Boojee Estate — Owner's Copy
The free listing that prints customers.
The free listing that prints customers when you treat it like a storefront instead of a forgotten password with a logo.
Price: $38
Your Google Business Profile is the business card, front window, review wall, photo gallery, call button, direction button, booking desk, FAQ page, and local trust badge that appears when customers are closest to buying. It is free. It is also where many local businesses quietly leak money every day.
A customer searches "urgent care near me," "best tacos open now," "wedding hair stylist Scottsdale," "water heater repair," or your exact business name. Before they read your website, before they follow your Instagram, before they meet your charming staff, they see your Google profile. If it looks old, thin, confusing, or untrusted, they move on. If it looks active, specific, and safe, you get the call.
This playbook focuses only on Google Business Profile. Not the whole SEO kingdom. Not twenty platforms. Just the free listing that often decides whether the customer calls you or the competitor with better photos and fewer emotional support excuses.
Go to business.google.com. Claim or create the listing. Use the real business name customers see on signage, invoices, and your website. Do not add city names or service keywords unless they are part of the actual name. "Royal Rooter Plumbing" is fine if that is the brand. "Royal Rooter Plumbing Best Emergency Plumber Dallas Cheap Water Heater Repair" is a cry for help and possibly a suspension.
Use the correct address. If customers visit you, show the address. If you are a service-area business that goes to customers, hide the home address and set service areas. Do not use a virtual office if it violates guidelines. Google is not perfect, but it does occasionally wake up and choose violence.
Add a local phone number if possible. If you use call tracking, use it carefully. Keep your main number consistent across the web and set the tracking number as the primary only when you know what you are doing. Tools like CallRail can help, but bad tracking setup can create citation confusion.
Connect the website or landing page that makes the most sense. A single-location business can usually link to the homepage. A multi-location business should link each profile to its location page. A service campaign may link to a booking page if that page is strong, fast, and local.
Your primary category tells Google what kind of searches you deserve. Choose the closest category to the main money service. A nail salon should choose "nail salon," not "beauty salon" if nails are the business. An HVAC company should choose "HVAC contractor." A restaurant should choose the most accurate cuisine or restaurant type available.
Use competitor research. Install GMB Everywhere or use PlePer. Search your main keyword in your city. Look at the categories used by the businesses ranking in the map pack. If the winners all share a category, that is a clue. Do not copy blindly, but do not ignore the market.
Add secondary categories that are true. If you are a dental office offering cosmetic dentistry and emergency dental service, add relevant categories if available. If you are a salon that also does waxing and lashes, add them if they match real services. Do not add categories for services you might someday offer after Mercury exits retrograde.
The services section is where you tell Google and customers what you actually sell. Add every core service with plain descriptions. Write like a human front desk manager, not a brochure that got trapped in a LinkedIn seminar.
Service description formula:
"[Service] for [customer/problem] in [city/service area]. Good for [use cases]. Call or book online for [next step]."
Example:
"Emergency water heater repair for homeowners in Plano and nearby neighborhoods. Good for leaks, no hot water, pilot light issues, and same-day replacement quotes. Call for availability."
If your category allows products, use them creatively. A med spa can list packages, a restaurant can list catering trays, a salon can list bridal packages, a gym can list intro offers, a contractor can list inspection packages. Use real photos, names, and prices when possible.
Photos are proof. Customers look at them to answer private little questions. Is the place clean? Is parking weird? Do the staff look friendly? Are the results real? Is this company alive? Do they do the thing I need?
Upload these photo types:
Exterior: storefront, sign, parking, entrance, truck, service vehicle. Interior: lobby, treatment room, dining room, studio, shop, workspace. Team: owner, front desk, technicians, stylists, clinicians, servers. Work: before and after, process, finished jobs, plated food, products, equipment. Trust: licenses on wall, awards, community involvement, safety setup. Customer experience: waiting area, check-in, consultation, jobsite cleanup.
Minimum standard: twenty strong photos on setup, then five to ten new photos every month. Restaurants and salons can post more. Contractors should post job photos weekly. Clinics and med spas must respect consent and compliance.
Photo rules: use natural light when possible, wipe counters, remove trash, avoid blurry shots, show real humans, do not over-filter results, and name image files before upload if you are organized. Example: emergency-plumber-plano-water-heater.jpg. File names are not magic, but organization keeps your team sane.
