Summary: For many prospective clients, your Google Business Profile is their first introduction to your accounting or law firm. An incomplete or outdated listing can create unnecessary doubts before someone even visits your website. Here’s what deserves attention.
A business owner in Mississauga needs a CPA to help with corporate taxes. A family in Oakville is looking for a lawyer to prepare their wills. Both start with a Google search.
They see several firms, complete with addresses, phone numbers, reviews, photographs, and links to websites. Before they even open a website, they’re already comparing businesses.
This is why your Google Business Profile deserves more attention than simply being listed on Google Maps. It’s often one of the first places where someone decides whether your firm is worth contacting.
1. Is Your Business Information Accurate?
Let’s start with something basic. Is your firm’s address correct? What about the phone number, website link, and business hours?
Professional firms change over time. Offices move, partners leave, firms merge, and contact information gets updated. Yet their Google listings sometimes get overlooked.
Imagine a prospective client calling the number displayed on Google, only to discover it’s no longer in service. Or arriving at an office that moved six months ago. Those aren’t just minor inconveniences. They’re missed opportunities and unnecessary frustrations.
Check that your business name matches the name your firm actually uses. Avoid adding marketing phrases or extra service keywords to the business name just to attract searches.
If your firm operates from several offices, make sure each eligible location has accurate information rather than creating listings for addresses where your business doesn’t actually operate.
Practical tip: Search for your firm as if you were a prospective client. Don’t rely exclusively on what you see inside your Google Business Profile dashboard.
2. Does Your Profile Explain What Your Firm Does?
A firm that provides corporate accounting, tax planning, and business advisory services has different clients from one focused primarily on personal tax returns. Similarly, a commercial law practice serves different needs from a family law firm.
Your Google Business Profile should help people understand these distinctions. Google allows businesses to select categories and provide information about their services.
Choose categories that genuinely represent your practice, rather than selecting every remotely related option. Review your business description as well.
Instead of relying on “We offer high-quality legal services with a client-focused approach,” explain the areas of law your firm actually handles. Be specific, without making promotional claims you can’t support.
Practical tip: Ask someone unfamiliar with your firm to review your Google listing. Can they identify your main services without visiting your website?
3. What Do Your Photographs Communicate?
The same principle of authentic imagery discussed in our online first-impressions article applies to your Google Business Profile.
Photographs of your actual office, reception area, and professional team can help prospective clients understand what to expect. They may be particularly helpful when someone is planning an in-person appointment.
You don’t need dozens of photographs. A handful of current, appropriate images is a good starting point. Avoid generic stock photographs that could belong to any business. If you moved or renovated, replace images that no longer represent the location.
Practical tip: Check photographs visible publicly on Google, including images contributed by others. Flag inappropriate or inaccurate images through Google’s reporting process.
4. Are You Paying Attention to Reviews?
Reviews can be useful when someone is comparing professional firms, but accountants and lawyers need to approach them carefully.
Unlike restaurants or retail businesses, professional practices often deal with confidential and sensitive matters. An enthusiastic review might inadvertently reveal details about a legal case, financial problem, or professional relationship. Responding publicly can create additional complications.
Before requesting or responding to reviews, make sure your approach complies with the professional and confidentiality rules applicable to your practice. Lawyers should consider their governing law society’s rules, while accountants should follow their applicable provincial CPA regulator’s requirements.
Never offer incentives in exchange for Google reviews. If someone leaves a negative review, avoid discussing confidential details or confirming private information in your response.
Practical tip: Establish a simple internal policy for monitoring and responding to reviews, with a designated person responsible for reviewing sensitive situations.
5. Are You Checking Whether Your Listing Generates Interest?
A Google Business Profile isn’t something you should set up once and forget.
Google provides performance information that may include searches, profile views, website clicks, calls, and other interactions. These figures won’t tell you exactly how many new clients you’ve gained.
But they can help you understand whether people are discovering and interacting with your business listing. If your profile receives attention but few people click through or contact the firm, it’s worth investigating.
Perhaps information is incomplete. Maybe the website doesn’t explain your services clearly. Or the business simply isn’t attracting the right audience.
Being found on Google is useful. Generating appropriate inquiries is more valuable. This is where your listing connects with your firm’s broader professional services digital marketing strategy.
A 15-Minute Check Worth Doing
You don’t need to become a Google Business Profile expert to identify obvious improvements. Set aside a few minutes and review:
- Search for your firm on Google and Maps.
- Confirm your address, phone number, website, and hours.
- Check categories and services.
- Review your photographs.
- Read recent reviews and check whether any need attention.
- Confirm that the right person has access to manage the listing.
You may find everything is already in good shape. Or you might discover a few issues that can be corrected without a major marketing investment.
Don’t Make Prospective Clients Work Harder Than Necessary
Your firm’s qualifications, experience, and professional relationships are what ultimately matter. But a prospective client who has never worked with you needs a reasonable way to evaluate your business.
Keeping your Google Business Profile accurate, informative, and properly managed is a relatively small commitment that can support your firm’s online presence.
If you’re unsure whether your accounting or law firm is making the most of its online visibility, schedule a complimentary consultation with KEY27. We can help identify practical improvements worth considering without recommending changes that aren’t necessary.
