If people find your business on Google Maps but can’t tell whether you offer the exact job they need, they move on to the next listing. Google Business Profile services and products fix that. They put a clear list of what you do, and what you sell, right on your profile.
For most businesses, setting them up takes less than an hour. You add services through the services editor. You pick from Google’s suggestions or write your own, then add descriptions and prices. If you sell physical goods, you also build a products section with photos and categories. In this guide I walk through each part, the policies that trip people up, and what I’d add for different types of business.
What Google Business Profile Services and Products Actually Are
Services and products are two separate sections of your Business Profile. They do different jobs, and not every business gets both.
- Services are a menu of the work you do: “boiler repair”, “teeth whitening”, “will writing”. Each one can have a description and a price. They are made for service businesses such as trades, clinics, salons and professional firms.
- Products are single items or product lines with a name, category, photo, optional price and description. They are made for local shops that sell physical goods.
Food and drink businesses usually get a menu editor instead of a services list. Hotels have their own amenities and booking features. What you see in your dashboard depends mainly on your business category. So if an option is missing, check your categories first. That’s always my first check when someone says the option isn’t there.
Who Can Use Each Section
Google says the services editor is available to businesses in certain categories, such as service businesses, and that it has limited availability. If your profile shows an “Edit services” option, you can use it. If you haven’t set up the profile itself yet, start with my Google Business Profile setup guide.
The product editor is aimed at local shops selling physical goods. Google says it suits you most if you don’t have a website where people can buy online, your products don’t have barcodes, or you don’t keep live stock data. Shops with barcoded stock can instead connect a point-of-sale system (the till system) through the Local Inventory app in supported countries. That adds in-store products automatically.
How to Add Services to Your Google Business Profile
You edit services from the same place you edit the rest of your profile. Sign in to the Google account that manages the profile. Then search for your business name on Google, or open the Google Maps app and tap Business. You’ll see the profile management panel.
- Select Edit services. On some layouts it sits under “Edit profile”, in a section with a name like “Menu or services”.
- Look through the suggested services Google lists for your category. Tick every one you really offer.
- If something you offer isn’t listed, select Add more services, then Add custom service, and type the name.
- Select Save.
- Open each service you added to write a description and add a price, then save again.
Google reviews edits before they appear, so don’t worry if a change doesn’t show up right away. Google’s own services help page lists the current menu labels if your screen looks different.
Predefined Services Versus Custom Services
Predefined services are the suggestions Google shows based on your business categories. A plumber might see options such as drain cleaning, leak repair and water heater installation. They are quick to add, and they use wording Google already links with your category.
Custom services are ones you name yourself. Use them for work that isn’t in the suggestions, or for a more specific version of a common service. Examples are “same-day emergency boiler repair” or “invisible braces consultation”.
My approach is simple. Add every predefined service that’s accurate first, then fill the gaps with custom services. Don’t add a custom service that just repeats a predefined one in different words.
Group Services Under Categories
Services are grouped by business category. Your primary category gets its own group, and each extra category you add brings its own set of suggestions.
To add a group, select Edit services, then Add a new business category. Choose the category and add the services that sit under it. Only add categories that describe what your business really is. Adding a category just to get more service suggestions gives a false picture of the business. It can also lead to edits or rejections. I see this mistake often, and I always advise against it.
Rules for Naming Custom Services
Google automatically rejects custom services that break its policies. In practice, the main causes are easy to avoid. Keep these out of custom service names:
- Prices, discounts or offers (“Boiler service £79”).
- Phone numbers, email addresses or URLs.
- Personal information about anyone.
- Swear words, gibberish or strings of keywords.
Write the name the way a customer would say it out loud. “Roof leak repair” works. “Best cheap roof leak repair Manchester call now” does not. It reads badly even if it gets through.
Writing Service Descriptions That Help Customers Decide
In my experience, the description is where most profiles miss out. Many businesses add a long list of service names and never open them to write anything underneath.
A good service description answers the questions a customer would otherwise call to ask. Aim for two or three plain sentences that cover:
- What’s included. “Full inspection of the boiler, flue and controls, with a written report.”
- Who it’s for. “For homeowners and landlords who need an annual safety check.”
- How it works. “Most visits take about an hour. We book slots Monday to Saturday.”
Here’s a quick before-and-after for a dental clinic.
Weak: “Teeth whitening. Best whitening in town. Book now.”
Better: “In-chair whitening with a take-home top-up kit. We check your teeth and gums first to make sure whitening is suitable. Appointments take around 90 minutes.”
The same rules as service names apply: no phone numbers, links or shouty sales lines. Keep the description true to what you actually deliver, because customers will hold you to it.
Adding Prices to Services
Each service can show a price. Depending on the service and your region, you may be able to choose a fixed price, a starting price (“from”), or a price range. You can also leave it with no price at all.
Showing prices is a business choice, not a technical one. Some points to think about:
- Fixed-price services such as an MOT, a haircut or a standard consultation are good choices. A visible price filters out people who aren’t a fit and answers the most common question.
- Variable jobs such as renovations or legal matters are better shown as a “from” price or left blank. Use the description to explain what affects the cost.
- Accuracy matters. A price on your profile that doesn’t match your website or your quote causes friction. Update it whenever your price list changes.
Never put the price in the service name. Use the price field. That’s what it’s there for.
How to Add Products to Your Business Profile
The products section works more like a small catalogue. Each product gets its own card with an image. It takes more effort than services, but it also looks more visual on the profile.
- Sign in and open your Business Profile management panel.
- Select Edit products. If a Merchant Center account is already linked to the profile, you’ll be offered the option to manage products there instead.
- Upload a product photo.
