A customer searches for “hair spa” in your area and a competitor shows up with that exact service listed on its profile, while yours has nothing to show. The reason is usually the Services section, which most business owners leave empty while the top listings fill it with dozens of services. If you want to add services to Google Business Profile the right way, this guide follows the method we use as a digital marketing company in Delhi, where this guide’s real data comes from. You’ll copy the top three’s service list, add services three ways and write descriptions customers actually read, as Part 3 of our “Google Maps Top 3” series.
Quick answer: Sign in to the Google account that manages your profile, search your business name and click Edit services. Tick every suggested service you really offer, use Add custom service for anything missing, and add a correct category to unlock more options. Then write a two-to-three-line description for each service.
Key takeaways
- The #1 salon for “salon in karol bagh” lists 100 services; three lower-ranked salons list zero.
- 17 of the top 20 listings had services, 452 different ones in total, about 44 per business.
- There are three ways to add services: suggested services, custom services and a new category.
- Custom service names with prices, phone numbers or keyword strings usually get rejected.
- Each description should be two to three lines, about 250 characters, with one natural area mention.
Contents
Why does the Services section matter on Google Maps?
Categories tell Google what type of business you are; services tell it exactly what you do. Google says that when someone searches for a service you have listed, it can be highlighted on your profile. Yet most owners leave this section empty, while the top listings add dozens of services with clear descriptions.
This builds on Part 2, because the categories you choose for your profile decide which service options Google offers you. With more searches ending on Google itself, as our playbook for winning traffic when searches end without a click explains, your profile is often a customer’s first look at you.
How many services do the top listings actually add?
Far more than most owners expect. In a Local Scan for “salon in karol bagh”, 17 of the top 20 listings had services, adding up to 452 different services, about 44 per business. The #1 salon lists 100. Among ranks 11 to 20, five list five or fewer, and three list none at all.
| Listing | Services listed | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| #1 salon | 100 | Every real service named, so it matches more searches |
| Top 20 average (17 with services) | About 44 | Dozens of services is normal for this area |
| Five salons ranked 11–20 | 5 or fewer | A thin list leaves service searches to competitors |
| Three salons ranked 11–20 | 0 | An empty section is a loss you don’t need to take |
To be fair, ranking doesn’t come from services alone. Reviews, distance and categories all work together, but an empty Services section is an easy gap to close.
Step 1: How do I find the services the top 3 list?
Use the FREE GMB Everywhere extension from Part 1’s Google Maps audit. Search your keyword with your area on Google Maps, click ⚡ Local Scan and open the Services tab. It shows how many businesses list services, the average and the highest, plus an “All Services” list you can copy in one click.
In Karol Bagh, the most common services were Haircut (12 of 20 businesses), Bridal services (11), and Blow dry, Body waxing and Facials (10 each). If you offer these and they’re missing from your profile, that’s your first gap.
Step 2: What are the three ways to add services?
Sign in with the Google account that manages your profile, search your business name on Google or open business.google.com, and click Edit services. From there you can tick suggested services, create custom ones, or add a new category that unlocks more options. Use all three to build a complete list.
- Suggested services: go to Edit services, then Add more services. Google suggests services based on your categories; tick every one you really offer and save.
- Custom services: if something isn’t listed, use Add custom service and type a simple name. Prices, phone numbers or odd names usually get rejected.
- A new category: in Edit services you can also add a business category. A correct one from Part 2 unlocks its own service options.
Keep names plain and honest. Google’s guidelines for how businesses are represented expect your profile to reflect your real business, and stuffed names work against you.
Step 3: How do I write a good service description?
Click a service, add a description and, if you like, a price, then save. Aim for two to three lines, about 250 characters, covering what the customer gets, who it is for, and one natural line with your area. Most competitors leave descriptions blank, so this is where you pull ahead.
For example: “Deep-conditioning hair spa for dry or frizzy hair, with a relaxing head massage and blow-dry. Book it at our Karol Bagh salon.” Simple, specific and useful.
Let keywords come in naturally. Google’s advice on writing for people first, not search engines applies here too: write for the customer, not for a keyword count.
