When someone in Baton Rouge or New Orleans searches "coffee near me," "office furniture Baton Rouge" or "best brunch in Metairie," the first thing they usually see isn't a website. It's a map and a short list of Google Business Profiles. For a lot of local businesses, that profile is the real front door, and it often gets less attention than the website, the menu or the Instagram feed.
The good news is that a Google Business Profile is free, and most of what makes it work is simple upkeep. Here's the checklist we use at DarkHorse when we review a local business's profile, plus a few lessons we've learned managing profiles for our own agency and our clients.
How Google decides which local businesses to show
Google is open about the basics. According to its own Business Profile help page on local ranking, local results are mainly based on three things:
- Relevance: how well your profile matches what someone searched for.
- Distance: how far your business is from the person searching.
- Prominence: how well known your business is, including signals like how many websites link to you and how many reviews you have.
Google also says there's no way to request or pay for a better local ranking. You can't change your distance from a searcher, so the work is in relevance and prominence. That's where the checklist comes in.
The Google Business Profile checklist
1. Verify the profile and confirm who owns it
Google says verification tells it you're authorized to represent the business, which makes it more likely to show up in search. Before anything else, make sure the profile is verified and that the right people have access. We regularly see businesses where a former employee or an old agency still holds the only login. Fix that first, and give at least two people on your team owner or manager access.
2. Get the basics complete and accurate
Google notes that businesses with complete and accurate information are more likely to show up in local results. Check each of these:
- Business name, written exactly as it appears on your sign and website
- Full address (or a service area if customers don't visit you)
- Regular hours, plus special hours for holidays, Mardi Gras, game days and storms
- Website link and a working phone number
- Attributes such as parking, outdoor seating, wheelchair access or Wi-Fi
Hours are the one that bites restaurants most. If someone drives across town during a posted open window and finds a locked door, you've lost more than one visit.
3. Choose the right categories
Your primary category tells Google what kind of business you are, and it matters a lot for relevance. Google's guidelines for representing your business say to use as few categories as possible and to pick ones that are as specific as possible, such as "Seafood restaurant" instead of just "Restaurant." A good test from the same page: a category should finish the sentence "This business is a...", not "This business has a..." Services and amenities go elsewhere on the profile.
4. List every service and product you offer
This is the step most businesses skip, and it's a missed opportunity. Many customers only know you for one thing.
We saw this clearly with GBP Direct, a Louisiana workplace solutions company with more than 25 years in business. Many customers knew the company for one service but didn't realize it also offered furniture, furniture design, printing, promotional products, ink and toner, and copy paper. Our work there focused on making the full range of services visible across channels.
Your Business Profile is one of the easiest places to do the same thing. Add each service or menu item with a short, plain description. When we added AI and workflow automation, process automation and e-commerce optimization to the DarkHorse profile, it took a few minutes, and now the profile reflects what we actually do.
5. Add real photos, and keep adding them
Google recommends photos and videos to show customers what you offer. Use real images of your storefront, your team, your space and your best-selling products or dishes. Stock photos don't help anyone decide to visit. A good habit is adding a few new photos each month, especially when the menu, the decor or the season changes.
6. Ask for reviews and reply to all of them
Reviews feed prominence, and Google says that more reviews and positive ratings can help your local ranking. It also notes that replying shows customers you value their feedback.
Make asking easy. Your profile has a short review link you can share. Put it on receipts, table tents, follow-up emails and thank-you texts. Then reply to every review, good or bad, in a calm, human voice. A thoughtful reply to a tough review often does more for the next customer than the review itself.
7. Post updates on a regular schedule
Profile posts let you share news, events, offers and recent work right in search and Maps. They're a low-effort way to show the profile is active. We post to the DarkHorse profile a few times a week, rotating through different client stories so it shows the range of our work.
One practical lesson from doing this: in our experience, Google has rejected posts that put a phone number in the text. Leave the number out of the post body and use a call or "Learn more" button instead.
Common mistakes we see
- Duplicate listings from an old address or a previous owner. Google's guidelines call for one profile per business, and duplicates can cause problems with how your information shows on Maps and Search.
- Stuffing extra words into the business name, like adding "Best Pizza Baton Rouge" to the name field. Google says unnecessary information in the name isn't permitted and could result in a suspended profile.
- Forgetting special hours around holidays, festivals and severe weather.
- Ignoring the Q&A and messages where customers are asking questions in public.
- A profile that doesn't match the website. Name, address, hours and services should line up everywhere.
Make the rest of your presence match
A strong profile works best when your website and social channels back it up. Name, address, hours and services should match everywhere, and your website should make it easy to call, book or order.
FAQ
Does a Google Business Profile cost anything?
No. Creating and managing a Business Profile is free. Google also says you can't pay for a better local ranking.
How often should I update my profile?
Check hours and basic details whenever anything changes, and at least before each holiday season. Adding new photos and posting updates regularly, such as weekly, keeps the profile current.
Should I reply to negative reviews?
Yes. Keep it short, polite and specific, and offer to continue the conversation offline. Future customers read how you respond, not just what the reviewer said.
Can a service-area business without a storefront have a profile?
Yes. Google's guidelines say a business that travels to customers can have one service-area profile and should hide its address from customers.
Want a second set of eyes on your profile?
Most local businesses in Baton Rouge, New Orleans and Metairie are one or two fixes away from a profile that works much harder for them. If you'd like us to look at yours alongside your website and social channels, apply for a Strategic Audit. You can also learn how DarkHorse works before you reach out.