- Enter the product name and choose or create a product category.
- Add a price or price range if you want to show one, and a description.
- If you like, add a button, such as a link to order or learn more, pointing to the matching page on your website.
- Select Publish.
To change or remove a product later, go back to Edit products and select the product. Either edit the fields and publish again, or choose Delete from the menu. Google’s product editor help page explains who the editor is made for and the other options.
Product Categories
Product categories are your own groups, not Google’s business categories. They help shoppers scan the section. A bike shop might use “Road bikes”, “Kids’ bikes”, “Helmets” and “Repairs and servicing parts”.
Keep the list short and obvious. Five clear categories beat fifteen that each hold one product. Use the same names a shopper would use, and avoid internal stock codes or brand jargon.
Product Images
The photo is the first thing people see, so it does most of the work. A few practical rules I follow:
- Show the actual product on a clean, plain background, well lit and in focus.
- Use your own photos, or images you have the right to use. Don’t add text, phone numbers or watermarks across the product.
- Keep the main subject in the centre, so it still reads when the image is cropped into a small thumbnail.
- Use the same style across products so the section looks planned.
Product Names, Descriptions and Links
Name the product the way a customer searches for it: brand, product type and key variant. “Kids’ 20-inch mountain bike” is better than “Model MX20” or “Our best-selling bike”.
Use the description for the details that matter when someone is deciding: size, materials, what’s included, and whether it’s in stock in the shop or made to order. If you link a button to your site, send people to the exact product or category page, not your homepage. The page they land on should have a clear title and matching information. Our guide to writing title tags Google keeps helps there.
How Services and Products Appear on Your Profile
Where these sections show depends on the device and the Google surface. Google also changes the layout from time to time. As a general guide:
- Services show as a “Services” list in Google Maps, grouped by category, with descriptions and prices when you’ve added them. On mobile search results they usually show in a services area or tab on your profile.
- Products show in a products area on your Business Profile in Google Search, as cards with images. Tapping a product opens its details and any button you added.
The quickest way to check is to search for your business name on your phone. Open your profile in both Google Search and the Maps app. Look at it the way a customer would, and fix anything that is unclear or out of date. I do this phone check after every round of edits.
Policies to Know Before You Publish
Services and products follow the same overall rules as the rest of your profile. Everything must show your business accurately and follow Google’s prohibited and restricted content policies.
A few points apply only to these sections:
- Custom services that break policy are rejected automatically.
- Products must follow Google’s Shopping ads policies. Google warns that adding products that break its policy can lead to all of the products you uploaded being removed, not just the bad one.
- Restricted goods such as tobacco, weapons or prescription medicines can’t be shown. Shops in sensitive categories may still be able to list items that aren’t restricted.
- “Not approved” products show the reason when you open them. After you edit and save, Google says the product is reviewed again within 24 hours. You can also request a review if you think the decision is wrong.
- Suspended profiles show every product as not approved until the profile is reinstated.
The safest habit is to describe things plainly and accurately. Almost every rejection comes from sales-style wording, contact details in the wrong field, or restricted items.
Do Services and Products Help You Rank?
Be careful with claims here. Google hasn’t said that adding services or products directly improves local rankings.
What Google does say is that local results are based mainly on relevance, distance and prominence. It also says complete, accurate business information helps it match your profile to relevant searches. Services and products are part of that information. For shops, Google also says showing in-store products may help those products appear in local search results.
So I treat these sections first as a way to help customers choose you once they’ve found you. Keep that separate from your website’s organic performance. If your web traffic is moving while Google’s June 2025 core update rolls out, profile edits are not the cause or the fix.
Tips by Business Type
Trades and Home Services
List every separate job you’d quote for, from boiler servicing to bathroom fitting. Use descriptions to say whether you cover emergencies, weekends, and home or commercial work. “From” prices work well for call-out fees and standard jobs.
Healthcare, Dental and Beauty
Add each treatment on its own, because people search for the treatment, not the type of clinic. Explain who each treatment suits and how long appointments take. Don’t promise results in descriptions.
Professional Services
Law firms, accountants and consultants should break broad practice areas into the specific matters clients bring. Examples are conveyancing, tax returns for sole traders and employment tribunal advice. Many prefer to leave prices blank and describe the first step instead, such as a fixed-fee first consultation if you offer one.
Retail Stores
Start with your bestsellers and the product lines that make you different from the big chains. If you have barcoded stock and live stock levels, look at the Local Inventory app route, so you aren’t keeping products up to date by hand.
Service Businesses That Also Sell Products
A garage that sells tyres or a salon that sells hair care can use both sections if both are available. Keep the jobs in services and the physical goods in products. Don’t repeat the same item in both.
Multi-Location Businesses
Keep one central spreadsheet of service names, descriptions and prices, so every location stays consistent. Only list services at locations that actually offer them.
Keeping the Sections Accurate Over Time
Services and products aren’t a one-off job. I suggest setting a reminder to review them every few months, and whenever your prices or range change.
- Check the suggested services list for new options that match what you do.
- Remove anything you no longer offer, and any service you don’t remember adding.
- Replace seasonal or discontinued products, and check that every product button still leads to a live page.
- Compare profile prices with your website and current price list.
Conclusion
Google Business Profile services and products turn a basic listing into something closer to a shop window. Add every accurate predefined service, and fill the gaps with plainly named custom services. Write short descriptions that answer real questions, and show prices where they help. If you sell physical goods, build a tidy products section with good photos and links to the right pages.
Your next step: open your profile on your phone today, list what’s missing, and spend half an hour filling the gaps. Then put a review every three months in your calendar, so the information stays as accurate as the day you added it.
