The short version
- Google Business Profile helps people find you when they search. A Facebook Page helps them decide you're open and worth calling.
- If you have to pick one first, set up Google Business Profile, because it works even when nobody has heard of you yet.
- Most local customers check both before they call, so a stale page on either one costs you.
- 20 minutes a month is enough to keep both current: hours, photos, one post and a look at new reviews.
You searched google business profile vs facebook page because you don't have time to run both. Fair. You're busy doing the actual job.
Here's the short answer: they do different work, so you want both. One gets you found. The other shows you're alive. Below is what each is for, which one to start with and a small monthly routine that keeps both from going stale.
What each one is for
Think of Google Business Profile as your listing in the phone book that everyone actually uses. Think of your Facebook Page as the front window of the shop. Both matter, for different reasons.
| Google Business Profile | Facebook Page | |
|---|---|---|
| Main job | Get found when someone searches for what you do | Show you're open, active and real |
| Where people see it | Google Search and Google Maps | Facebook, in the feed and on your Page |
| What it holds | Hours, address, phone, photos, reviews, services | Posts, photos, updates, comments, messages |
| Who finds you | People who don't know you yet | Neighbors, regulars and people checking you out |
| How often it changes | A few times a year, plus new reviews | Every week, ideally |
| Effort | Low once it's set up | Steady, small and ongoing |
A customer might find you on Google, then check your Facebook Page to see if you look real. That second look is where a quiet page loses the job.
Which one should you set up first?
Start with Google Business Profile if you can only do one this week. It works while you sleep, it doesn't need a post every week and it's where "near me" searches land.
- Choose Google first if you serve a local area (a plumber, an HVAC shop, a barber, a cleaner) and customers search when they need you.
- Choose Facebook first if you sell on word of mouth, run specials, post photos of finished work or have a lot of regulars.
- Not sure? Google first, then Facebook the same month. Neither one takes long.
If you don't have a Page yet, here's how to set up a Facebook business Page. And if you're wondering whether your own profile will do, it won't. See Facebook Page vs personal profile for business.
Get the basics right on both
Most problems come from one thing: the 2 places say different things. Fix that first.
- Same business name, spelled the same way, in both places.
- Same phone number and the same address (or service area).
- Same hours, including holiday hours when they change.
- Same logo and a recent photo of your van, shop or crew.
- A link from each one to the other, and to your website if you have one.
Where reviews fit in
Reviews show up on both places, and customers read them before they call. Google reviews tend to matter most for people who found you by searching. Facebook recommendations matter more to people who already know your name.
Don't wait for them to come in on their own. Ask at the right moment, with the right words. Here are scripts in how to ask customers for reviews. And if one comes in bad, read how to respond to negative reviews before you reply.
A 20-minute monthly routine
Set a reminder for the first Monday of the month. Put the phone down at the end of 20 minutes, even if you're not done. Done a little each month beats done perfectly once.
Check the basics (3 minutes)
Open both listings. Look at your hours, phone number and address. Fix anything that's changed, like a new holiday schedule.
Add 3 to 5 new photos (5 minutes)
Upload fresh photos of recent jobs, the shop or the crew to Google. Use real ones from your phone, not stock. Pick the best 1 or 2 for a Facebook post. Our guide on how to take good photos for your business page helps.
Read and answer new reviews (7 minutes)
Reply to every review on both places, good or bad. A short thank-you with one real detail is enough. Skip anything you can't answer calmly until tomorrow.
Post a Google update or offer (2 minutes)
If you have a special, a seasonal reminder or new hours, put a short update on your Google listing. If you have nothing new, skip this step.
Plan this month's Facebook posts (3 minutes)
Write down 4 to 12 post ideas for the month. Not sure what to put? Use what to post on your business Facebook Page.
Copy this monthly checklist into your phone notes
First Monday, 20 minutes [ ] Hours and phone correct on Google and Facebook [ ] 3 to 5 new photos added [ ] Every new review answered [ ] One update on Google, if I have news [ ] Facebook posts planned for the month [ ] Anything I changed: [write it here]
Mistakes that make a local business look closed
Do
- Keep hours and phone identical on both.
- Answer every review, even with one line.
- Add real photos a few times a year.
- Post on Facebook on a steady schedule. Our guide on [how often a business should post on Facebook](/articles/how-often-should-a-business-post-on-facebook) has a plain answer.
Don't
- Set up Google and never look at it again.
- Let your Facebook Page sit with a holiday graphic for 5 months.
- Ignore a bad review for a week.
- Copy and paste the same reply to every review.