The Google Business Profile Checklist for Indy Businesses

If you only have time for one local SEO task, make it your Google Business Profile. It’s free, it’s what shows up in Google Maps and the map pack, and for many service businesses it generates more calls than the website itself.

Here’s the checklist I run through for every client.

The basics (do these first)

• Claim and verify your profile. Search your business name on Google. If you see “Own this business?”, claim it.
• Use your real business name. Don’t stuff keywords in (“Smith Plumbing - Best Plumber Indianapolis”). It violates Google’s guidelines and can get your profile suspended.
• Set the right primary category. This is one of the strongest ranking factors. Be specific: “Plumber,” not “Contractor.”
• Add secondary categories. Include every relevant category, but only ones that genuinely apply.
• Phone number. Use your main local number, the same one on your website.
• Website link. Link to your homepage, or a city-specific page if you have multiple locations.
• Hours. Accurate hours, plus special hours for holidays.

Service area businesses

If you go to customers instead of them coming to you (contractors, cleaners, mobile services), you can hide your address and set a service area instead.

• Hide your home address if you work from home
• Add the specific cities you serve: Indianapolis, Carmel, Fishers, Greenwood, and so on
• Keep the service area realistic. Listing all of Indiana doesn’t help you rank.

Services and products

• Add every service you offer, with a short description for each
• Add prices where it makes sense, even “starting at” pricing
• Use the products section to showcase featured services with photos

Business description

You get 750 characters. Use them to explain what you do, who you serve, and where. Mention your main service and the area naturally. Write for humans first. No links or promotions are allowed here.

Photos

Photos matter more than most people think. Profiles with real, recent photos tend to get more engagement.

• Logo and cover photo
• Photos of completed work (before/after is great)
• Team photos
• Vehicles with branding
• Your storefront or office, if customers visit
• Add new photos monthly. Fresh activity signals an active business.

Skip stock photos. Customers can tell, and so can Google.

Reviews

• Get your review link (from your GBP dashboard, click “Ask for reviews”)
• Send it to every happy customer, by text right after the job works best
• Reply to every review, good and bad, within a few days
• Never buy reviews or offer incentives. It’s against Google’s policies.

More tactics in how to get more Google reviews.

Ongoing activity

• Post updates weekly or biweekly: projects, offers, tips, seasonal reminders
• Answer questions in the Q&A section (you can seed common ones yourself)
• Check for edits. Anyone can suggest changes to your profile, and Google sometimes accepts them automatically. Check monthly.

Track your results

Your GBP dashboard shows calls, website clicks, direction requests, and the searches people used to find you. Look at this monthly. Pair it with call tracking to see the full picture.

Common mistakes I see in Indy

1. Wrong primary category. It’s the most common issue and the biggest missed opportunity.
2. Inconsistent phone numbers between the profile, website, and directories.
3. No photos in years.
4. Unanswered reviews, especially negative ones.
5. Duplicate listings from an old address or a previous owner.

Want it done for you?

Google Business Profile optimization is included in every Growth and Dominate plan at Crossroad Leads, and the Starter plan includes full setup. Get a free audit and I’ll review your profile and tell you exactly what to fix.

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