Google Business Profile optimization that follows the rules
Your Google Business Profile, the listing formerly called Google My Business, decides whether you show in the map pack. We set it up to win calls without breaking the rules that get profiles suspended.
Is this where you are?
Most people come to us with one of these four.
You're not in the map pack
Competitors show in the top three. You show further down, or not at all.
Suspended, or stuck in verification
The profile vanished, or Google keeps asking you to verify again.
You work from home or a van
You're not sure whether to show your address, or which towns to list.
A competitor stuffed keywords in their name
It's against the rules, and it's probably working for them right now.
How Google picks the map pack
Google says local results come down to three things: relevance, distance, and how well-known the business is. That's from Google's own help page.
Relevance is whether your profile matches the search. That's categories and services. Distance is how far you are from the person searching. Nobody can change that.
How well-known you are comes from reviews and links to your business. Google also says a complete, accurate profile is more likely to show.
And one line most agencies skip: Google says there's no way to pay for a better local ranking. Our guide on getting into the local three works through each of the three factors.
What we won't do to your profile
These are the shortcuts that get profiles suspended. All four break Google's own rules.
Put keywords in your business name
Your name must match your sign and your website. Google's own example of a banned name is "Verizon Wireless Store Chicago".
Pad your categories
Google says to use as few as possible. A category says what you are, not what you sell.
Buy, gate or reward reviews
You can ask every customer. You can't only ask the happy ones, or offer anything in return.
Claim towns you don't serve
Service areas should be within a realistic drive of where you're based.
Verification and suspension
The part of Google Business Profile nobody explains until it goes wrong.
Some edits send your profile back for review
Changing your name, address or main category can make Google check the profile again. A move means verifying again.
Video verification is now the usual way. It's an unedited clip of at least 30 seconds. A service business films its branded van, its tools and proof it runs the business.
If you're suspended, don't create a new profile. Appeal with your license, registration or a utility bill.
We guide you through verification and suspension appeals. We can't promise Google will reinstate a profile.
Working from home or a van? Google says to hide your address and list service areas instead. You can add up to 20, within about two hours of driving from your base.
That limits how far one profile can reach. A Cheyenne plumber can't honestly claim Jackson.
What we optimize
Six parts of your profile we work on, starting with the one that matters most.
Categories
The right main category matters more than anything else you set.
Services and description
This is where your keywords belong, written for customers.
Service areas and address
Set up so Google accepts it, and so you show where you actually work.
Photos
Real photos of your work, team and vans. Not stock images.
Posts
Offers, news and seasonal work. Written to turn views into calls.
Review replies
Every review answered, including the bad ones.
Reviews: what's allowed
Asking is fine. Filtering and rewards are not.
You can ask every customer for a review, with your Google link or a QR code.
You can't only ask happy customers, offer a discount for reviews, or have staff review you. Google bans all three.
Reviews are one of the few things Google says helps local ranking. Getting them honestly is slower, but they don't disappear.
Posts, photos and the GMB score
Google doesn't say posts improve ranking. Posts are reviewed, can be rejected, and are archived after 6 months.
We still post, because posts help turn a view into a call. We just don't sell them as a ranking trick.
There's no official GMB score. Tools that sell one use their own checklist. Google's own profile strength meter measures how complete you are, and Google doesn't tie it to ranking.
What you can do yourself
A lot of this is free, and you should do it either way.
Do these yourself, free
- Keep your hours right, including holidays
- Reply to every review
- Send customers your Google review link or QR code
- Add real photos after jobs
Where we help
- Choosing categories and services
- Edits in an order that avoids re-verification
- Suspensions and appeals
- Making your listings match everywhere, through citation cleanup
How we optimize your profile
Four stages. Each one gives you something you can see.
Check you and your competitors
Your profile next to the three businesses beating you. What they use that you don't.
You get A list of fixes in priority order.
Fix in the safe order
Some edits trigger re-verification. We change things in an order that keeps your profile live.
You get An updated profile, still verified.
Keep it active
Posts, photos and review replies every month.
You get A profile that looks open and trusted.
Report what it did
Calls, direction requests and website clicks from the profile.
You get A short report you can read.
Who it's for, and who should wait
Worth doing now
- You serve local customers and want more calls from Google Maps
- Your profile is thin, old or set up wrong
- You'd rather follow the rules than risk a suspension
Not a fit
- You don't serve a local area. A profile won't help an online-only business
- You want a keyword-stuffed name. We won't do it
Google Business Profiles across Wyoming
Wyoming service areas are big. Your profile has to match where you really drive.
CasperNatrona County
On the North Platte River below Casper Mountain. Our business address is here.
A Casper profile can serve Mills, Evansville and Bar Nunn within the rules.
CheyenneLaramie County
The state capital, where I-25 meets I-80. Home of Cheyenne Frontier Days.
Capital-city profiles compete hard. Categories and reviews decide it.
LaramieAlbany County
Home of the University of Wyoming, on I-80.
Student-town demand swings with the semester. Posts should follow it.
GilletteCampbell County
The Powder River Basin's energy town, on I-90.
Contractors serving the Powder River Basin need honest service areas.
SheridanSheridan County
At the foot of the Bighorn Mountains, on I-90.
A Sheridan profile often covers Buffalo and the Bighorn foothills.
Jackson HoleTeton County
Gateway to Grand Teton and Yellowstone. Busy in summer and ski season.
Visitors search from phones. Hours, photos and seasonal posts matter most.
Also across Wyoming Green River, Evanston, Riverton, Rawlins, Cody, Douglas, Torrington, Buffalo, Worland, Newcastle. And local businesses anywhere in the USA.
Google Business Profile management pricing
A one-time setup, or monthly management in every plan.
Profile setup
A Google Business Profile done properly, once
$149 one time
- Categories, services and description fixed
- Service areas set within Google's rules
- Photos and business details checked
- Your first posts written and published
Essential
One location, holding its ground
$199 a month
- Profile set up and managed
- 4 posts a month
- Replies only
- 5 citations a month
Growth
One location that wants more calls
$499 a month
- Map pack strategy for your whole area
- 8 posts a month
- Replies, plus SMS and email review campaigns
- Competitor report
- Everything in Essential
One-off optimization without a plan is quoted. It depends on the state of the profile and how many locations you have. Profile work is part of every local SEO package.
Google Business Profile questions
Didn't find yours? Ask us directly.
Is GMB the same as Google Business Profile?
Yes. Google My Business was the old name. Google renamed it Google Business Profile, but most people still say GMB.
Do you only do Wyoming GMB work?
No. We're based in Casper and do plenty of Wyoming GMB work, but most clients are elsewhere in the USA. The rules are the same everywhere.
Do I need to show my address?
Only if customers come to you. If you work at their place, Google says to hide the address and list service areas instead.
My profile is suspended. Can you help?
Yes, we guide you through it. First we find why it happened, then appeal with the right documents. We can't promise Google will reinstate it.
How long does it take to get into the map pack?
We don't give a date. It depends on your category, how far you are from searchers, and how many reviews your competitors have.
Will reviews alone get me into the top three?
No. Reviews help, but the right category, real services and distance matter just as much.
Do posts help my ranking?
Google doesn't say they do. They help people who find you decide to call. That's why we still write them.
What is a GMB score?
A number some tools invent. There's no official one. Google's profile strength meter shows how complete your profile is, not how well it ranks.
Can I put my city in my business name?
Only if it's on your sign and your paperwork. Adding it just for search breaks Google's rules and can get the profile suspended.