to verify. This is the most common method for UK businesses.
• Phone or email: Some businesses are offered phone or email verification, faster if available to you.
• Video verification: Increasingly common. Google may ask you to film a short video showing your business, tools, or location to verify you're a real business.

If you work from home or from a van, use our step-by-step guide to record a Google Business Profile verification video without an office.

Don't skip verification or delay it. Your profile won't appear in search results until it's verified.

A verified but incomplete profile is significantly less effective than a fully optimised one. Google uses the completeness and quality of your profile as a ranking signal, incomplete profiles rank lower. Here's what to complete:

Business description

Write a 200–300 word description covering what you do, where you work, and what makes you worth calling. Mention specific services by name (EICR, consumer unit replacement, boiler installation, emergency call-outs) and specific areas (boroughs, towns, postcodes). Don't keyword-stuff: write naturally, but be specific about your services and location.

Services

Google allows you to add a list of services with descriptions and optional prices. Add every service you offer. Each service you list is another keyword your profile can rank for. Gas Safe registered engineers can list gas safety certificates, boiler servicing, and boiler installation separately. Electricians can list EICR, consumer unit replacement, EV charger installation, and so on.

Business hours

Accurate hours are important. Google shows whether a business is "Open" or "Closed" next to your listing. If you don't keep a rigid schedule, you can set flexible hours or mark yourself as "open by appointment".

Photos

Businesses with more photos receive significantly more enquiries than those without. Add photos of:

• Your work (before/after where appropriate)
• Your van (branded if possible)
• You and your team
• Any trade accreditation certificates visible

Update photos regularly: Google favours profiles with recent activity. Aim for at least 10 photos when you start, and add new ones as you complete notable jobs.

Primary and additional categories

Your primary category should be your core trade (Electrician, Plumber, Heating Contractor). Add additional categories for services you frequently provide (EV Charging Station Installation, Gas Engineer, Bathroom Remodeler). Additional categories expand the searches your profile can appear for.

Google uses review count, review recency, and average rating as significant signals for local search ranking. A business with 80 reviews at 4.8 stars will almost always outrank a competitor with 12 reviews at 4.9 stars. Volume matters alongside rating.

Reviews also drive conversion. A searcher comparing three electricians in the Local Pack will often call the one with the most reviews first: it reduces perceived risk.

How to ask for reviews correctly

Timing is everything. The best moment to ask for a review is immediately after the job is complete and the customer has expressed they're happy. While the positive experience is fresh. The approach:

• Ask in person first: "If you're happy with the work, I'd really appreciate it if you could leave us a Google review. It makes a huge difference to a small business."
• Follow up with a message the same day: "Thanks again for the job today: here's a direct link to leave us a Google review if you get a moment: [your GBP review link]."
• Make it effortless: a direct link to your review page (found in your GBP dashboard under "Get more reviews") removes all friction. A customer who has to search for your business to leave a review often doesn't bother.

Remembering to ask every single time is the hard part when you are on the tools. Your Tradehand office team sends the review request automatically the day a job is finished, with your direct Google link already in the message, so your review count climbs without you thinking about it. Our full guide covers the rest: how to get more 5-star reviews.

What not to do

• Do not offer incentives for reviews. Google's policies prohibit this and it can get your profile suspended.
• Do not ask for reviews at the time of quoting: wait until after you've done a good job.
• Do not use a bulk review service or buy fake reviews. Google detects these and they can result in your listing being removed.

Responding to reviews, both positive and negative, is a ranking signal and a critical conversion factor. Future customers read your responses as evidence of how you treat people.

Responding to positive reviews

Don't just write "Thank you!", personalize your response. Reference the specific job, mention the customer's name, and include a natural mention of the service and location:

"Thanks so much, James: really glad the consumer unit replacement went smoothly. If you ever need anything else in Harpenden, don't hesitate to get in touch."

This personalised approach, including service and location terms naturally, also has a modest SEO benefit.

Responding to negative reviews

Stay professional, stay brief, and invite the customer to resolve the issue directly:

"Thank you for the feedback: we're sorry to hear you weren't satisfied with the work. We aim to address any concerns directly, and we'd welcome the chance to discuss this. Please give us a call and we'll do our best to put it right."

Never argue, blame, or provide extensive point-by-point rebuttals in your public response. Future customers reading a lengthy defensive response see it as a red flag, whatever the merits of the argument. A brief, professional response followed by offline resolution is always the right approach.

The Local Pack is the box of three businesses that appears near the top of a Google search for local services: above organic website results and often above paid ads for local service searches. Appearing in the Local Pack is worth significant business.

The primary factors Google uses to determine Local Pack rankings:

• Relevance: How well your GBP matches the search query. Complete, accurate categories and service descriptions matter.
• Distance: How close the business is to the searcher. You can't control this, but you can set your service area accurately to appear for searches in the areas you actually cover.
• Prominence: How well-known and trusted your business is, driven primarily by review volume and rating, links from other websites (your own website, trade directories), and general web presence.

Common mistakes that hurt Local Pack rankings:

• Incomplete profile: missing services, hours, or description
• No or very few reviews: Google sees this as low prominence
• Reviews not responded to: seen as low engagement
• No photos or outdated photos
• Wrong business category: irrelevant categories confuse Google's relevance signals
• Keyword stuffing in the business name. This can get your listing suspended
• Inconsistent business name/address/phone across online directories. NAP consistency matters for trust

The most reliable path to Local Pack appearance:

Complete every field in your GBP, use accurate categories, add thorough photos, build a steady stream of genuine 5-star reviews, and ensure your business name, address, and phone number are identical across your GBP, website, Checkatrade, Yell, and any other directory listings.

No website yet? Tradehand builds you a fast one for free that stays consistent with your profile and gives Google another trusted signal linking back to your business, which feeds directly into the prominence Google measures for the Local Pack.

Beyond the core profile setup, Google Business Profile has features that most trade businesses ignore. And that provide an edge over competitors who set up and forget.

Google Posts

You can post updates, offers, or news directly to your GBP: they appear in your listing in search results. A monthly post (a recent job photo with a brief description, a seasonal offer, a reminder of services) signals to Google that your profile is active and well-maintained. Active profiles tend to rank better than dormant ones.

Q&A section

Google allows anyone to ask and answer questions on your GBP listing. Check your Q&A section regularly. Anyone can post an answer, and inaccurate answers from the public can appear on your listing. Populate your own Q&A section with common customer questions ("Do you cover [area]?", "Are you Gas Safe registered?", "Do you provide EICR certificates?") and accurate answers.

Messaging

GBP offers a messaging feature that lets customers send you a message directly from your listing. If you enable this, respond promptly. Google tracks your response time and shows it publicly. If you can't respond to messages reliably, disable the feature rather than letting messages go unanswered.

Booking link

If you use a job management or booking platform, you may be able to add a booking link directly to your GBP. This reduces friction between search and enquiry. A searcher can go from Google to booking a call-out in a single step.