Filling out your Google Business Profile completely, one field at a time

Your Google Business Profile is up, your hours are right, you've added a few photos. Done? Not quite. Open the edit screen of your profile and you'll find a dozen fields, and chances are half of them are still empty.

Every empty field is a question a customer has that nobody answers. Do they deliver? Is there wheelchair access? How long have they been around? This guide walks through the fields one by one, in roughly the order Google shows them.

Our article on 7 Google Business Profile mistakes already covers hours, your primary category, photos and duplicates. This one tackles everything else. The full list of fields is in Google's help center.

1. Your name: what's on your sign, nothing more

The name on your profile should match your storefront sign, your stationery and your receipts. Not "Martin's Bakery, Best Bread in Austin, Delivery". Adding keywords to your name breaks Google's rules and can get your profile suspended.

2. Additional categories

On top of your primary category, Google lets you add up to nine more. An auto shop that also sells tires, a café that's also a bakery, a florist who does wedding decor: each of those activities is another way to be found.

Only add what you really do, and do regularly. One category too many puts you in front of customers you're going to disappoint.

3. Address or service area?

If customers come to you, enter your address and check that the pin on the map is actually on your door, not in the middle of the parking lot.

If you go to your customers (plumbers, landscapers, movers, cleaners), Google asks you to hide your address and list your service area instead: the cities or ZIP and postal codes where you work. If you do both (a shop plus in-home installs), you can keep your address and add a service area.

4. More hours

Your opening hours say when the door is open. But if your delivery, takeout, drive-through or appointment hours are different, Google lets you list them separately as more hours.

Example: a restaurant open until 10 p.m. that stops delivering at 9. Without that field, the customer who orders at 9:15 is going to be disappointed, and may say so in a review.

5. Phone numbers

You can list a primary number plus two more (no fax numbers). Google's guidelines ask for a number that reaches your business directly rather than a central call center, whenever possible.

A good habit: tap the call button on your own profile, from your phone, like a customer would. Who picks up? Is the greeting up to date?

6. Website: the right link

The "Website" field should lead to a page that truly represents your business. If you have several locations, each profile should point to that location's page, not just your general home page.

Avoid links that redirect somewhere else or land on a promo page: Google advises against it in its guidelines.

7. Social media links

In some regions, Google lets you add one link per network (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and a few others). Only add the ones you keep up to date. An Instagram account whose last post is three years old does more harm than good.

8. The description: 750 characters to introduce yourself

This is the field most often left blank, and it's the only place on your profile where you speak in your own words. The rules:

• 750 characters max.
• No links of any kind.
• No promotions, prices or sales: the description introduces your business, it doesn't advertise it.

A good description answers three questions: what you do, who it's for, and what sets you apart. For example: "Bike repair shop since 2009. Tune-ups, e-bike repairs and day rentals. We fix every brand, and we'll tell you honestly when a repair isn't worth it."

9. Attributes

Attributes are small factual labels: wheelchair-accessible entrance, outdoor seating, free Wi-Fi, restrooms, contactless payments, women-owned, and so on. The list depends on your category and your region.

They matter more than you'd think: a wheelchair user, a parent with a stroller or someone who only pays by card is looking for exactly that information. Check everything that's true, and only what's true.

10. Opening date

The month and year your business opened. It takes ten seconds, and "Open since 1987" reassures people just as much as "New" draws them in.

11. Services, menu and products

Depending on your category and region, Google offers a services editor (with a short description for each one) or a menu editor (for restaurants). A clearly named service ("Tire change", "Men's haircut", "Carpet cleaning") helps customers understand what you do without leaving your profile.

The Products section is more limited: it's only available to some retailers, in some regions. If you have it, a few best-sellers with a photo are enough.

Every empty field on your profile is a customer question nobody answers.

One evening, then a check-in each season

Filling in every field takes one evening. After that, go over your profile each time the season changes: a new service, a patio that opens for summer, a service area that grows. A complete, up-to-date profile costs you nothing, and it's often the first thing a customer sees.

Your turn

Open your profile tonight: how many fields are still empty? Start with the description. Those are your 750 characters, and nobody else can write them for you.