Products and Services sections on your Google Business Profile often left blank? Here's how to fill them in to capture precise searches and convert more local customers.
When people think about optimizing a Google Business Profile, they usually think about photos, reviews, or hours. The Products and Services sections tend to come last — or get skipped entirely. That’s a concrete missed opportunity: these sections allow your listing to show up for highly specific searches that your competitors probably aren’t covering yet.
This article explains the difference between the two sections, which type of business should prioritize which, and how to write entries that genuinely inform the customer — without stuffing them with keywords.
Google draws a clear line between the two sections, and it’s worth respecting that distinction.
The Products section is designed for physical or digital items you sell directly: a bike part, a hair care product, a bottle of wine, an online subscription. Each product has a name, a description, an optional price, and a link (to a purchase or detail page).
The Services section is built for what you do: cutting hair, replacing a transmission, cleaning ventilation ducts, preparing a tax return. Services can be grouped into categories, and each one can have its own description.
The practical rule: if a customer leaves with something in their hands, it’s a product. If you perform work or deliver a service, it belongs in Services.
Some businesses have both — a salon that also sells shampoo, a garage that sells parts. In that case, use both sections. But don’t duplicate: don’t list “women’s haircut” under Products AND Services.
The answer depends on your business model.
Prioritize the Services section if you are: - A residential service provider (plumbing, electrical, moving, cleaning) - A healthcare professional (clinic, physiotherapist, optometrist) - A beauty business (hair salon, spa, barber) - A repair shop (auto garage, electronics repair) - A professional services office (accountant, notary, consultant)
Prioritize the Products section if you are: - A retail business (clothing boutique, fine grocery, pet store) - A restaurant or café offering takeout items or retail products - A bookstore, independent pharmacy, or florist
Both sections are worth filling if you are: - A salon that also sells hair care products - A garage that offers services AND sells parts or accessories - A bakery that sells retail items AND takes custom orders (custom cakes = a service)
Google allows you to create service categories and add individual items within them. This is where most small businesses make the mistake of dumping everything in with no logic.
Create categories that reflect your service lines, not your org chart. A plumber might organize like this:
Each individual service can have a description of around 300 characters. Use that space to clarify: the type of client, the area covered, what’s included, or what sets your work apart.
Example to avoid:
“Professional plumbing for all your needs.”
Useful example:
“Electric or gas water heater replacement, all brands. Travel included within 50 km of Quebec City. Available weekdays and Saturday mornings.”
The second version answers real questions. The first says nothing.
Google’s Products section works like a mini storefront. It can appear directly in the listing panel or under the “Products” tab — depending on the device and the search query.
Each product entry includes: - A name (be specific: “Sulfate-free shampoo 250 ml” rather than “Shampoo”) - A description (max ~1,000 characters, but aim for 150–300 for readability) - A price (optional, but useful for filtering basic price questions out of direct messages) - A link to a product or order page
What works in a product description: - What it concretely does - Who it’s for (sensitive skin, diesel vehicles, small pets, etc.) - What makes it different from a generic alternative - How to get it (in-store only, available for delivery, must be ordered in advance)
What doesn’t help: - Repeating the product name three times in the description - Using filler phrases like “superior quality” or “best choice” - Listing keywords without context
The goal is for a customer reading the description to immediately know whether the product suits them — and how to get it.
Here’s what we most often see on local business listings:
1. Leaving the sections blank Google may auto-suggest services based on your primary category. These suggestions aren’t always accurate, and you lose control over what’s displayed. It’s better to fill them in yourself.
2. Copy-pasting the same description everywhere If all your services have the same generic description, Google and your customers get the same signal: you didn’t take the time. Each entry deserves a distinct description.
3. Skipping prices when they’re available Prices aren’t required, but including them reduces back-and-forth on basic questions. For fixed-rate services (standard inspection, children’s haircut, annual checkup), showing a price qualifies the customer before they even contact you.
4. Putting services under Products (or vice versa) This creates confusion in Google’s interface and can affect how your listing is interpreted.
5. Never updating entries Your services change, and so do your prices. An entry with an outdated rate or a discontinued product sends a poor signal. Schedule a quarterly review.
Properly filling out the Products and Services sections has two direct effects:
1. You show up for long-tail searches A listing that includes “residential ventilation duct cleaning” is more likely to appear when someone searches for exactly that — compared to a listing that only says “cleaning company.” Google indexes the content of your listing, including service and product names and descriptions.
2. You reduce friction before contact A customer who sees your service listed, with a clear description and an indicative price, has already answered their main questions. They’re closer to calling or sending a message than someone who has to go look for that information elsewhere.
These two effects combined — better visibility on precise queries, less friction at the moment of contact — translate into better-qualified leads.
Filling out the Products and Services sections is not a one-time task. Here’s a reasonable cadence:
Google favors active listings. A regularly updated listing — even modestly — is a positive signal.
The Products and Services sections on your Google Business Profile are not boxes to check just to say you’ve done it. Filled in properly, they expand your footprint on targeted searches and give customers the information they need to choose to contact you.
The difference between a listing that converts and one that stagnates often comes down to these details that nobody takes the time to polish. Spend thirty minutes this week reviewing your Products and Services sections — you’ll likely find gaps that your competitors haven’t noticed yet either.
Is your Google Business Profile fully optimized? Get a free audit of your Google listing and find out exactly what’s holding back your local visibility — no commitment required.