The Roofer’s Guide to a Kickass Google Business Profile

A homeowner finds roof damage. They search for local roofers. They’re ready to hire.

…But the first thing they see isn’t your website. It’s your Google Business Profile.

If your profile is missing or broken, womp womp. That customer’s gonna call someone else. But if it’s set up well, it’ll bring you steady work over time without a dime spent on ads.

There are plenty of basic GBP how-tos out there (ho hum). But here’s how to make your GBP really shine for your roofing business. Read on, roofers.

What is a Google Business Profile?

Google Business Profile (GBP) is Google’s free tool for showing your business info in search results and on Google Maps. It used to be called Google My Business (GMB), so you’ll still see it called that in a lot of places.

You’ve seen these listings before. Search for a restaurant, auto shop, any local business, and you’ll see a box with their address, contact info, hours, reviews, and photos. That’s a Google Business Profile.

For a roofing company, that box is prime real estate.

If you haven’t claimed yours yet, well, it’s a good thing you’re reading this article. Getting one of these suckers set up properly is key to helping potential customers find you and trust you with their roof.

Why it matters for local roofing businesses

Roofing is very much a local, trust-based business. People aren’t looking for a contractor two states away. They want a neighborhood roofer who can start fast and do the job right.

A proper roofing business profile makes that decision way easier. It gives customers an easy instant solution within seconds of their search. A good GBP:

• Shows your business info without making customers dig for it.
• Builds immediate trust and credibility with user reviews and real photos.
• Helps you show up in Google Maps searches.
• Makes you look like a real professional.

Tip: Even if most of your work comes from referrals, a strong Google Business Profile makes those referrals more likely to call. People will still Google your business to size you up before reaching out.

How to set up your Google Business Profile

Setting it up doesn’t take too long, but it’s easy to miss a detail or make a mistake. So you’ll want to do it right from the start. (And if you have an outdated one, it’s smart to get it updated regularly.)

1. Start here – Head to the Google Business Profile site and hit “Start now.”
2. Enter your info – Use your real business name, exactly as it appears on your branding and website.
3. Pick your business category – You’ll want “Roofing Contractor.”
4. Add your service area – Put in your central address and the radius you serve. Make that radius nice and large if you don’t mind driving out a ways for jobs.
5. Add your contact details – Phone, website, email. Don’t skip these.
6. Verify your business – Here’s where things get interesting. Google will ask for your mailing address, then send you a postcard with a code. This part can take a few weeks (or a few tries), so start early. And be patient with the postal service.
7. List your services – Roof repair, installation, inspection, gutter work, venting, etc.
8. Add photos – No seriously, add photos. This is important. Add your logo, crew photos, job site images, before-and-after shots (with permission). Anything that shows customers you’re real.

Tip: Use photo file names like roof-replacement-chicago.jpg instead of garbage nonsense. Google can read filenames, so it may give you a tiny SEO boost.

Match your profile to your website

Your Google profile and your website should tell the exact same story. Your GBP isn’t the place to get creative or cheeky. It’s a summary of professional information, not an ad, exactly.

That means your name, logo, contact info, and branding should be consistent. If your website says “Brella Roofing LLC,” but your profile says “Brella Roofs,” Google (and your customers) WILL get confused.

If you don’t have a site yet, now’s the time to get one. And it makes setting up your GBP easier, too.

Set up a simple one-page website with your logo, contact details, and photos of your work. It doesn’t need to be fancy — in fact, our data shows a simple one-page site is actually best. Just make it clean, easy to read, and mobile-friendly.

Tip: If you run seasonal promotions (and you should), update both your website and your GBP at the same time. That way, you stay up to date everywhere.

Test your profile

Once your profile is live, check it.

• Search for your business from your phone and computer.
• Use private/incognito mode on your browser to see what others will see.
• Ask friends in your service area to search “roofing near me” and see if you appear.
• Check Google Maps to see how it looks there, too.

Google search does sometimes pull in the wrong info or mix up businesses with similar names. It happens more than you think, and it can really throw customers off. So if something looks wrong, fix it quickly. If you can’t figure it out yourself, report it to Google or contact their service team.

Tip: Review your GBP every month. Small changes, like updating service areas or swapping in new photos, can make a big difference for your online reputation.

Reviews: the most powerful part of your profile

Alright, let’s get to the good stuff. Once the basics are set up, your main job is getting good customer reviews.

These are IMPORTANT. Folks will usually peace out if you don’t have at least a 4-star average. When you only have a few reviews, even one bad review can be devastating.

Thankfully, if your service is great, you should have no problem asking for google reviews. Many happy customers will gladly give five stars if you ask for it. They just need a reason and a reminder.

Here’s how to handle reviews:

• Make a habit of asking every customer to leave one.
• Make it easy with a direct link.
• Reply to every review, even short ones.
• For negative reviews, always take the high road and try to fix the issue. If you fix it, ask the customer to update their review.

If your customers are often unhappy and you’re scared to ask for reviews, get that fixed first. Great service = business growth.

Tip: Keep a short “review request” script handy for your crew. They can say it on site before leaving:

     “If you were happy with the work, we’d really appreciate a quick Google review. It helps us out a lot.”

Automate review requests

It’s easy to neglect reviews, or to forget to ask for them when you’re busy. That’s where automation becomes a massive time-saver (and long-term money-maker).

• Schedule friendly emails and texts to send a few days after each job wraps up.
• Keep it simple: “Thanks for trusting us with your roof! Could you take a sec to leave a quick review? It helps more local homeowners find us.”
• Ask while the experience is fresh — within a week or two.
• A great roofing CRM like Roofr can handle this for you, so you don’t have to remember each time. Set up email and text templates, link them to each job, and they'll send when you want them to.

Thanks to the Ben Franklin effect, asking customers to do you a favor by leaving a review actually makes them more likely to refer you. So don't be afraid to ask!

Tip: Once you have some positive reviews, your business profile should be your pride and joy. Put reviews on your website, on proposals, social media — everywhere.

Check out our own website for an example of how to use good reviews. We have a whole page dedicated to it because we're proud that customers love our tech. It builds trust and shows roofers we're serious about great customer support. Do the same for your own roofing business, and you’ll win new customers in a flash.

Keep it active

Google favors businesses that keep their profiles fresh. So:

• Add new photos regularly.
• Post updates and seasonal offers.
• Answer any questions customers leave on your profile — never leave a question or comment ignored.

It’s best to treat your GBP like a mini social media page. Post quick updates after big projects, share “before and after” photos, and announce new info before busy seasons.

Your roofing business profile is your lifeline

Until you have a marketing budget, your Google Business Profile is how potential customers find you online. If it’s complete, accurate, and full of solid reviews, you’ll get more calls. It’s that easy.

Start by claiming your profile, verifying it with that postcard, and filling out every detail. Then keep it updated and keep those reviews coming in.

And if you want to make the process easier, Roofr can help:

• Ask for reviews automatically.
• Send polished proposals.
• Get instant estimates and material ordering.
• Keep your business professional at every step.

Sound good? If you’re interested, let’s talk.