Every Business Profile we take over gets audited using this exact checklist. We've identified over 20 specific issues that silently kill rankings—most businesses have at least 5 of them. How many does your profile have?
Part 1: Profile Completeness
- [ ] Business name matches legal business name (no keywords added)
- [ ] Primary category is the most relevant option
- [ ] Secondary categories are added (up to 9)
- [ ] Business hours are accurate and include special hours if applicable
- [ ] Service areas are set correctly (for service area businesses)
- [ ] Business description is complete (uses most of 750 characters)
- [ ] Opening date is set (builds trust)
- [ ] Attributes are fully selected (women-owned, veteran-owned, etc.)
Part 2: Visual Content
- [ ] Profile photo (logo) is high-quality and properly cropped
- [ ] Cover photo is professional and represents the business well
- [ ] At least 10 photos are uploaded
- [ ] Photos include: exterior, interior, team, products/services, at work
- [ ] Most recent photo was uploaded within the last 30 days
- [ ] At least 1 video is uploaded
Part 3: Reviews and Engagement
- [ ] Overall rating is 4.0+ stars
- [ ] At least 10 reviews total
- [ ] Most recent review is within the last 30 days
- [ ] 100% of reviews have responses
- [ ] Most recent review response is within the last 7 days
- [ ] Response tone is professional and appreciative (even for negative reviews)
Part 4: Content Freshness
- [ ] At least 1 Google Post is currently active (less than 6 months old)
- [ ] Most recent post was published within the last 7 days
- [ ] Q&A section has at least 5 question/answer pairs
- [ ] Q&A responses are within the last 90 days
Part 5: Technical Issues
- [ ] Phone number matches website exactly
- [ ] Website URL is correct and works
- [ ] Address matches website and other online directories
- [ ] No duplicate listings exist for your business
- [ ] Profile is not suspended or under review
Part 6: Competitive Analysis
- [ ] Checked top 3 competitors' reviews total and rating
- [ ] Checked top 3 competitors' photo count and recency
- [ ] Checked top 3 competitors' post frequency
- [ ] Identified at least 3 competitive advantages to highlight
Scoring Your Profile
Count your checked items:
- 40+ checks: Excellent shape, minor tweaks needed
- 30-39 checks: Good foundation, room for improvement
- 20-29 checks: Needs significant optimization
- Below 20: Critical issues limiting visibility
What to Do Next
Start with the unchecked items in Part 1 (Profile Completeness)—these have the biggest impact on rankings. Work through each section systematically, checking off items as you go.
Want a professional audit? GMB Guardian offers comprehensive GBP audits with prioritized action items. We identify the specific issues holding your profile back and create a roadmap to fix them.