Write in the language your customers use. Our guide on whether Indian businesses should create Hindi and Hinglish pages explains when that pays off.
Step 4: Can ChatGPT write my service descriptions?
It can write the first draft, which saves hours when you have 20 or 30 services. Give it your business name and type, area, the services you really offer, your categories and the competitor list from Local Scan. Then ask for one clean name and a different two-to-three-line description per service, in a table.
Tell it clearly: no false claims such as “number one” or “guaranteed”, and no copy-paste lines across services. Read every draft, remove any service you don’t offer and any untrue claim, then paste the rest in one by one. Worried about AI text? Our analysis of whether Google penalises service copy drafted with ChatGPT puts that fear in context.
“Jo kaam aap nahi karte, wo service listing par mat jodiye.” (Don’t list a service you don’t actually offer.)
— Deep Bhardwaj
Clear, specific service descriptions can also help AI search tools understand what you offer, which is part of our AI search optimisation work.
How do I keep the Services section clean over time?
Check it every two to three months, because Google sometimes adds services to your profile on its own, and remove anything that’s wrong. Measure two to three weeks after each update by running the same keyword-plus-area search. Results vary with your business, city and competition, so judge the trend, not single days.
Your website should match too. A page for each main service makes your listing easier to trust, and our website design and development team builds pages that way. The same clean list also makes a solid base for Google Ads campaigns, where each service can become its own ad group.
Which Services mistakes should I avoid?
The big ones are leaving the section empty, adding services you don’t offer because a competitor lists them, and putting prices, phone numbers or keyword strings in service names. Blank descriptions, or the same pasted lines in every description, waste the space where you could stand out from the listings above you.
- Never checking for services Google added on its own.
- Skipping categories, which decide the service options you get.
What comes after the Services section?
Reviews. Your customers already use the words people search for, and Part 4 shows how to find those keywords in your reviews. But first, take 30 minutes to add services to Google Business Profile properly: copy the top three’s list, keep only what you offer, and write a real description for each.
Prefer a quick check first? Ask for a free review of your Google profile and website, and we’ll point out which services and descriptions are missing.
Services that help with this
- Local SEO services: We build and maintain your Services section, descriptions and categories against the Top 3.
- AI SEO services: Make your services clear enough for Google, AI Overviews and AI assistants to describe correctly.
- Website design: Service pages on your site that match your profile’s service list.
TL;DR
- Services tell Google exactly what you do; categories only say what type of business you are.
- Copy the top three’s service list with Local Scan, but keep only what you really offer.
- Add services three ways and give each a short, specific, honest description.
- Check the section every two to three months and remove anything Google added wrongly.
Frequently asked questions
Should I show prices on my Google Business Profile services?
Prices are optional. Add them when they help customers decide quickly, for example a fixed-price haircut or a standard service package. If your price depends on the job, leave the price out and explain what affects the cost in the description instead. Whatever you show, keep it current, because an old price creates disappointment and can lead to poor reviews.
How many services should a local business list?
There is no fixed number. List every service a customer might search for by name, as long as you genuinely offer it today. A small clinic may have ten, while a full-service salon can have dozens. Split broad services into the specific ones people search for, such as “root canal” rather than only “dental treatment”, but never pad the list with work you don’t do.
Can a service-area business add services to Google Business Profile?
Yes. Businesses that visit customers, such as plumbers, pest control or home tutors, use the Services section in the same way as shops. Add each service with a short description, and set the areas you cover in your profile settings. Mentioning the main areas you serve naturally inside a few descriptions also helps customers see that you work near them.
Do Google Business Profile services help my website rank?
Not directly, because the profile and your website are ranked separately. They do support each other, though. When your website has a page for each main service, using the same names as your profile, Google sees a consistent picture of what you do, and customers who click through find the detail they expected. That consistency helps both your Maps listing and your website.
What is the difference between products and services on Google?
Services describe work you do, such as a facial, a repair or a consultation, with a name, description and optional price. Products are items you sell and usually come with a photo, price and category, so they suit shops more than service providers. Many businesses use both: a jewellery store, for example, can list products and also services such as ring resizing.
