Peace Family,
Here’s the Rundown: the free card Google keeps for your business decides who finds you when a neighbor searches. Five free moves this week cover the basics. The ongoing part is where the week usually runs out, and where we can carry it for you.
The card: why it decides who gets found
When people search for something nearby, about 3 in 4 of them visit a business within a day, and about 1 in 4 buy something [1]. That’s who your card is talking to.
The card does the choosing quietly. Google ranks nearby businesses on three plain things: how well your card matches what was typed, how close you are, and how much it trusts you [2]. That trust is built mostly from reviews, and from your business information matching everywhere it appears online [2]. There’s no way to pay for a better spot [2]. You fill things in honestly and keep them current.
One more number, gently: people are almost twice as likely to visit a business whose card has photos [3]. A blank card hands those customers to whoever bothered.
This week: five free moves
- Claim the card at business.google.com/add and verify it’s yours; Google mails or texts a code. Until then you can’t edit anything or reply to a review.
- Fill in everything, and pick the most exact category: “plumber,” not “service.” The category decides which searches you even show up for.
- Add real photos: the storefront, the inside, the team, the work [3].
- Ask happy customers for reviews, and reply to every one. A thank-you is enough [2].
- Keep your hours honest, holidays too. Wrong hours send someone to a locked door, and Google may hide a card it stops trusting [5].
One warning: never stuff extra words into your business name to chase searches. Google can suspend the whole card for it [4]. It happened to me.
The ongoing part: where the week runs out
Past the basics, the work turns into upkeep. Posting updates so the card looks alive. Spelling out each service you offer, “emergency drain cleaning,” not just “plumber.” Checking what the top businesses near you list themselves under. Getting your name, address, and phone to match everywhere online; I’ve written up where else customers look besides Google, with the free listing each one needs.
That upkeep is exactly what we carry for owners. We set it up, we keep it running, you keep answering the phone.
Want to know where your card stands first? Book a consultation: $125 for the hour. If something small can be fixed inside the hour, I’ll fix it right then, and you leave with the list whether or not you hire me afterward.
Sources
- thinkwithgoogle.com · Google’s consumer research: 76 in 100 nearby searchers visit a business within a day; 28 in 100 make a purchase
- support.google.com · Google’s local ranking guidance: relevance, distance, and prominence; no paying for position; reviews and consistent information build trust
- support.google.com · Google’s 2025 bulletin: about 90% more likely to visit a business with profile photos; photos bring about 35% more website clicks and 42% more direction requests
- support.google.com · stuffing keywords into the business name field risks suspension
- support.google.com · setting regular and holiday hours