Filling In Your Google Services List to Show Up for More Searches
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The services list on your Google Business Profile tells Google, and customers, exactly what you do. Filling it in properly helps your profile match more of the specific searches people make, such as "hot water repair" rather than just "plumber". Add every service you actually offer, use the words customers search for, and write a short, honest description for each.
Why does the services list matter?
Google says local results depend partly on relevance: how well a profile matches what someone searched for, which depends on complete, detailed business information (Google). Your categories say what kind of business you are; your services say what jobs you do. Both feed relevance.
How do you choose which services to add?
- Start with Google's suggested services for your category, and tick the ones you really offer
- Add custom services for jobs people search for that aren't in the list
- Use customers' words: "blocked drain", not "drainage solutions"
- Match your website's service pages, so Google sees the same services in both places
- Leave out anything you don't do, or don't want more of
How should each service be described?
| Weak | Better |
|---|---|
| "Quality plumbing" | "Blocked drains: CCTV inspection and high-pressure jetting across Brimbank" |
| "All electrical" | "Switchboard upgrades for older homes, including safety switches" |
| "Cleaning" | "End-of-lease cleaning with a checklist matched to agents' requirements" |
| "Best prices" | "Fixed quote before we start" |
Keep each description short, specific and true. Prices are optional; only add them if you'll keep them current.
What should you avoid?
- Stuffing suburb names into every service description
- Listing services you don't provide to catch more searches
- Copying a competitor's list word for word
- Adding keywords to your business name instead; Google says extras in the name can lead to suspension (Google)
How do services connect to categories and your website?
Pick the most accurate primary category first, then add services within it. See Google Business Profile categories. Each main service should also have its own page on your website, linked from the profile where possible. That gives Google a consistent picture and gives customers more detail.
How do you check it's working?
Check the searches people used to find you in your profile's performance report every month. If customers search for a job you do but didn't list, add it. See the Google Business Profile performance report.
What does a complete services list look like?
Here's a made-up example for a plumber in Melbourne's west. Notice that each service is a job a customer would search for, and each description says what's involved in plain words:
| Service | Short description |
|---|---|
| Blocked drains | Clearing blocked sinks, toilets and outdoor drains, with camera inspection if needed |
| Hot water repairs | Repairs to gas and electric hot water systems, usually same or next day |
| Hot water replacement | Supply and install of gas, electric and heat pump systems |
| Leaking taps and toilets | Washer, cartridge and cistern repairs |
| Burst pipes | Locating and repairing burst or leaking pipes |
| Gas fitting | Gas appliance connections and leak checks |
| Bathroom plumbing | Rough-in and fit-off for bathroom renovations |
| Roof and gutter plumbing | Gutter, downpipe and roof leak repairs |
A list like this covers the jobs people actually type into Google, rather than one broad word like "plumbing". Adjust it for your own trade and the jobs you really do.
How do you write a short service description?
A simple formula keeps descriptions useful and honest: what the job is, who it's for, and what makes your approach clear. For example:
- What: "Switchboard upgrades"
- Who it's for: "older homes with ceramic fuses or tripping power"
- What's clear: "fixed written quote before work starts"
Put together: "Switchboard upgrades for older homes with ceramic fuses or tripping power. Fixed written quote before work starts."
Keep it to a sentence or two. Leave out phone numbers, links and words like "best" or "cheapest" that you can't back up.
How do you find the words customers actually use?
The best service names are the ones customers type, not the ones used in your trade. A few free ways to find them:
- Write down how customers describe the problem when they call: "my toilet keeps running", "no hot water", "power keeps tripping"
- Check the searches people used to find you in your Google profile's performance report
- If you have Google Search Console set up for your website, check which searches bring people to each page
- Start typing a job into Google and look at the suggestions it offers
- Read your own reviews; customers often name the job in their own words
Use the most common wording as the service name, and work other common phrases naturally into the description.
Which services should you put first?
Lead with the work you most want more of. Customers often skim only the first few services, and your list tells them what you're known for.
- Put your most profitable or most requested jobs at the top
- Group related services together, such as all the hot water jobs
- Put specialist or rare jobs lower down, but keep them listed so the right customers still find them
- Review the order when your focus changes, such as moving into more commercial work
The same order should run through your website's navigation and service pages, so the story is consistent wherever people find you.
Should you add prices to your services?
Prices are optional. They can help people decide, but only if they're accurate. The ACCC says businesses must not mislead consumers about price (ACCC).
- Add a price only for jobs with a predictable cost, such as a standard service call
- Use "from" pricing if the cost varies, and make sure people can actually get that price
- Update the profile the same day your prices change
- If you'd rather discuss price on the phone, leave the price blank and say "free quote" in the description
How are services different from your service area?
They're two separate settings. Services say what you do; your service area says where you do it. If you travel to customers, Google lets you set a service area and hide your address (Google).
- Set your service area to the suburbs or region you genuinely cover
- Don't repeat suburb names inside every service description; that's what the service area is for
- If some services are only available in certain areas, say so in that service's description
- Back it up with area pages on your website for the places you work most
Some profiles also show a products section. Even if you don't sell products in a shop, it can be used to show popular packages or fixed-price jobs, with a photo and a short description, if your profile offers it.
- Use it for things with a clear, stable offer, such as "Hot water system supply and install"
- Add a real photo for each one
- Link each product to the matching page on your website
- Keep prices and details accurate, the same as services
If your profile doesn't show a products section, don't worry. A complete services list with good descriptions does most of the same job, and you can show packages and photos on your website instead.
Your services list should change when your business changes. A quick review every few months is usually enough.
- Add new services the week you start offering them
- Remove services you've stopped doing, so you don't get calls you'll turn away
- Check the searches in your performance report for jobs you do but haven't listed (Google)
- Update descriptions when you change how you work, such as offering same-day service
- Make the same change on your website's service pages
Put a reminder in your calendar for the first week of each quarter. Ten minutes is usually enough to check the list, fix anything out of date and add what's new.
Morphic sets up and optimises Google Business Profiles for Melbourne small businesses, including categories, services and descriptions. Get a free quote, or book a 30-minute call.
Related service. Google Business Profile management.
Related reading: Google Business Profile Categories, How to Rank on Google Maps and We Audited 50 Brimbank Plumbers' Google Profiles.
Related reading. Google Business Profile post ideas.
Key Takeaways
Your services list helps Google match your profile to specific searches.
Add every service you really offer, in customers' words.
Write a short, specific, honest description for each.
Match your services to your website's service pages.
Review the searches report monthly and add missing services.
Emon Datta
Founder, Morphic Agency
Morphic Agency is a Melbourne-based UX design agency. We've shipped 50+ products across 15+ countries.
