Google Business Profile Tips for Stoke-on-Trent Trades

If you run a trade business in Stoke-on-Trent and you are not showing up on Google Maps, you are losing jobs to competitors who probably do less good work than you. A well-managed Google Business Profile is one of the most direct ways to fix that, and most of it costs nothing.

These are the tips that actually make a difference, not the obvious advice you have already seen a hundred times.\

Check Your Comapany's Position On Google Maps

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Get the basics completely right first

Before anything else, your profile needs to be accurate. It sounds obvious, but the number of local business profiles with wrong phone numbers, outdated addresses, or services listed in the wrong categories is significant.

Your business name, category, and description

Use your real business name. Do not stuff keywords into it. Google actively penalises profiles that do this, and it looks unprofessional to customers. Pick the most accurate primary category for what you do. An electrician should be listed as "Electrician", not "Home Services" or something vague.

Your description has 750 characters. Use them to explain what you do, where you work, and what makes you worth calling. Mention Stoke-on-Trent and the surrounding areas you cover. This is one of the few places where being specific about your location genuinely helps your ranking in local search.

Your address and service area

If you work from home or a van, you do not have to show your address publicly. You can set a service area instead. Add every town and area you actually work in. Stoke, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Stafford, Leek, whatever applies. The service area tells Google where to show your profile.

Photos make more difference than most trades realise

Profiles with photos get significantly more clicks than those without. This is not about having professional photography. It is about showing real evidence of your work.

What to photograph

Before and after shots of jobs are the most effective. A bathroom retile, a new fuse box, a freshly pointed driveway. Real work in real homes. Add photos of your van, your tools, yourself on site. People hire people. Seeing a face and recognising a van in their street builds trust before they have even called you.

How often to add them

Add new photos regularly, at least once a month. Profiles that are actively updated signal to Google that the business is current and trading. A profile last updated in 2022 looks like a business that might not even be open anymore.

Reviews are the single biggest ranking factor

More good reviews means higher placement in the map pack. It is not the only factor, but it is the most visible one, and it directly influences whether someone picks up the phone.

How to get more reviews without being awkward about it

Ask for them straight after a job, while the customer is still happy. A simple text message works well: "Really glad you are happy with the work. Would you mind leaving us a quick Google review? It makes a big difference to a small business." Most satisfied customers will do it if you ask.

Never offer incentives for reviews. Google prohibits it and it can get your profile suspended. Just ask, make it easy, and follow up once if they forget.

Responding to every review

Reply to every review, good and bad. For positive ones, keep it brief and genuine. For negative ones, stay calm, acknowledge the issue, and offer to resolve it offline. How you respond to a bad review tells potential customers more about your business than the review itself.

Posts and updates keep your profile active

Google Business Profile lets you post updates, offers, and news directly to your listing. Most trades never use this. That is an opportunity.

Post when you finish a notable job, when you have availability, or when you are running a seasonal promotion. Keep posts short and specific. "Just completed a full rewire on a Victorian terrace in Hanley. Available for new jobs from next week. Call 07xxx xxxxxx." That is enough.

For more detail on how your profile fits into a wider local search strategy, read how local SEO works for Stoke-on-Trent businesses.

Get your Google Business Profile set up properly

If your profile is incomplete, inconsistent, or just not pulling its weight, Designed By Stu offers a one-off Google Business Profile setup for £49, or ongoing management as part of the £199 monthly plan. Find out more about the plans.