7-Point Google Business Profile Checklist

Most local businesses in Oklahoma City have a Google Business Profile. Far fewer have one that's actually optimized to compete. Here are the seven things we check first on every new client's profile — go check your own against each one.

1 Are your hours actually correct?

Sounds obvious, but it's the single most common issue we find — including on profiles that have existed for years. Wrong or default hours (a lot of profiles default to "open 24 hours" when nobody ever set them) erode trust with both customers and Google's ranking algorithm, which weighs profile accuracy.

☐ Open Google Maps, search your own business name, and check the hours shown match reality — today, not "usually."

2 Is your primary category the sharpest possible match?

"General contractor" and "Kitchen remodeler" are both technically accurate for a lot of businesses — but one is far more specific, and specific wins. Google rewards precision.

☐ Check your primary category — is it the most specific, accurate option available?

3 When did you last add photos?

Profiles with recent photo activity signal an active, real business. A profile with five photos from three years ago reads very differently to Google than one with fresh work photos added monthly.

☐ Add at least 3-5 real, recent photos of actual work — not stock images.

4 What's your review velocity, not just your rating?

A 5.0 rating with 8 reviews from two years ago loses to a 4.7 with 40 reviews trickling in weekly. Google reads consistent, recent review activity as a sign of a genuinely active business.

☐ Check the date of your most recent review. If it's been over a month, it's time for a review push.

5 Are you using Google Posts?

The most underused free feature on the platform. Posts (offers, updates, project photos) are a direct, free signal of activity — and most competitors aren't using them, which makes it an easy edge.

☐ Post something — even a recent job photo with a caption — at least twice a month.

6 Do you respond to every review?

Every review, positive or negative, deserves a response. It's a trust signal to future customers reading your profile, and Google notices engagement on the listing.

☐ Check for any unanswered reviews — respond to all of them, even old ones.

7 Is your NAP (name, address, phone) identical everywhere?

If your business is listed slightly differently on your website, Facebook, Yelp, and your GBP — different phone format, abbreviated vs. full address — that inconsistency actively confuses the local ranking signals Google uses to verify you're a real, established business.

☐ Compare your listed name/address/phone across GBP, your website footer, and your top 2-3 directory listings — make them identical.

Want us to check all seven for you?

Free 90-second visibility audit — see exactly what's holding your profile back.

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