When someone in Tupelo searches "plumber near me" or "best coffee in Tupelo," the first thing they usually see isn't a website. It's the map, with three businesses listed underneath. Those listings come from Google Business Profile, and for most local businesses it's the most valuable free marketing tool there is. Here's a checklist to make sure yours is working for you.
1. Claim and verify your profile
Search for your business name on Google. If you see your listing with a link that says something like "Own this business?", it hasn't been claimed yet. Claim it, then complete Google's verification step. Until it's verified, you can't fully control what it says.
2. Get your name, address and phone number exactly right
Use your real business name, with no extra keywords stuffed in. Make sure your address (or service area) and phone number match your website, Facebook page and any directories exactly. Google trusts businesses whose details are consistent everywhere.
If you work at customers' locations and don't have a storefront, set a service area (Tupelo, Saltillo, Lee County, and so on) instead of showing your home address.
3. Choose the right categories
Your primary category is one of the biggest factors in which searches you show up for. Pick the most specific one that describes your main business ("Roofing contractor," not just "Contractor"). Then add a few secondary categories for the other things you do.
4. Write a real description
You get up to 750 characters. Use them. Say what you do, who you do it for, and where, in plain language: "Family-owned HVAC company serving Tupelo, Saltillo and Lee County since 2009. We repair and install heating and air systems for homes and small businesses." Skip the hype and the keyword lists.
5. Fill in services, hours and attributes
Services: list each service you offer, with a short description. These help you show up for more specific searches.
Hours: keep them accurate, and add special hours for holidays. Nothing loses a customer faster than showing up to a locked door.
Attributes: check off everything that applies, like online appointments, wheelchair accessible, or veteran-owned.
6. Add real photos, and keep adding them
Profiles with good photos get more clicks and calls. Add your logo, a cover photo, and real pictures of your team, your work, your storefront and your vehicles. Skip the stock photos. Then add a few new photos every month so the profile looks active.
(Full disclosure: I'm a photographer, so I'm biased. But I've seen the difference real photos make.)
7. Ask for reviews, and answer every one
Reviews are one of the strongest signals on your profile, both to Google and to customers. Make asking a habit:
Get your review link from your profile and save it on your phone.
Text it to happy customers right after the job, while they're still happy.
Reply to every review, good or bad. A calm, helpful reply to a bad review often impresses future customers more than the five-star ones.
This is also one of the easiest things to automate. A text that goes out automatically after every finished job gets far more reviews than remembering to ask.
8. Post updates
You can publish short posts on your profile: a seasonal special, a new service, a finished project, an event. Posting even twice a month shows Google and customers that you're open and active.
9. Link it to a website that converts
Your profile gets people to look. Your website is where they decide. Make sure the link goes to a fast, mobile-friendly site that says clearly what you do, where you work, and how to contact you, with your phone number one tap away. If you're not sure what a good site costs, here's my straight answer on website pricing in Tupelo.
10. Check it once a month
Anyone can suggest edits to your listing, and Google sometimes accepts them. Log in once a month, check that everything is still right, answer any messages, and look at the performance numbers: how many calls, website clicks and direction requests you're getting.
Need a hand?
I help small businesses in Tupelo and North Mississippi with the whole picture: Google Business Profile setup, photos, websites and local SEO. Book a free call, call (662) 205-8582, or see my work on the websites page.