Google Business Profile audit checklist
Audit a Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) against the practical details that make a local listing accurate, complete, and easier to maintain. Enter what the live profile currently shows, review the checklist, then fix the gaps in Google. This runs locally in your browser; it does not access Google, change your listing, verify ownership, or predict Maps rankings.
How to use the audit
- Compare every field with the information customers see on the website and other owned profiles.
- Use the most accurate primary category and list only services the business actually offers.
- Confirm hours, service area, phone, website, ownership, and duplicate listings before changing promotional content.
- Keep photos current and ask real customers for honest feedback without incentives or review filtering.
- Recheck the live profile after approved changes; this browser tool cannot confirm what Google publishes.
What a Google Business Profile audit covers
The tool scores twelve practical checks. Use the written checklist below to review the live profile item by item, including the things a form cannot see.
Business identity
- Name: the real-world business name only. Added keywords or city names violate Google’s guidelines and can lead to suspension.
- Primary category: the one category that best describes the main service customers receive; add secondary categories only for services the business genuinely offers.
- Address or service area: a public address only for a location customers visit; otherwise a service-area business with the areas actually served. Never a P.O. box, virtual office, or unstaffed location.
Contact and website
- Phone: a number a customer can reach, matching the website and other listings.
- Website: the HTTPS homepage or the most relevant location page, not a social profile or a tracking redirect.
- Booking and messaging: if enabled, someone actually responds.
Hours, services, and description
- Hours: regular hours plus special hours for holidays; “open 24 hours” only when true.
- Services and products: the real offer, described in plain language, with prices only if accurate.
- Description: what the business does, whom it serves, and where—without superlatives, promotions, or links.
Trust signals
- Photos: current, permissioned images of the business, work, team, or service area; the logo and cover image set deliberately.
- Reviews: a consistent process that asks real customers for honest feedback, replies to reviews, and never offers incentives or filters who is asked.
- Questions and answers: monitored, with accurate owner answers to common questions.
Ownership and hygiene
- Access: the business owner holds the primary owner role; agencies and staff have manager access that can be revoked.
- Duplicates: no second listing for the same business and location; duplicates are merged or removed.
- Consistency: name, address, phone, and website match the website, social profiles, and directory listings.
Important limits
This is a self-audit, not a Google API integration or a ranking score. Check each item against the live profile and Google’s current policies before publishing changes. Never use fake locations, reviews, photos, categories, or service claims.
Frequently asked questions
Is this the same as a Google My Business audit?
Yes. Google renamed Google My Business to Google Business Profile in 2021. The listing, the audit questions, and the management steps are the same; only the name and the management interface changed.
Does this tool connect to my Google account?
No. It runs entirely in your browser, does not access Google, and does not change your listing. Enter the details as they appear on the live profile and compare the results against it.
What should I fix first on my profile?
Start with accuracy: the real business name, the closest primary category, a correct phone number and website, and an honest service area or address. Then complete hours, services, and the description, and keep photos and reviews current.
How often should a business audit its Google Business Profile?
Review it whenever hours, services, phone numbers, or locations change, and run a full checklist at least a few times a year. Google can also suggest edits or accept public edits, so periodic checks catch changes you did not make.