When someone searches "plumber near me" or "roofer Leeds", the first thing they usually see is not a list of websites. It is a map with three businesses on it. Those businesses come from Google Business Profile, the free listing Google gives to local businesses.
If you do one thing for your online presence this month, make it this. It is free, it takes an evening, and it is where a large share of local trade enquiries start.
What a Google Business Profile is
It is your business's entry on Google Search and Google Maps. It shows your name, your trade, the areas you serve, your phone number, your website, your opening hours, photos and reviews. People can call you or visit your website straight from it, without ever scrolling to the normal search results.
You do not need a shop or office
Most trades work at the customer's address, not their own. Google calls this a service-area business. When you set up your profile you can hide your home address and instead list the towns or areas you cover. Customers see where you work, not where you live.
Setting it up, step by step
- Use a Google account you will keep. Ideally one tied to your business email, not a personal account you might lose access to.
- Search for "Google Business Profile" and choose to add your business.
- Use your real business name. Exactly as it appears on your van, invoices and website. Do not stuff extra words into it ("Smith Plumbing - Best Plumber Leeds Cheap"). Google can suspend profiles for that.
- Pick your main category carefully. "Roofing contractor", "Plumber", "Electrician", "Kitchen remodeler" and so on. This is one of the biggest signals Google uses to decide which searches you appear for. Add a few secondary categories if they genuinely fit.
- Set your service areas. Add the towns you actually cover. Keep it realistic.
- Add your phone number and website. Use the same phone number everywhere you appear online.
- Verify the profile. Google needs to check your business is real. These days it often asks for a short video showing things like your van, your tools, your signage or your work. Follow the instructions on screen; it can take a few days.
Make it complete
A half-filled profile does not do much. Once you are verified:
- Add photos of your own jobs, your van and your team. Add more every month or so.
- List your services with short descriptions.
- Write a description in plain words: what you do, where, and what kind of jobs you take on.
- Set your hours, including whether you take calls in the evening or at weekends.
- Ask for reviews from happy customers (see our guide to getting your first Google reviews the honest way).
How the profile and your website work together
Your Google profile is the shop window. Your website is the shop. When someone finds you on the map, the next thing many of them do is tap "Website" to see more before they call.
Your website also helps your profile. Google compares the two. When your business name, phone number and service areas match on both, and your website has a clear page for each service and area, it is easier for Google to trust and show your listing.
So the order is simple:
- Set up and verify your Google Business Profile.
- Make sure your website shows the same name, phone and areas, with a page for each service.
- Link the profile to the website.
- Keep both up to date and keep collecting real reviews.
Common mistakes
- Two profiles for one business. It confuses Google and splits your reviews. If you find a duplicate, ask Google to merge or remove it.
- A different phone number on every site. Pick one business number and use it everywhere.
- Listing areas you do not really cover. It leads to calls you have to turn down and does not help you rank.
- Fake or paid reviews. Against Google's rules and, in the UK and US, against the law.
Where SiteForTrades fits
Every SiteForTrades website is built to sit alongside your Google profile: your business name, phone number and areas on every page, a page for each service, and the details Google reads to understand your business. Set up your profile, link it to your site, and the two work together.