Fix your Google profile before your website

By Levi Brown · October 25, 2026 · 5 min read

Before anyone sees your website, they usually see your Google listing: the map, the stars, the phone number. For a lot of local businesses that listing is the website. The good news is that it's free to fix and you can do it in an afternoon.

The checklist

• Claim it. Search your business name while signed in and look for "Own this business?" Only the verified owner can change the details.
• Get the basics exactly right. Name, address, phone number and website should match everywhere they appear. Small differences confuse people and search engines.
• Keep hours current, holidays included. Few things annoy a customer more than driving to a closed shop.
• Choose the right main category. "Auto repair shop" and "Tire shop" bring different customers. Pick the one that matches most of your work, then add the others.
• Add real photos. The shop, the team, the finished work. Your own pictures beat stock every time.
• Ask for reviews, then answer them. A direct link or a QR code at the counter makes it easy. A short, friendly reply to every review shows you're paying attention.
• List your services. If you do brakes, say brakes. People search for exactly what they need.
• Link your website. Even a simple one-page site gives people somewhere to see more.

Then the website

Once your listing is solid, a website can build on it: it can show your best reviews, your work and your hours in your own words, and it gives you a place that you own and control. But if the listing is wrong, a beautiful site won't fix it.

If you'd like a hand with either, that's what I do.