Google Business Profile posts are not as glamorous as Instagram, which is fine because glamour does not pay the lease by itself. Posts can promote offers, events, updates, products, and useful reminders. They show customers the business is active.
Use posts for:
Post formula:
Headline: clear offer or topic. Body: one specific reason it matters. Action: call, book, learn more, get offer.
Example:
"Same-week teeth whitening appointments in Mesa. If you want a brighter smile before graduation photos or summer events, we opened six whitening spots this week. Book online or call the front desk."
Another example:
"Water heater making popping sounds? Sediment buildup can shorten the life of the tank. Our Plano team can inspect it and tell you whether a flush, repair, or replacement makes sense. Call for availability."
Post idea 1: Share a real service photo with one sentence of context, one local phrase, and one action such as call, book, request quote, or get directions. Post idea 2: Share a real team note with one sentence of context, one local phrase, and one action such as call, book, request quote, or get directions. Post idea 3: Share a real limited appointment opening with one sentence of context, one local phrase, and one action such as call, book, request quote, or get directions. Post idea 4: Share a real seasonal reminder with one sentence of context, one local phrase, and one action such as call, book, request quote, or get directions. Post idea 5: Share a real customer question with one sentence of context, one local phrase, and one action such as call, book, request quote, or get directions. Post idea 6: Share a real service photo with one sentence of context, one local phrase, and one action such as call, book, request quote, or get directions. Post idea 7: Share a real team note with one sentence of context, one local phrase, and one action such as call, book, request quote, or get directions. Post idea 8: Share a real limited appointment opening with one sentence of context, one local phrase, and one action such as call, book, request quote, or get directions. Post idea 9: Share a real seasonal reminder with one sentence of context, one local phrase, and one action such as call, book, request quote, or get directions. Post idea 10: Share a real customer question with one sentence of context, one local phrase, and one action such as call, book, request quote, or get directions. Post idea 11: Share a real service photo with one sentence of context, one local phrase, and one action such as call, book, request quote, or get directions. Post idea 12: Share a real team note with one sentence of context, one local phrase, and one action such as call, book, request quote, or get directions. Post idea 13: Share a real limited appointment opening with one sentence of context, one local phrase, and one action such as call, book, request quote, or get directions. Post idea 14: Share a real seasonal reminder with one sentence of context, one local phrase, and one action such as call, book, request quote, or get directions. Post idea 15: Share a real customer question with one sentence of context, one local phrase, and one action such as call, book, request quote, or get directions. Post idea 16: Share a real service photo with one sentence of context, one local phrase, and one action such as call, book, request quote, or get directions. Post idea 17: Share a real team note with one sentence of context, one local phrase, and one action such as call, book, request quote, or get directions. Post idea 18: Share a real limited appointment opening with one sentence of context, one local phrase, and one action such as call, book, request quote, or get directions. Post idea 19: Share a real seasonal reminder with one sentence of context, one local phrase, and one action such as call, book, request quote, or get directions. Post idea 20: Share a real customer question with one sentence of context, one local phrase, and one action such as call, book, request quote, or get directions.
The Q&A section can be answered by the public. That means you should seed and answer common questions yourself from the owner account. Do not wait for a random person named Gary to explain your parking situation with the confidence of a man holding a gas station hot dog.
Start with ten questions:
Do you accept walk-ins? Where should I park? Do you offer same-day appointments? Do you serve [nearby city/neighborhood]? What insurance or payment options do you accept? How much does [service] usually cost? How long does the appointment or job take? Do you offer emergency service? Can I book online? What should I do before my appointment?
Answer clearly. Mention policies, service areas, and next steps. Keep regulated claims careful. If pricing varies, say what affects price and how to get a quote.
Turn on messaging only if someone can reply quickly during business hours. A message ignored for two days is worse than no messaging. Set expectations with an auto-reply:
"Thanks for contacting [Business]. We usually reply during business hours within [time]. For urgent requests, call [phone]. To book, use [link]."
Connect booking if you can. Use tools like Calendly, Square Appointments, Boulevard, Jane, Zocdoc, OpenTable, Resy, Toast, ServiceTitan, Housecall Pro, Jobber, Mindbody, or your native scheduling system. The fewer steps between interest and appointment, the more money survives the journey.
Test the booking link on mobile. If it loads slowly, asks for too much, or makes people create an account before seeing availability, fix it. Customers are not applying for citizenship. They are trying to book a haircut.
GBP reviews influence ranking, but they also influence courage. A customer calling a new business is taking a tiny social risk. Reviews reduce that risk.
