SEO LocalCategory Signals (Highest Impact)
Primary category is the most consequential single GBP setting. Google uses primary category to determine which search queries your listing is eligible to appear for. A roofing company listed under "General Contractor" rather than "Roofing Contractor" is not eligible to rank when someone searches "roofing company near me," regardless of review count, photos, or posting frequency.
The rule: choose the most specific category that accurately describes the business's primary service. If the business does roofing, the primary category is "Roofing Contractor", not "Home Improvement" or "Construction Company."
Secondary categories extend eligibility to related service queries. A roofing contractor that also does gutters and siding should add those relevant secondary categories. Limit secondary categories to services the business actually provides. Irrelevant secondary categories can dilute relevance signals.
Primary category: most specific accurate descriptor for the primary service
Secondary categories: added for all services the business legitimately provides
Primary category reviewed quarterly, Google adds new categories regularly
No categories added for services the business does not offer
Business Description (750 Characters Maximum)
The business description is indexed content. Write it to include the primary service keyword, the service area, and the clearest articulation of what the business does and for whom. Avoid generic phrases. "We are a family-owned roofing company committed to quality" adds no keyword signal and no entity clarity. "Professional roofing installation, replacement, and repair serving the Dallas metro area, specializing in residential asphalt shingle, metal roofing, and flat roofing systems" does.
Business description written (750-character limit)
Primary service keyword appears naturally in the first sentence
Service area explicitly named
Specific services listed (not generic descriptions)
No promotional language, URLs, or phone numbers (against GBP guidelines)
Service Listings
Every service the business provides should have a GBP service entry with a name and description. Service listing names should match how customers search for those services, not internal company naming conventions. "Roof Replacement" outperforms "Full System Installation." Service descriptions add secondary keyword density.
Every primary service has a GBP service entry
Service names use customer search language, not internal naming
Service descriptions written for each listing (250-300 characters each)
Seasonal or specialty services added as appropriate
Services reviewed quarterly for accuracy
Photos and Visual Signals
Photo count is a confirmed GBP engagement signal. Listings with 50+ photos generate more views and clicks than sparse photo profiles. Photo recency matters, weekly additions signal an actively maintained business. Photo categories: exterior (business location or vehicle fleet for SABs), interior (for brick-and-mortar), team (faces build trust), work in progress, and completed work.
Minimum 50 photos uploaded at launch
Weekly photo additions scheduled (at least 1-2 per week)
Exterior photos: building facade or branded vehicles for SABs
Team photos: real faces, not stock images
Before/after work photos where applicable
No watermarks, no stock photography
All photos geotagged where possible
Post Frequency
GBP posts maintain an activity signal that Google interprets as an engaged, operating business. Two posts per week is the minimum effective cadence. Post types available: What's New, Offer, Event, and Product. Each has different display characteristics in the GBP panel. Offers and Events display with a call-to-action button that What's New posts do not.
Minimum 2 posts per week scheduled
Post types varied across What's New, Offer, and Event
Posts include a primary keyword naturally
Each post includes a call-to-action link (to a relevant service page or contact page)
Posts never duplicated word-for-word
Q&A (Updated: AI Replacing Manual Q&A Display, March 2026)
GBP Q&A is indexed by Google and has been used as a relevance signal and in AI Overview generation. Note: As of Q1 2026, Google is replacing the manual Q&A display in Maps with AI-generated answers pulled from GBP content, reviews, and the website. The Q&A content itself remains indexed and is used as a training source for these AI-generated answers, so seeding Q&A with accurate, keyword-rich questions and answers remains a recommended practice, even as the display format changes.
20-30 Q&A pairs seeded at launch
Questions written as customers would naturally ask them
Answers include primary service keyword and service area naturally
Questions cover common buyer hesitations (cost, timeline, qualifications, guarantees)
Existing Q&A monitored for inaccurate community answers
Review Velocity and Response Protocol
Review count and rating are confirmed top-3 local ranking factors (Source: Whitespark Local Search Ranking Factors, 2023). The businesses in the top Map Pack positions in competitive markets typically have 100-500+ reviews with a 4.7+ star average. Getting there requires a systematic review generation program, not a one-time ask.
Review response protocol: every review, positive or negative, should receive a response within 48 hours. Positive responses should include a relevant service keyword and a location reference. Research shows businesses that respond to negative reviews see 33% higher contact rates than those that do not (Source: BrightLocal Consumer Review Survey, 2024). We have seen this pattern confirmed across our client base — professional negative review responses actually become trust signals.