# Google Business Profile Checklist > Set up, verify, maintain, and measure your Google Business Profile with accurate information and safe ownership. Canonical: https://vassalmarketing.com/information/resources/google-business-profile-checklist/ **Maintained by Vassal Marketing** · Last updated on September 26, 2026 Reviewed at least quarterly and whenever a platform or rule it cites changes. General information, not legal or professional advice. Check rules that affect your business with a qualified professional. Print this or copy it into a spreadsheet. Each task says who usually does it and how often. Google shows different fields by business category and country, so skip anything that does not apply to you. ## Eligibility, ownership, and security Make sure your business qualifies for a profile and that the business, not one employee or vendor, controls it. - [ ] Read Google's eligibility rules for your type of business before creating or claiming a profile. — Owner · Once - [ ] Use your real business name, with no added cities, services, or taglines. — Owner · Once - [ ] Make a business-controlled Google account the primary owner. — Owner · Once - [ ] Give employees and vendors manager access, not ownership. — Owner · When something changes - [ ] Remove former staff and vendors as soon as they leave. — Owner · When something changes - [ ] Turn on 2-step verification for every account with access. — Owner · Once - [ ] Review the list of owners and managers. — Owner · Quarterly ## Complete accurate information Every field should help customers reach your real business and match your website. - [ ] Pick the most specific primary category for what your business is. — Either · Once - [ ] Add secondary categories only for services you actually offer. — Either · Once - [ ] Set your address, or hide it and list service areas if you travel to customers. — Owner · Once - [ ] Enter your main phone number and website link. — Either · Once - [ ] Enter your regular hours. — Owner · When something changes - [ ] Add the services, products, and attributes that apply. — Either · When something changes - [ ] Write a factual description with no promotions or links. — Either · Once - [ ] Upload real photos of your work, team, and location. — Owner · Quarterly - [ ] Tap the call, website, booking, and directions buttons on a phone to test them. — Either · Quarterly ## Reviews, updates, and problems Treat the profile as a customer service channel and avoid shortcuts that put it at risk. - [ ] Ask every customer for a review the same way, with no rewards or screening. — Owner · Weekly - [ ] Reply to new reviews without sharing private customer details. — Either · Weekly - [ ] Move serious complaints to a phone call or email. — Owner · When something changes - [ ] Delete expired offers and past events from your updates. — Either · Monthly - [ ] Check Google's suggested edits and accept or reject them. — Either · Monthly - [ ] Search for duplicate profiles of your business and report them. — Either · Quarterly - [ ] If the profile is suspended, save screenshots and use Google's official reinstatement form. — Either · When something changes ## Recurring maintenance A monthly and seasonal routine keeps the profile from drifting out of date. - [ ] Set special hours for holidays and closures. — Owner · Before holidays - [ ] Confirm your website and booking tool show the same holiday hours. — Either · Before holidays - [ ] Recheck categories and services. — Either · Quarterly - [ ] Recheck the phone, website, and booking links. — Either · Quarterly - [ ] Answer common customer questions in your description, services, or website FAQ. Google retired the profile Q&A feature in late 2025. — Either · Quarterly - [ ] Record calls, website clicks, and direction requests from the Performance view. — Either · Monthly - [ ] Compare profile calls with your own call log to see which became real jobs. — Owner · Monthly ## Questions business owners ask ### Can we add services to the business name? Only if they are part of the name you actually use on signs and paperwork. Adding keywords for rankings breaks Google's guidelines and can get the profile suspended. ### Can an agency own the profile? Your business should stay primary owner and give the agency manager access. Write down in the contract how access is handed back. ### How often should the profile be checked? At least monthly, and whenever hours, location, services, or links change. Check before holidays and after Google notifies you of an edit. ## Primary guidance - [Google Business Profile guidelines](https://support.google.com/business/answer/3038177) - [Google: Manage profile owners and managers](https://support.google.com/business/answer/3403100) - [Google: My Business Q&A API discontinuation notice](https://developers.google.com/my-business/content/qanda/change-log) ## Related guides - [Google Business Profile information collection](https://vassalmarketing.com/information/google-business-profile.md) - [Profile ownership and access](https://vassalmarketing.com/information/google-business-profile/ownership-and-access.md) - [Suspensions, reinstatement, and spam](https://vassalmarketing.com/information/google-business-profile/suspensions-reinstatement-and-spam.md) - [Service-area, practitioner, and multi-location profiles](https://vassalmarketing.com/information/google-business-profile/service-area-practitioner-and-multi-location-profiles.md) ## Related resources - [Local SEO Checklist](https://vassalmarketing.com/information/resources/local-seo-checklist.md): A practical checklist for your business facts, location pages, listings beyond Google, reviews, and a monthly local check. - [Review Request Templates](https://vassalmarketing.com/information/resources/review-request-templates.md): Sample email and text messages for asking every customer for an honest review, with wording to avoid. - [Monthly Owner Maintenance Checklist](https://vassalmarketing.com/information/resources/monthly-owner-maintenance-checklist.md): A 30-minute monthly routine across your website, Google profile, reviews, analytics, and ads. [Browse all information topics](https://vassalmarketing.com/information.md).