Google My Business for contractors

Claiming and setting up your profile

Before you can manage a profile, you have to own it. Sometimes Google already has a listing for your business, created from public information. Sometimes a former employee, an old web company, or a prior marketing agency set one up and still holds the access.

We start by finding every profile tied to your business, name, and phone number. Then we claim the right one, fill in the details, and request ownership of any old ones that should be merged or removed. Setup includes your name, categories, hours, service areas, and phone number, entered to match your website.

Verification: what to expect

Verification is how Google confirms your business is real. Depending on your business and your profile, Google may offer a phone call, a text, an email, a postcard, or a video verification. The options vary, and you do not get to pick.

Video verification is the one that trips people up. It usually asks you to show your business signage, your tools or vehicles, and proof that you operate from your location. Service-area contractors without a storefront often find this the hardest to get right on their own. If you work from a home office or a shop that is not open to the public, the process can look different, and the details matter.

We walk you through what to record and what to avoid, because a failed attempt can slow things down.

Unverified or suspended profiles

A suspended profile is one of the more stressful problems a contractor can have. Your listing vanishes or loses its edits, and the calls from the map stop.

Common causes include a business name stuffed with keywords, an address Google reads as a virtual office or shared space, a service-area business showing an address it should hide, or changes made too fast. Sometimes a competitor reports the profile. Sometimes the reason is unclear.

Restoring and verifying profiles is work we do for clients. We review the history, find what likely triggered the problem, correct it, and file the appeal with the right evidence. We cannot promise an outcome, because Google makes the final call, and results depend on the case. That is why we review your situation first before you pay for anything beyond that.

Gather these items before we talk, if you can: proof that the business is registered, photos of your signage, vehicles, and equipment, any notices or emails Google sent, and the names of everyone who has ever had access to the profile. The more complete the picture, the faster we can see what went wrong.

After you are back: keeping it healthy

Getting a profile restored is not the finish. Habits that get profiles suspended tend to come back. So once it is live, we keep it steady with a regular schedule of posts, photos, and review replies, and we avoid risky edits.

If you plan to change your business name, address, or phone number, tell us before you do it. Many suspensions follow an edit that seemed small. For the full ongoing work, see our Google Business Profile optimization page.

Keep a record of changes. A simple log with the date, what changed, and who changed it makes it much easier to find the cause if something goes wrong later. We also suggest limiting access to the profile to people who know the rules.

Reviews also help a restored profile settle. A steady flow of real reviews tells Google the business is active. Our reputation management service is built for that.

Pricing and fit

Google Business Profile management is $249 per month with a $199 setup. It covers the claiming and verification work, optimization of categories and service areas, a weekly post and three photos or videos, replies to every review within 24 hours, and citations.

Our profile and review work is for home service contractors doing $300K or more a year. We take one contractor per trade per market, so we check that your market is open first. See the pricing page for the rest of our services.

Mistakes that cause trouble

A few habits tend to cause the most pain.

• Creating a second profile when the first one is stuck.
• Adding a fake storefront or a mailbox address to look more local.
• Editing several details in one day.
• Letting an old agency keep ownership of the profile.
• Giving up on verification after one failed try.
• Ignoring a suspension notice because the profile still seems to work.