How to Set Up Messaging on Your Google Business Profile

What Is Google Business Profile Messaging?

Messaging on your Google Business Profile lets potential customers send you a text-based message directly from your listing. They tap "Chat" on your profile in Google Search or Maps, type their question, and it lands on your phone or in the Google Business Profile app. No phone call required.

For tradespeople, this might sound like an unnecessary complication. You already have a phone number on your listing. People can call you. Why add another channel?

The answer is simple: not everyone wants to call. Some people are at work and can't make a phone call. Some are comparing three or four tradespeople and want to fire off a quick question to each one. Some just prefer texting over talking. If you don't have messaging turned on, those people move straight to the next listing that does.

Google also tracks how responsive you are through messaging. If you reply quickly, your profile gets a "Usually responds in minutes" badge. That badge builds trust with anyone viewing your listing. If you ignore messages or take days to reply, Google may turn messaging off for you entirely.

How to Turn On Messaging

Setting up messaging takes about two minutes. Here is the process:

Step 1: Open the Google Business Profile app on your phone, or go to your profile through Google Search (search your business name while logged into your Google account and click "Messaging" in the management panel).

Step 2: Find the messaging toggle. In the app, it is under "Customers" then "Messages." On desktop, it appears under the "Messaging" tab.

Step 3: Turn it on. Google will ask you to confirm, and then messaging is live immediately.

Step 4: Set up your welcome message. This is the automatic reply people see when they first message you. Keep it short and useful. Something like: "Thanks for your message. I'm usually on a job during the day but will reply within a couple of hours. If it's urgent, please call me on [your number]."

That welcome message does two things. It sets expectations so the person is not sitting there wondering why you have not replied. And it gives them an alternative if they need someone right now.

Setting Up Auto-Responses Properly

Your welcome message is the first auto-response, but you can also set up quick replies for common questions. These are pre-written answers you can tap to send without typing the whole thing out each time.

Think about the questions you get asked most often. For a plumber, it might be "Do you cover my area?" or "How much for a boiler service?" For an electrician, it could be "Can you do an EICR?" or "Are you available this week?"

Write a quick reply for each one. Keep them conversational, not robotic. Something like "Yes, I cover most of North Wales including Rhyl, Prestatyn, Colwyn Bay, and Llandudno. Where are you based?" works much better than "We service the North Wales region. Please provide your postcode."

The goal is to sound like a real person replying quickly, not like an automated system.

What Kinds of Enquiries Come Through Messaging

Messaging enquiries tend to be different from phone calls. Phone calls are usually more urgent. someone has a leak, the power has tripped, the boiler has stopped working. These people need someone now and they want to speak to a human being.

Messages, on the other hand, tend to be planning-stage enquiries. Someone is thinking about getting their bathroom refitted and wants a rough idea of cost. A landlord needs a gas safety certificate but it is not due for another month. A homeowner is getting quotes for a new kitchen and wants to know your availability.

These are valuable leads. They are not emergency work, but they are often bigger jobs with higher margins. A bathroom fitter who replies to a messaging enquiry within ten minutes is far more likely to win that job than one who takes two days to get back to them.

Google tracks your average response time. If you consistently reply within fifteen minutes during business hours, you will see the "Usually responds in minutes" badge appear on your listing. That badge is visible to everyone who views your profile, and it makes a noticeable difference to enquiry rates.

How Google Measures Your Response Time

Google calculates your average response time based on messages received during your stated business hours. If your profile hours say you are open 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday, Google only counts messages received during those windows.

Messages that arrive at 11pm on a Saturday do not count against your response time, as long as you reply when you are next open. This is important to understand because it means you do not need to be glued to your phone around the clock.

However, there is a catch. If you receive a message at 9am on a Tuesday and do not reply until 4pm, that drags your average up significantly. Google wants to see replies within minutes, not hours. The threshold for the "responds quickly" badge is roughly five minutes on average.

If you know you cannot reply that quickly during work hours, be honest about it in your welcome message. Setting expectations is better than leaving people hanging.

Managing Messages When You Are on a Job Site

This is the biggest concern most tradespeople have. You are halfway up a scaffold or elbow-deep in a boiler. You cannot stop to reply to a chat message. That is completely understandable.

Here are a few practical approaches:

Use your welcome message wisely. Set it to say something like "I'm on a job right now and will reply within 1-2 hours." Most people are fine with that. They sent a text message, not a 999 call.

Check messages during breaks. If you take a lunch break or a tea break, spend two minutes scanning through any messages and firing off quick replies. Even a brief "Hi, yes I can help with that. I'll send you a proper reply this evening" keeps the conversation alive.

Batch your replies. Some tradespeople set aside fifteen minutes at the end of each working day to reply to all messages. This works if you are transparent about it. Your response time will not hit the "responds in minutes" mark, but you will still be faster than most competitors.

Ask someone to help. If you have a partner, office manager, or apprentice who can monitor messages during the day, let them handle the initial replies. They do not need to quote prices or book jobs. just acknowledge the message and say you will follow up.

For trades that cover large areas like North Wales, messaging can also help you qualify leads before committing to a visit. A quick "Where are you based?" message saves you from driving forty minutes only to discover the job is outside your service area.

When to Turn Messaging Off

Messaging is not right for everyone, and Google does not penalise you in rankings for having it switched off. There are legitimate reasons to disable it.

If you genuinely cannot reply within a few hours. Google will downgrade or remove the feature if your response rate drops too low. A profile with no messaging is better than one with messaging that shows "Usually responds in days."

If you are getting spam. Some businesses report receiving spam messages through Google messaging. If this becomes a problem, turning it off is reasonable until Google improves its spam filters.

If you prefer to keep things simple. Some tradespeople, particularly sole traders who are on site all day, find that phone calls and a contact form on their website are enough. There is nothing wrong with that. Focus on the channels you can manage well rather than spreading yourself thin.

If you are going on holiday. Turn messaging off before you go, or update your welcome message to say you are away and will respond after a specific date. Do not leave it running while you are sitting on a beach for two weeks. Your response metrics will tank and it takes time to recover them.

Messaging vs Phone Calls. Which Matters More?

Phone calls still drive the majority of trade enquiries. That is unlikely to change any time soon. When someone has a burst pipe or a power cut, they are going to call.

But messaging fills a gap that phone calls cannot. It catches the people who are browsing quietly and not yet ready to commit to a conversation. These are the early-stage leads that turn into booked jobs a week or two later.

Think of it this way: your phone number catches people who need you today. Messaging catches people who might need you next week. Both matter.

If your Google Business Profile categories are set correctly and your listing is ranking well for your services, you will attract both types of enquiry. Messaging just makes sure you do not lose the ones who prefer to type rather than talk.

Make Messaging Work as Part of Your Wider Profile

Messaging on its own will not transform your business. It is one feature among many. But combined with accurate business hours, strong reviews with relevant keywords, regular Google Posts, and a complete profile, it adds another layer of accessibility that sets you apart from competitors who are harder to reach.

If you are not sure whether your profile is set up to attract the maximum number of enquiries, it is worth getting a proper assessment. A free GBP audit from Local Markers will tell you exactly where your profile stands and what is costing you leads. We check messaging setup and every other factor that affects your local visibility across North Wales and beyond.