Confirm access and verification

Google Maps SEO starts with an eligible, accurately represented business. Separate three tasks: gaining authorized access, correcting information and measuring interactions. The checklist is a planning aid, not a verification service. Record the profile location before making changes so a second branch does not accidentally become your comparison baseline.

Sign in with the account authorized for the business. Identify the correct location and check verification before relying on performance data. Do not create another profile merely because access is missing.

Use the real business identity

Use the name customers see in the real world. Adding search phrases to a name is not a substitute for choosing an appropriate category. Review the business website and owner-approved details together. If two locations share a name, keep separate identifiers and records; an apparent difference may belong to a legitimate branch.

Keep the public name aligned with the actual business. Choose categories for the real service, not a list of target keywords. Document which location you are editing.

Choose the correct location model

Decide whether customers visit the premises or the business travels to them. That decision affects the information customers need and the address visibility you should review. Keep private residential information out of shared exports. A broad service area is not evidence that the business ranks in every location within it.

Distinguish a customer-facing storefront from a business that travels to customers. Review address visibility and service area; do not expose a home address just to match other listings.

Edit supported profile details

Sign in to the account linked to the correct profile, find the business in Google Search and choose Edit profile. Review the applicable fields and save your changes. In Google Maps, use the business management controls. Labels can vary by device. Keep a short change log so later comparisons do not depend on memory.

On the managed profile, open Edit profile, update relevant contact details, categories and hours, then save. Controls can differ by device. Keep the website destination and holiday hours accurate.

Check the public result

Submission and publication are different events. Reopen the public profile after review and record the displayed value, check date and any unresolved difference. Correct a wrong phone number because it misdirects customers; do not describe that correction as a measured ranking improvement. The related NAP worksheet keeps original, requested and confirmed values separate.

A submitted edit may need review. Record the requested value and recheck what customers actually see; save the date and unresolved issues in the NAP register.

Record a measurement baseline

In the fictional example, 40 becomes 50 across two consecutive 28-day periods: the difference is 10 and the relative change is 25%. Neither number proves an edit caused the change. Choose one available metric, enter both date ranges and counts, then confirm the scope. After every edit the confirmation resets. Export a valid comparison to keep the inputs and limitations together.

Choose one available metric, retain its definition and export date, and write down profile identity, timezone and channels. Compare equal periods while noting holidays, ads and other changes.

  • Call-button clicks: Counts clicks on the call button, not completed conversations.
  • Website clicks: Counts clicks to the website, not completed enquiries or sales.
  • Direction requests: Requests for directions do not prove an arrival.
  • Profile views: Profile views are not visits to your website.

Use whole counts from 0 to 1,000,000,000 without separators. Blank means unknown. Both date ranges include their start and end days.

A difference is not proof that an edit caused it. Available metrics vary; profile data may include organic and Google Ads activity. Clicks, direction requests and views are not automatically customers or revenue.

Entries stay in this browser tab; reloading clears your draft. No account is connected and nothing is sent to a provider. Exported files remain on your device.