Build a review habit. Ask after a successful visit, completed job, resolved issue, or happy pickup. Put the link in texts, receipts, QR cards, email follow-ups, and staff scripts.
Review request script:
"Thank you for choosing [Business]. Reviews help local customers find us on Google. If we earned it, would you leave a quick review here: [link]? It helps if you mention the service you received in your own words."
QR card text:
"Happy with your visit? Scan to leave a Google review. Your words help a local customer choose with confidence."
Email version:
Subject: Quick favor from [Business]
"Hi [Name], thank you for trusting us with [service]. If the experience was worth five stars, would you share a Google review? Mentioning the service helps other local customers understand what we do. Here is the link: [link]. Thank you for supporting a local business."
Do not offer discounts for reviews. Do not ask only happy customers through a gated survey. Do not write fake reviews. That is broke behavior wearing a fake fur coat.
A review response is public sales copy with manners. Use it.
Positive review response:
"Thank you, [Name]. We are glad your [service] went smoothly and appreciate you choosing us in [city]. We will share your note with the team."
Service keyword response:
"Thank you for trusting us with your [service]. We are glad we could help quickly here in [city/neighborhood]."
Negative review response:
"We are sorry to hear this. We want to understand what happened and see what we can do. Please contact [manager] at [phone/email]. We cannot discuss private account details publicly, but we are reviewing this with the team."
Never reveal private details. Never insult the reviewer. Never write a five-paragraph courtroom drama. Future customers are reading the tone more than the facts.
Monday: check messages, Q&A, reviews, and suggested edits. Tuesday: upload new photos. Wednesday: publish one GBP post. Thursday: ask for reviews from recent customers. Friday: check calls, clicks, direction requests, and booking actions. Monthly: audit categories, services, competitors, photos, and citations. Quarterly: refresh descriptions, add new services, remove outdated offers, update holiday hours, and review performance.
Use a Google Sheet. Columns: date, photos added, post topic, reviews requested, new reviews, average rating, calls, website clicks, direction requests, bookings, notes. The sheet is not glamorous, but neither is missing payroll because nobody tracked the obvious.
GBP can suspend listings for guideline problems, suspicious edits, address issues, or verification concerns. Avoid risky behavior. Do not keyword-stuff the name. Do not use fake addresses. Do not create duplicate listings. Do not make wild category changes every day. Keep proof ready: business license, utility bill, signage photos, storefront photos, vehicle photos, professional license, tax documents if needed.
If suspended, read the reason, fix the issue, gather proof, and submit reinstatement through Google's support process. Be calm and precise. Do not create a new listing unless support tells you to. Duplicate chaos makes everything worse.
Each location needs its own profile, local phone if possible, unique location page, accurate hours, local photos, and location-specific reviews. Do not copy-paste the same description everywhere with only the city swapped. Mention actual neighborhoods, parking, staff, services, and local proof.
For franchises or small chains, create a shared standard and local flavor section. Standard: brand description, core services, compliance language. Local flavor: staff, photos, reviews, landmarks, offers, local partnerships.
Claimed and verified. Correct name. Correct address or service area. Correct phone. Correct website or booking link. Best primary category. Honest secondary categories. Complete services. Products or packages added if useful. Strong business description. Twenty real photos. Messaging configured or off. Booking tested. Q&A seeded. Review link created. Staff review script trained. First post published. Weekly routine assigned.
Give yourself one point for each item:
Profile verified. Primary category matches top competitors. Hours accurate. Holiday hours set. Website link works on mobile. Booking link works. Phone number answered during business hours. Services complete. Business description clear. Twenty or more photos. Photos added this month. Ten Q&A entries answered. Reviews requested this week. Every review has a response. At least one post this week. Products/packages used if relevant. No duplicate listings. No wrong citations on major platforms. Tracking sheet updated. Staff knows who owns the profile.
Score 17 to 20: polished and dangerous. Score 12 to 16: good bones, needs discipline. Score 8 to 11: leaking money. Score under 8: the listing is basically wearing pajamas to a sales meeting.
Google Business Profile is not a side quest. For local businesses, it is often the first sales page customers see. Treat it like a living storefront. Keep it accurate. Keep it visual. Keep it reviewed. Keep it active. Answer questions before people ask. Make booking easy. Show proof until choosing you feels boringly obvious.
The profile is free. Neglecting it is expensive. Very gauche. Fix it this week.