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Google Business Profile for Tradesmen in Ireland: A Setup Guide

When someone searches "electrician near me" or "boiler service Galway", the businesses that show up on the map come from Google Business Profile. It's free, it takes an evening to set up properly, and for a lot of trades it's the first thing a new customer sees.

Adam O'Brien · 6 min read

Setting up a Google Business Profile as a tradesman in Ireland comes down to five things: create or claim the profile, hide your home address and list the areas you cover, pick the right category, fill in your services and photos, and get verified. Most trades work from home or a yard customers never visit, so the address and service area settings are where people most often go wrong. The rest of this guide walks through each step, using Google's own help pages.

Step 1: Create or claim your profile

You need a Google account. Google says you can use a new Gmail or an existing account under any email address, and it's easier to manage if it's tied to your business email rather than a personal one you might lose access to.

First, search your business name on Google Maps. If a listing already exists (sometimes one gets created automatically), claim it from there. If nothing exists, go to business.google.com/add and follow the steps. Google doesn't charge for any of this.

One rule to know before you start: Google only lists businesses that meet customers in person during their stated hours. Every trade that goes out to jobs qualifies.

Step 2: Hide your home address and set a service area

If customers don't come to you, Google calls you a service-area business. That means you can, and should, hide your address. In your profile go to Edit profile, then Location, select edit next to Business location and turn off Show business address to customers.

Then set your service area. Google lets you add up to 20 areas, based on towns, cities, postcodes or other places you serve, and says your overall area shouldn't stretch beyond about two hours' drive from your base. In practice, list the towns you actually want work in, not the whole country. If you hide your address and don't add a service area, Google picks a local area for you, so set it yourself.

You still enter your real address. Google uses it to verify the business, it just isn't shown publicly.

Step 3: Get the name and category right

This is where a lot of trades profiles get into trouble. Google's guidelines say your business name must match your real-world name, the one on your van, invoices and website. Adding extras like "Plumber Cork 24/7 Emergency" when your business is called "Murphy Plumbing" isn't allowed, and Google says it can lead to the profile being suspended. Changing your name after verification can also mean verifying again.

Keywords belong in your category, services and description instead. Pick a primary category that is as specific as possible for your main work (Electrician, Plumber, Roofing contractor and so on). Google advises using as few categories as you need to describe your core business, so add secondary ones only for work you genuinely do.

Step 4: Fill in services, description and photos

Services

Under Edit services you can pick from Google's suggestions or add your own, with an optional description and price for each. List the jobs people actually search for: boiler servicing, fuse board upgrades, gutter repairs, EV charger installs. This is the honest way to show up for more searches.

Description

You get up to 750 characters. Google suggests covering what you offer, what makes you different and how long you've been going, and says to leave out prices, promotions and web links. Write it like you'd explain your business to a neighbour: the work you do, the areas you cover, whether you're registered or certified for it.

Photos

Photos only show once the profile is verified. Google's photo tips recommend images that are in focus, well lit and not heavily filtered. For a trade, that means your van, your team, and before and after shots of real jobs. Take them as you go, rather than trying to find them in your camera roll a year later. If you already keep job photos on your job sheets, you've got a ready supply.

Step 5: Get verified

Google decides which verification method you're offered. For service-area businesses, it's often a video. According to Google's help page, the video has to be recorded live on a phone or tablet in one take, unedited, and at least 30 seconds long. Pre-recorded clips aren't accepted.

For a service-area business, Google asks you to show street signs, landmarks or other identifiers near your business address, plus proof the business is real, such as your tools, equipment, business cards or branded clothing. A signwritten van is ideal. If a video is rejected, Google says you can record a new one and it will tell you why the first one failed.

Practical tip: plan the shot before you press record. Start at a street sign, walk to the van, open it up to show your gear, and finish on something with your business name on it.

Keeping your Google Business Profile working for you

Google says local results are based on three things: relevance (how well your profile matches the search), distance and prominence (how well known your business is). You can't change distance, but you can control the other two. Keep your hours, phone number and services accurate, and keep the reviews coming in. Google's own advice is that more reviews and positive ratings can help your local ranking.

Reviews are the part most trades let slide, because asking after every job is easy to forget. We've written a full guide on how to get more Google reviews for your trades business, including how to get your review link and what you're not allowed to do.

The other thing to watch is what happens after someone finds you. A profile that brings in calls is only worth it if those calls get answered and followed up. If you're on the tools all day, that's where things slip.

Where FlashBooked fits

Google Business Profile gets you found. FlashBooked builds custom systems for Irish trades that handle what comes next: every call, message and enquiry in one place, quotes followed up, jobs scheduled, and a review request sent once the job is done. See how it works for plumbers and electricians, or how our CRM for trades keeps every enquiry from slipping through.

Common questions

Is Google Business Profile free for tradesmen?

Yes. Google doesn't charge to add, claim or manage a Business Profile. You need a Google account and a business that meets customers in person, which every trade does.

Do I have to show my home address on Google?

No. If customers don't come to you, you're a service-area business. Google lets you turn off "Show business address to customers" and list the towns or areas you cover instead. You still enter your real address for verification, but it isn't shown publicly.

Can I put keywords like "plumber Cork" in my business name?

No. Google's guidelines say the name must match your real-world business name as it appears on your van, invoices and website. Adding services or locations that aren't part of your real name breaks the rules and can get the profile suspended.

How do tradesmen verify a Google Business Profile?

Google picks the method. For many service-area businesses it's a short, unedited video recorded live on your phone, showing street signs or landmarks near your base and proof of the business, such as your branded van, tools or equipment.