How to Find Keywords for Your Google Business Profile and Where to Put Them

Google reads the category, service list, description and posts on your profile and matches them to search queries. Knowing the words your customers actually type is the first step to showing up in the right searches. In this guide we explain how to find keywords, where to put them on your profile and where not to.

1. Think like a customer

Ask yourself: "What would my customer type into Google?" For a plumber, people don't search "water plumbing contractor"; they search "plumber Brooklyn", "clogged sink emergency" or "boiler repair 24/7". These long, specific searches face less competition and are closer to a purchase.

2. Look at Google's autocomplete

When you type "plumber" into the Google search box and leave a space, the suggestions that appear are searches people make often: "plumber near me", "plumber emergency 24 hour" and the like. It's a free and very valuable source.

3. Look at the "People also ask" box

This box in Google search results shows the questions on your customers' minds. Include the answers to these questions in your business description and your posts.

4. Read your reviews

How do your customers describe you in their reviews? Phrases like "kid-friendly", "open late" or "has parking" are words other customers will search for too. Note the phrases that come up often in reviews.

5. Think about meaning, not just the word

Google now matches meaning, not only the exact word. Someone searching "children's doctor" may also see profiles that say "pediatrician". Use phrases that describe your work in different ways in your text, in a natural voice.

6. Look at your top-ranking competitors

Open the profiles of the businesses that show up in the top three for the search you're targeting. Which primary and additional categories did they choose, what's in their service lists, which phrases do they use in their descriptions? The aim isn't to copy, but to see what customers find at these businesses and what's missing from your profile. If you genuinely offer a service your competitor lists and your profile doesn't, add it.

Where should you put keywords?

• Primary and additional categories: The strongest match comes from here. Choose the category that describes your business most accurately.
• Services and products: Add each service under the name customers use: "Drain cleaning", "Boiler maintenance", "Root canal treatment".
• Business description: In the 750-character description, explain in natural sentences what you do, which area you serve and what sets you apart.
• Posts: Describe your services and your area in your weekly posts.
• Your website: Use the same services and area in the title and text of the page your profile links to.
• Your review replies: Mentioning the service the customer received in a natural way ("we're glad you were happy with your boiler maintenance") is fine. Stuffing the same words into every reply looks artificial to both the customer and Google.

Where should you not put them?

Don't add keywords to the business name. Writing "Miller Plumbing - Emergency Plumber Brooklyn 24/7" instead of "Miller Plumbing" goes against Google's rules and can get the profile suspended. Don't line up the same word again and again in the description either; text that doesn't read as natural to the customer doesn't read as natural to Google.

Examples by industry

• Restaurant: "waterfront restaurant Brooklyn", "grilled fish Brooklyn", "restaurant with a sea view"
• Law: "employment lawyer Chicago", "wrongful termination lawsuit", "workers' rights attorney"
• Clinic: "orthodontist Brooklyn", "clear aligner treatment", "pediatric dentist"
• Plumber: "plumber Brooklyn", "emergency boiler repair", "water leak detection"

Practical steps

1. Make a list of 5–10 specific searches for your business.
2. Measure where you rank for each search.
3. Work the searches where you aren't in the top 10 into your service list, your description and your posts, in a natural voice.
4. Measure again after a few weeks.

For the other factors that affect your ranking on the map, see our guide to ranking higher on Google Maps. If you choose your industry during setup in BadePlus, ready-made keywords come in for rank tracking; for each keyword you see where you rank on a 49-point map. Start with the free analysis or start your 3-day free trial.