Most advice about Google Maps gets one thing wrong. It treats Google like a slot machine. Pull the right lever, stuff in the right keyword, and you jump to the top.
That’s not how it works. And some of the most popular “tricks” can get your profile suspended.
If you want to know how to rank higher on Google Maps, start with what Google itself says. Then work on the parts you can control. Here’s how I do it.
What Google Says It Looks At
Google says it ranks local results on three things:
- Relevance: how well your profile matches what someone searched
- Distance: how far you are from the person searching
- Prominence: how well known and trusted your business is
You can’t change distance. If someone searches from across town, a business down the street from them has an edge.
But two out of three are in your hands. That’s the work.
Relevance: Tell Google Exactly What You Do
Pick the right main category
Your primary category is the single most important choice on your profile. Pick the one that matches what you most want to be found for. Be specific. “Roofing contractor” beats “Contractor.”
Then add a few secondary categories, only ones that are true.
List your services in your customers’ words
Your profile has a services section. Use it. And use the words people actually type, not your industry’s words. A customer searches for “water heater repair,” not “residential hot water solutions.”
Write a real description
Say what you do, who you do it for and where. Plain English. No keyword lists.
Prominence: Earn Google’s Trust
Get reviews, the right way
Reviews matter a lot. But Google has rules about how you ask, and many businesses break them without knowing it.
You can ask every customer for an honest review. You can’t offer anything in return. You can’t only ask the happy ones. And you can’t tell people what to write. That last one includes asking customers to mention your city or your service. It’s common SEO advice, and it breaks Google’s rules.
The simplest safe system: send every customer a short, friendly text after the job, with a direct link to your review page.
Answer your reviews
Reply to the good ones and the bad ones. Short, kind and real. People read the replies, and an owner who answers looks like an owner who cares.
Make your details match everywhere
Your business name, address and phone number show up on dozens of websites: directories, maps apps, review sites. If they don’t match, Google gets less sure which version is right.
When I started working with LJ Hair Design, a salon in Niagara Falls, an old address and phone number were still listed across the web. (Full disclosure: it’s my wife Libby’s salon.) Cleaning those up was some of the most important work, and none of it happened on Google itself.
Keep the profile alive
Add new photos. Post updates. Keep your hours current, including holidays. A profile that’s clearly looked after beats one that was set up in 2017 and left alone.
The “Tricks” That Can Get You in Trouble
These spread fast because they sometimes work for a while. Then they don’t.
- Stuffing keywords into your business name. If your sign says “Smith Plumbing,” your profile name should say “Smith Plumbing.” Not “Smith Plumbing Best Emergency Plumber Buffalo.” Google’s guidelines say to use your real name.
- A fake address. A virtual office or a mailbox you don’t work from isn’t allowed.
- A second profile. Two profiles for one business compete with each other, and both get weaker.
- Showing a home address when customers never come there. If you go to your customers, Google’s rule is to hide your address and set a service area instead.
A Note From Someone Who Just Did This
I set up the Google Business Profile for this business myself in October 2026. Before I did, I gave this business its own phone number, because my other business already used my main number. Google wants a phone number that connects to that one business. Sharing one between two profiles is asking for trouble.
It’s a small thing. Most of local SEO is small things done right, and done consistently.
Where to Start If You Only Have an Hour
Not everyone has time to do all of this at once. If you only have one hour this week, do these in order:
- Check your main category. Make sure it’s the most specific one that fits.
- Fill in your services using your customers’ words.
- Fix your hours, including any holidays coming up.
- Save your review link and text it to your last five customers.
That’s a solid hour. Next week, tackle your details across the web.
How Long Does It Take?
Fixing your profile can help fairly quickly. Earning reviews and trust takes months. There’s no shortcut, and anybody selling one is selling risk.
If you’d like me to look at yours, I do Google Business Profile optimization as a one-time tune-up or as ongoing care. It also pairs well with local SEO for your website.
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