By now, you’ve most likely set up your firm’s Google Business Listing to help new clients find your firm. While you can often generate a lot of traffic to your site with your Business Listing, there are some mistakes that can be detrimental.

Here are our top four mistakes to avoid on your firm’s Google Business Listing:

1. Your information is incorrect or missing

It never hurts to go back and double check the information that was first posted on your Google Business Listing. Make sure your physical location is listed and correct. You don’t want potential clients driving to the wrong location to find that it’s not your office or arrive at a location you only use for scheduled meetings. Keep the address on your business listing consistent with the address on your website.

Your name should be listed as your real business name, not your name with part of your location or other keywords you want to rank for in it. This may cause your firm’s listing to be flagged, and if you are flagged more than once your firm may suspended and you can lose your firm’s search visibility.

Double check that your hours are correct. Don’t say you are open 24 hours if you aren’t answering the phone after 5. You’ll want the hours listed to be those that you will take clients at your office. You also don’t want to lose a potential client who calls at 2 AM expecting to speak with someone because your business is listed as open.

You also should have a correct phone number listed. Not only will this give potential clients an easy way to contact you, but you will be able to track how often clients call your firm via your listing. You’ll be able to what days and hours you receive the most calls from your listing.

When listing a phone number, use a local number and not an 800 number. If someone is looking for a personal injury attorney in Boston, they will most likely be inclined to call a “617” number, as that is the local area code instead of an 800 number.

2. There are no photos

You are able to add photos to your listing. Adding photos help illustrate what your firm is like. Add your firm’s logo plus photos of your attorney’s and staff. If possible, add some of the attorney’s working with clients and/or your firm engaging with the community. Add pictures of both the outside of the office as well as the inside.

All photos you add should help paint a positive view of the firm and help a client feel comfortable with your firm before even contacting your firm. These photos can even appear in Google searches when someone searches your firm’s name.

3. You haven’t linked your firm’s website

Linking to your website is vital for your business listing and your website. This helps potential clients easily navigate to your website. The reason for having a Google listing is for potential clients to find you, but if they then cannot easily find your site they may continue their search and select one of your competitors.

If someone searches “personal injury attorney near me” and finds your Google Business Listing but can’t click the link to your firm’s site, they will likely continue looking down the list of firms, risking them working with a competitor rather than you.

4. You don’t have reviews

Google reviews are listed immediately after your firm’s name on your Google Business Listing, showing your average rating out of five stars. If you don’t have any reviews, then simply “No reviews yet” is listed underneath. This empty field could lead potential clients to believe no one has had a positive experience with your firm or that you are not credible.

Someone searching for a Social Security lawyer scrolling through a list of SSDI lawyers in their area will be more inclined to select an attorney that has reviews than not. Being able to see and read about the great experiences someone has had with your firm can help a potential client choose to work with your firm.

Updating your business listing will not only help sway clients to work with your firm, but an accurate and up-to-date business listing can help with your local search. Take ten minutes to read through your firm’s listing and make the necessary changes and additions.