Most GMB optimization advice lists everything you could change without telling you what order to do it in. Here's a step-by-step walkthrough for London, Ontario businesses, sequenced by impact - so the highest-leverage fixes happen first instead of getting lost in a long checklist.
Step 1: Fix your primary category
Open your profile and check your primary category first, before touching anything else - it's the single most influential field Google uses to decide which searches you're eligible to show up for. Be as specific as the option list allows ("Personal Injury Attorney" rather than "Lawyer," "Italian Restaurant" rather than "Restaurant"). If it's wrong or overly broad, correcting it is almost always net positive, even though rankings may take a short adjustment period to catch up.
Step 2: Build out your services list
List every service you actually offer, described the way a customer would search for it rather than as a one-word label. "Emergency drain cleaning" ranks for more than just "plumbing." This is also where you catch services you offer but never documented - a common and easy miss.
Step 3: Rewrite your business description
Use the full 750 characters to clearly cover what you do, who you serve, and your service area in natural language - not keyword-stuffed. This field feeds relevance signals but is also genuinely read by potential customers deciding whether to click through.
Step 4: Fill in every attribute
Accessibility options, payment methods, and identity attributes (women-led, veteran-led, etc.) are all searchable filters on Google. Filling these in doesn't take long and can surface your listing in filtered searches it wouldn't otherwise appear in.
Step 5: Build out your photo library
Add exterior shots (so people recognize your storefront), interior shots, team photos, and work-in-progress or finished-work photos if relevant to your industry. Aim for a genuine mix rather than a specific count - profiles with fewer than 10 photos typically look thin next to competitors who've invested here.
Step 6: Start weekly Google Posts
Set a recurring reminder to post an update, offer, or piece of news once a week. This is the step most businesses skip after the initial setup, and it's the one that separates a listing that keeps climbing from one that plateaus - Google consistently rewards active listings over static ones.
Step 7: Start a review-generation routine
Ask for reviews at the moment of highest satisfaction - right after a job finishes or a purchase completes - using a direct link to the review form, not just a link to your general profile. Make this a repeatable habit tied to a specific trigger (end of every job, end of every appointment) rather than an occasional campaign.
Step 8: Set a monthly maintenance check
Once the setup steps are done, put a recurring 20-30 minute monthly check on your calendar: confirm your category and hours are still accurate, respond to any unanswered reviews or questions, and refresh at least one photo. This small habit keeps a fully optimized profile from quietly drifting out of date.
If you'd rather have this handled for you, our Google Business Profile service covers the full build-out and ongoing management. Not sure where your own profile currently stands? A free SEO audit includes a full GBP review as part of the process.
Related read: GMB Listing Optimization Services: What's Actually Involved →