Google Business Profile Optimization: 15 Tips to Stand Out in Houston Search Results

Your Google Business Profile is often the first thing potential customers see when they search for businesses like yours. Yet most Houston business owners set it up once and never touch it again.

That’s a missed opportunity. A well-optimized Google Business Profile can mean the difference between showing up in the coveted Map Pack or being buried where no one looks.

Here are 15 tips to make your profile work harder for your business.

The Basics That Most Businesses Get Wrong

1. Use Your Exact Business Name

Don’t stuff keywords into your business name. If your legal business name is “ABC Plumbing,” don’t list it as “ABC Plumbing - Best Houston Plumber - 24/7 Emergency Service.”

Google penalizes keyword stuffing in business names. You might get a temporary boost, but you’re risking suspension. Use your real business name exactly as it appears on your signage and legal documents.

2. Choose the Right Primary Category

Your primary category is the most important field in your profile. It directly determines which searches you appear in.

Be as specific as possible. If you’re a personal injury lawyer, choose “Personal Injury Attorney” rather than just “Attorney.” If you run a Thai restaurant, choose “Thai Restaurant” rather than “Restaurant.”

You can add secondary categories too (up to 10), but your primary category carries the most weight.

3. Add All Relevant Secondary Categories

Most businesses stop at one category. Don’t. If you’re a coffee shop that also sells pastries and offers catering, add those categories. Each one helps you appear in more searches.

Look at what categories your top-ranking competitors use and make sure you’re not missing any that apply to your business.

4. Get Your NAP Right

Your Name, Address, and Phone Number (NAP) must be:

Accurate: Matches your real location and working number
Consistent: Identical to how it appears on your website and other directories
Complete: Include suite numbers if applicable

The address format matters. If your website says “Suite 100,” your Google Business Profile should say “Suite 100” not “Ste. 100” or “#100.”

Content That Converts

5. Write a Description That Sells

You get 750 characters to describe your business. Most businesses waste this space with generic text that could apply to anyone.

Instead:

Lead with what makes you different
Include your primary services and service area
Use natural keywords (not stuffing)
Include a subtle call to action

Example for a Houston HVAC company: “Family-owned HVAC company serving Houston and surrounding areas since 1998. We specialize in residential AC repair, installation, and maintenance with same-day service available. Our technicians are NATE-certified and we offer transparent pricing with no surprise fees. Call us for honest assessments and reliable service.”

6. List All Your Services

Google lets you add services with descriptions and prices. Use this feature thoroughly:

Add every service you offer
Write detailed descriptions (up to 1,000 characters each)
Include pricing if your rates are consistent
Group services into logical categories

This helps you rank for service-specific searches and gives customers the information they need to choose you.

7. Add Your Products

If you sell products, add them to your profile. Each product can have:

Photos
Descriptions
Prices
Call-to-action buttons

Even service businesses can use this for service packages or signature offerings.

Visual Content That Wins Clicks

8. Upload Quality Photos (Lots of Them)

Businesses with photos receive 42% more requests for directions and 35% more clicks to their websites. Yet many businesses have zero photos or just their logo.

Upload at minimum:

Cover photo: Your best, most representative image
Logo: Clear, high-resolution version
Exterior photos: Help customers find you (multiple angles)
Interior photos: Show your space and atmosphere
Team photos: Put faces to your business
Product/service photos: Show what you actually do

Aim for at least 20-30 photos. Update them seasonally or when you make changes.

9. Add Videos

Videos are underutilized but highly effective. You can upload videos up to 30 seconds long. Consider:

A quick walkthrough of your business
Brief service demonstrations
Customer testimonials (with permission)
Behind-the-scenes content

Videos auto-play in your profile, making them excellent attention-grabbers.

10. Request Customer Photos

Enable the feature that lets customers add photos. User-generated content adds authenticity and keeps your profile fresh. Just monitor it occasionally to ensure nothing inappropriate gets posted.

Engagement That Signals Activity

11. Post Regular Updates

Google Business Profile has a “Posts” feature similar to social media. Posts appear directly on your profile and in Google Maps.

Types of posts:

What’s New: General updates about your business
Events: Promote upcoming events with dates
Offers: Special deals with start and end dates
Products: Highlight specific products

Posts expire after 7 days (except events and offers), so posting weekly keeps your profile active. This signals to Google that you’re an active, legitimate business.

12. Answer Questions

Your profile has a Q&A section where anyone can ask questions. Monitor this and answer promptly:

Provide helpful, complete answers
Use questions as opportunities to share useful information
You can even seed it by asking and answering common questions yourself (legitimately)

Unanswered questions look bad and might get incorrect answers from random users.

13. Respond to Every Review

Responding to reviews shows you’re engaged and care about customer feedback. This matters for:

Positive reviews: Thank them and reinforce something specific they mentioned
Negative reviews: Address the issue professionally, offer to make it right, take the conversation offline

Review responses are public. They’re as much for future customers reading reviews as for the reviewer themselves.

Technical Optimization

14. Enable Messaging

Turn on the messaging feature so customers can text you directly through your profile. This is especially important for younger demographics who prefer texting to calling.

Just make sure you can actually respond quickly. Slow responses hurt more than having no messaging at all.

15. Set Up Booking

If you take appointments, integrate a booking solution. Google supports direct booking integrations and also lets you add a simple booking link.

Making it easy to book directly from your profile removes friction and captures customers before they click away.

Monitoring Your Performance

Google provides insights right in your Business Profile dashboard:

Search queries: What terms people use to find you
Views: How many people see your profile
Actions: Clicks, calls, direction requests
Photo performance: Compared to similar businesses

Check these monthly. Look for:

Which search terms are growing
Which actions are most common
How you compare to competitors

Use this data to guide your optimization efforts. If you’re getting views but few actions, your profile content might need work. If you’re getting clicks to your website but no calls, your website might be the problem.

The Ongoing Maintenance Checklist

Set a monthly reminder to:

Update holiday hours
Add new photos
Create at least one post
Check and answer questions
Respond to new reviews
Update services if anything changed
Check for and report spam edits (competitors can suggest changes)

Quick Wins vs. Long-Term Strategy

Start with these quick wins today:

Verify your NAP is correct and consistent
Add at least 10 quality photos if you don’t have them
Write a proper business description
Add all your services with descriptions

Then build these habits:

Weekly posts
Prompt review responses
Monthly photo updates
Quarterly full profile audits

Your Google Business Profile is free real estate on Google’s search results. Most businesses barely use it. By fully optimizing yours, you’ll stand out in a city of 2.3 million people.

Want help optimizing your Google Business Profile as part of a comprehensive local SEO strategy? We help Houston businesses improve their visibility in local search. Get in touch to discuss your goals.