The essentials
- Three profiles: the freelancer (flexible, €80 to €150 a month), the local-SEO agency (well equipped, with reporting, €150 to €300), the software platform (you keep control, €20 to €100).
- The decisive criterion: the supplier measures and shows local pack rankings and the enquiries generated, not just views.
- Non-negotiable: you remain the listing's primary owner; the supplier is added as a manager.
- Warning signs: a promise of first place, reviews "supplied", a 12-month commitment with no way out, false addresses.
Delegating the management of your Google Business Profile listing makes sense as soon as time is short or local competition is strong. The market is full of freelancers, local agencies, general SEO agencies and cold callers who sometimes present themselves as "Google partners". This guide gives the criteria for sorting them, the questions to ask and the clauses to demand.
The three supplier profiles
| Profile | Strengths | Limits | Monthly budget excl. VAT |
|---|---|---|---|
| A local-SEO freelancer | Responsive, a direct contact, often knows your sector or your town | Limited capacity, dependence on one person, variable tooling | €80 to €150 / listing |
| A local SEO agency | Grid rank tracking tools, a review collection process, reporting, multi-listing management | More expensive, sometimes a changing contact | €150 to €300 / listing, tapering for a network |
| A software platform | You keep control, low cost, centralised publishing and tracking | Requires internal time and someone responsible | €20 to €100 |
The detailed ranges are in how much professional listing management costs. A general SEO agency can suit if it genuinely practises local SEO; ask for examples of listings managed, not sites.
The ten questions to ask
- Which listings have you managed for more than six months? Ask for two examples and look at them: recent photos, responses to reviews, posts, questions and answers kept up.
- How do you measure results? The right answer cites local pack rankings by geographic point (grid tracking), calls, directions and clicks to the site. An answer limited to "views" isn't enough; see measuring your listing's performance.
- How do you choose the primary category? Expect a method: analysis of the categories of the competitors ranking, and testing.
- What do you do about reviews? A response to every review within a few days, and a collection process aimed at your real customers. Any mention of reviews "supplied" or "bought" disqualifies them; see collecting quality reviews.
- Do you handle NAP consistency and citations? A serious supplier checks the directories and corrects inconsistencies.
- How often do you post and add photos? A post a week and photos every month is the standard.
- Do you monitor edits suggested by third parties? Google sometimes applies changes suggested by users (hours, category); they have to be caught.
- Who owns the listing? You, always. The supplier is a manager.
- What happens at the end of the contract? You keep the listing, the access, the photos and the reporting history.
- What reporting, how often? Monthly, with rankings, enquiries and actions taken; the metrics are listed in the local SEO KPIs.
The warning signs
- "Official Google partner" for the listing: Google has no partner programme for Google Business Profile. The Google Partner badge concerns Google Ads only.
- A promise of first place: nobody controls the ranking, which depends partly on distance.
- Persistent cold calling announcing that your listing "is about to be deleted": that is a sales technique, not information.
- False addresses or multiple listings to cover several towns: these break the rules and lead to suspension; the good practices are in your catchment area and your Google listing.
- Keyword stuffing in the business name ("Cheap Plumber Lyon Dupont"): forbidden, with possible suspension.
- A 12- or 24-month commitment with no exit clause and no trial period.
The clauses to demand in the contract
| Clause | Expected wording |
|---|---|
| Ownership | The client is and remains the listing's primary owner; the supplier has revocable manager access |
| Duration | 3 to 6 months' initial commitment, then monthly with one month's notice |
| Scope | A list of tasks and their frequency (posts, reviews, photos, monitoring, reporting) |
| Reporting | Monthly, with named metrics, access to the tracking tools or an export of the data |
| Compliance | A commitment to respect the Google Business Profile rules; fake reviews and false addresses forbidden |
| Reversibility | Handover of access, photos and history at the end of the contract |
Deciding in three weeks
Week 1: take your own stock with the 12-point self-audit and note your statistics for the last three months. Week 2: consult three suppliers with the ten questions, compare their listing examples. Week 3: choose, sign for three months, and set a 90-day review on rankings and enquiries. If you prefer to keep it in-house, the training route is described in training your teams on the Google listing.
How GreenRed helps
Rather than juggling several tools, GreenRed's Google Business Profile module brings these metrics together in a single dashboard, compares them over time and tells you which actions come first. You can try it free, with no card, from the Pricing.
Frequently asked questions
Does the supplier need to be local, or can they work remotely?
Management happens entirely online, so distance isn't a problem. A local supplier knows the local fabric better (regional directories, press, possible partners), which helps with citations and local link building, but a remote specialist with a good method does the job very well.
Can a classic SEO agency manage my Google listing?
Yes if it genuinely practises local SEO: grid rank tracking, review management, NAP consistency. Many SEO agencies treat the listing as a box to tick. Ask for examples of listings managed and the detail of the monthly actions.
What do you do if a supplier created the listing in their own name?
Ask for primary ownership to be transferred immediately. If they refuse, you can claim the listing through Google by proving you are the business (documents, verification); the process takes a few weeks. It is the most frequent source of dispute, hence the ownership clause in the contract.
How long should you keep a supplier before judging?
Three months for a first review of the actions taken and the first enquiries, six months to judge local pack rankings. Always compare with the three months before the contract, at a comparable time of year.