Most contractors in Massachusetts have a Google Business Profile. Most of those profiles are half-finished. A name, a phone number, maybe a few photos from three years ago — and then nothing. That’s a problem, because GBP is often the first thing a homeowner in your service area sees before they ever click your website.

This post walks through the six fields that get ignored most often, why each one matters, and exactly what you should put in them. If you’re already doing local SEO for your contracting business, your GBP is part of that foundation — and these gaps are worth closing.

1. Business Description

Google gives you 750 characters for your business description. Most contractors use fewer than 100, or leave it blank entirely. That’s a wasted signal.

Your description isn’t just for humans — it’s indexed by Google. That means the words you use here can influence what searches surface your profile. Don’t stuff keywords, but do be specific: name your primary trade, the towns or counties you serve, and the type of customer you work with. A roofing company in Worcester County that specializes in insurance claims and storm damage should say exactly that. A general contractor in the MetroWest area who takes on kitchen additions and full renovations should say that.

Lead with what you do and where. Follow with what makes you the right choice — years in business, licensing, warranty terms, anything concrete. Skip the adjectives like “quality” and “professional.” Every contractor uses them. None of them mean anything.

2. Services List

The services section inside GBP is separate from your business category, and most contractors either skip it or add two lines and move on. Google uses this list to match your profile to more specific searches.

Build it out. If you’re a plumber, don’t just list “Plumbing.” List water heater replacement, drain cleaning, sump pump installation, fixture replacement, and anything else you actually do. Each service gets its own name, optional description (up to 300 characters), and price if applicable. Use the description fields. That’s more indexed text, more surface area for Google to understand your business.

Match your service names to how people actually search. “Bathroom remodel” performs better than “lavatory renovation.” Check the language in your reviews and use it.

3. Service Areas vs. Address

If you work out of a home office or don’t have a physical location customers visit, you should be set up as a service-area business (SAB) in Google, not an address-based business. The difference matters.

When you hide your address and switch to service areas, Google stops anchoring your local ranking to a single map pin. You can list up to 20 service areas by city, county, or zip code. Add every area you legitimately serve — not wishful thinking, but actual job sites. If you work across Norfolk, Bristol, and Plymouth counties, list the cities in those counties where you take jobs.

One note: address-based businesses tend to rank strongly in map results near their physical location. Service-area businesses trade that pin proximity for broader geographic coverage. If your shop or office is in a town where customers could plausibly visit, keeping your address visible may serve you better. It depends on your business model.

4. Photos — Types and Frequency

GBP photos are one of the fields where contractors leave the most value behind. Uploading five photos when you first set up the profile and never touching it again is common. It’s also a signal to Google that your business isn’t actively managed.

Here’s what to upload and why it matters:

  • Job site photos (before and after): These perform best for engagement. Show real work, real materials, real results.
  • Team photos: People want to know who is coming to their house. A photo of your crew in uniform on a job site builds trust before the first call.
  • Equipment and vehicles: Branded trucks and trailers reinforce that you’re an established operation.
  • Interior/exterior of your shop (if applicable): Adds legitimacy for address-based businesses.

Frequency matters. Google’s own guidance suggests businesses that add photos regularly get more views. Aim to upload at least two to four new photos per month. After every completed job, pull two good shots off your phone and add them. It takes three minutes.

5. Q&A Section — What Changed in 2026

The GBP Q&A section used to be a way to pre-populate answers to common questions and pick up additional keyword coverage. For a while, savvy contractors would seed their own questions and answer them — “Do you offer free estimates?” “Yes, we offer free on-site estimates for all roofing projects in the greater Boston area.”

In 2026, Google’s AI Overviews have largely displaced the Q&A section in how search results display. For many local searches, Google is now synthesizing information from your profile, your website, and your reviews to generate AI-driven answers at the top of results. The Q&A section still exists and is still indexed, but its direct visibility in the panel has been reduced.

The practical takeaway: still populate your Q&A section with accurate answers — especially for questions about service areas, licensing, payment methods, and response time. But the real leverage now is making sure your website content and your GBP are consistent and detailed, because that’s what AI Overviews pull from when they synthesize a response about your business.

6. The Products Section Used as a Services Showcase

This one surprises a lot of contractors. GBP has a “Products” section that most service businesses ignore because they don’t sell physical products. But Google allows service businesses to use it, and it displays prominently on your profile panel.

Use the Products section to list your core services as if they were offerings. Each entry gets a name, a photo, a description (up to 1,000 characters), and an optional price or price range. Link each one to the relevant page on your website. A roofing company could list “Asphalt Shingle Replacement,” “Flat Roof Installation,” and “Roof Inspection” as separate products — each with a real photo and a description of what’s included.

This expands your profile’s visual footprint, adds more indexed content, and gives homeowners more to engage with before they decide to call.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should a Google Business Profile business description be?

Google allows up to 750 characters. Aim to use at least 400–500 of them. Include your primary trade, the towns or counties you serve, and specific details about what makes your business the right fit — years in business, licensing, specializations. Avoid generic adjectives and filler language.

Do service-area businesses rank differently than address-based businesses on Google Maps?

Yes. Address-based businesses tend to rank more strongly in map results close to their physical location. Service-area businesses (SABs) trade that pin-proximity advantage for broader geographic reach across the towns and counties they list. If you serve customers at their location rather than at a storefront, an SAB setup is usually the better choice.

Does photo quantity actually affect Google Business Profile ranking?

Photo quantity correlates with profile engagement, and Google uses engagement signals as part of local ranking. Profiles with more frequent photo uploads tend to get more views and direction requests. A regularly updated photo library contributes to an actively managed profile, which Google rewards in local search.

If your GBP needs a full audit and rebuild, GroundSet’s Google Business Profile optimization service covers every field — description, services, service areas, photos, and the sections most agencies skip.

If you want the profile side of this cleaned up more deliberately, this page on Google Business Profile optimization for Massachusetts contractors explains how the listing, the website, and the trust signals should support each other.