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Free checklist

The Louisville Map Pack checklist. 20 steps, six groups.

Slate Marketing LLC publishes the 20-step Google Business Profile checklist it runs for every Louisville, Southern Indiana, and Cincinnati client. Work through it in an afternoon, or print the PDF and hand it to whoever manages your profile.

Get the PDF Read it here

Six groups. In the order Google weighs them.

Each group is a few items. Do them top to bottom: identity decides eligibility, completeness and proof decide position, activity and consistency hold it, and tracking tells you it worked.

1 of 6

Identity

Google decides which searches you are eligible for from these fields before it looks at anything else.

4 items. Business name matches your truck, license, and website exactly. Primary category is your main trade, as specific as possible. Secondary categories cover every other service you want calls for. Service area lists the cities you actually work.

Business name matches your truck, license, and website exactly: No added keywords. A name like Smith Roofing of Louisville when the license says Smith Roofing is the most common cause of suspension.
Primary category is your main trade, as specific as possible: Roofing contractor, not Contractor. HVAC contractor, not Heating. The primary category carries more weight than any other single field.
Secondary categories cover every other service you want calls for: Siding, gutters, and insulation for a roofer. Up to nine, but only the ones you actually do.
Service area lists the cities you actually work: The metro, not the whole state. Google discounts service areas that are implausibly wide.

2 of 6

Completeness

A half-finished profile reads as a half-finished business, to Google and to the homeowner.

4 items. Every service listed, each with a one-sentence description. Business description opens with a plain sentence. Hours are current, including holidays. Attributes are set.

Every service listed, each with a one-sentence description: Name the service and the city in the description. Roof repair in Louisville and Southern Indiana, not just Roof repair.
Business description opens with a plain sentence: Who you are, what you do, and where, in the first twelve words. The rest can be personality.
Hours are current, including holidays: Confirm them monthly. A profile with unconfirmed hours gets a warning label in results.
Attributes are set: Veteran-owned, emergency service, free estimates, whatever is true. They appear as filters and badges.

3 of 6

Proof

Reviews and photos are the two signals customers and Google both read before anything on your website.

4 items. New reviews arrive every week, not in bursts. Every review gets a reply within 48 hours. New photos of finished work every week. Questions and answers seeded.

New reviews arrive every week, not in bursts: Velocity beats volume. A request sent sixty seconds after the job closes is how you get it.
Every review gets a reply within 48 hours: Name the service and the neighborhood in the reply. Future customers read the replies as closely as the reviews.
New photos of finished work every week: Real jobs, taken on a phone with location on. Not stock, not logos.
Questions and answers seeded: Add the five questions you hear on every estimate and answer them yourself.

4 of 6

Activity

Google rewards profiles that look open for business this week.

3 items. One post a week. Products or service tiles for your top jobs. Messaging on, with a response time under an hour.

One post a week: A finished job, an offer, or a seasonal reminder, with a photo and a sentence naming the service and the area.
Products or service tiles for your top jobs: With price ranges where you can. They show up directly in the profile.
Messaging on, with a response time under an hour: Or off entirely. A slow response time is displayed publicly.

5 of 6

Consistency

Google trusts data that agrees with itself across the web.

2 items. Name, address, and phone identical everywhere. Duplicate and old listings found and closed.

Name, address, and phone identical everywhere: Website, Yelp, Facebook, Angi, BBB, Apple Maps, and every directory that lists you. Same spelling, same suite number, same phone.
Duplicate and old listings found and closed: Search your phone number and your old address in quotes. Claim or remove what you find.

6 of 6

Tracking

You cannot improve what the profile produces if you cannot see it.

3 items. Website link carries UTM tags. Profile calls are tracked. Insights reviewed monthly.

Website link carries UTM tags: So profile traffic shows separately from organic in Google Analytics.
Profile calls are tracked: A tracking number or call recording on the profile line, so you know which calls the map produced.
Insights reviewed monthly: Searches, views, calls, and direction requests. Screenshot them so you can compare quarters.

The longer explanation of each group is in the Google Business Profile guide.

Get the printable PDF

What happens after the checklist?

A complete profile gets you eligible. Reviews, city pages, and a fast website get you chosen. That second half is our local SEO service, and it comes with a 60-day Map Pack guarantee.

Questions about a specific item? Call (812) 406-8389 and a founder will answer it.

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What is the Google Map Pack?

The Google Map Pack is the box of three business listings with a map that appears at the top of results for a local search such as roofer near me. Those three listings take most of the calls from that search, which is why this checklist exists.

How long does it take to get into the Map Pack?

A complete, consistent, active profile usually moves within 30 to 60 days. Reviews and citations compound after that. Slate Marketing LLC guarantees a Map Pack position within 60 days for clients on either plan.

Is the checklist free?

Yes. The checklist is free to read on this page, and the printable PDF is emailed to you at no cost. If you would rather have it done for you, book a free fifteen-minute audit and we will run the checklist against your profile live.

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