Why this matters: "Photographer near me" and "headshots Midland MI" queries surface Google Business Profile listings above organic search results. For a local service business, GBP typically drives 3–5× more qualified traffic than organic search alone. This is your single biggest discovery lever — and it's completely free.
Before You Start
You'll need a personal Google account (Gmail or any Google login). You'll be claiming this as a business owner, not creating a new "Google account." Have your phone handy — Google will send a verification code.
Important — datacenter IP note: Google sometimes flags accounts accessing business setup from data center IPs (cloud machines, VPNs). If you see a "suspicious activity" challenge, use your home WiFi or a personal mobile hotspot instead of any work/network VPN.
- Open business.google.com in Chrome or Edge (not Safari if you can help it — Chrome has better form handling for business setup).
- Sign in with your personal Google account (the one you use for Gmail, YouTube, etc.).
- Look for the "Manage Now" or "Add Your Business to Google" button — click it.
If you see a screen asking about an existing business listing, do NOT skip it — search for "Sidewalk Stories Photography" first to see if it's already claimed by someone else (former employee, old agency, etc.). If it's there but unclaimed, you'll claim it instead of creating new.
Google will ask you to search for your business first. Here's what to enter:
- Business name:
Sidewalk Stories Photography
- Category: Select "Photographer" from the dropdown — do not pick a sub-category here, go with the primary industry classification.
- Address: Leave blank or enter your home city as "Midland, MI" — since you shoot on-location at client homes/outdoor locations, you may not have a storefront. If asked for an address, use your home address or leave blank with "I serve customers at their location" selected.
- Service area: Check the box for "I serve customers at their locations" and add:
→ Midland, MI
→ Bay City, MI
→ Saginaw, MI
→ Grand Blanc, MI
→ Traverse City, MI
- Phone:
+17574084004
- Website:
https://sidewalkstoriesphotography.com
Click Continue and follow any additional prompts.
Google requires verification to confirm you're the real business owner. After completing Step 2, look for:
- A verification code sent via postcard to your address — this takes 5–7 business days by mail. This is the slowest step.
- Or, if available, a phone or email verification option (faster — check all options presented).
Don't skip verification. Without it, your listing is invisible in search and maps. Once the postcard arrives, enter the code in your Google Business Profile dashboard. After verification, your listing goes live.
After claiming and verifying, go through every section in your GBP dashboard. Here's what to fill in:
Business Info
- Business name: Sidewalk Stories Photography (exact match — do not add extra keywords here)
- Category: Photographer
- Secondary categories: Add "Portrait Photographer" and "Corporate Photographer"
- Attributes: Check "Women-owned" (if applicable) and any relevant attributes — "Outdoor sessions," "On-location services," etc.
Service Areas & Locations
Confirm your service area covers: Midland, Bay City, Saginaw, Grand Blanc, and Traverse City.
Hours
| Day | Hours |
|---|
| Monday – Friday | 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
| Saturday – Sunday | By appointment |
Service Menu
| Service | Starting Price |
|---|
| Corporate Headshots (Individual) | $175 / person |
| Team Headshots (3+) | $150 / person |
| Story Session (Family / Children) | $800 |
| Heirloom Collection | $1,250 |
| Legacy Commission | $2,000 |
Google Business Profile supports a minimum of 3 photos, maximum of 10 on the listing. Use your best, most representative work. These appear in Google Search and Maps results when people find you.
Recommended photos to upload (use your existing R2-hosted images):
1. Hero portrait (already hosted)
pub-629428d185ca4960a0a73c850d32294b.r2.dev/company_106768/images/8dd08c4c-8860-46a5-bd0d-75fa68800015.png
Use as primary profile photo
2. Autumn Light
pub-629428d185ca4960a0a73c850d32294b.r2.dev/company_106768/images/219d8660-a3ed-4e56-9ac1-0cbc9f79fd0d.png
3. Northern Light
pub-629428d185ca4960a0a73c850d32294b.r2.dev/company_106768/images/8c19e230-8b50-41d8-a15a-32a471cb69c6.png
4. Golden Hours
pub-629428d185ca4960a0a73c850d32294b.r2.dev/company_106768/images/24a29e87-e030-42c0-ab21-f9236c0f7b30.png
5. Beyond the Headshot (team/headshot)
pub-629428d185ca4960a0a73c850d32294b.r2.dev/company_106768/images/ccd861bc-591e-4671-8280-b4b4cec6bd97.png
Corporate/headshot image
Photo tips: Upload the hero portrait as your profile photo, the team headshot image as your cover photo, and the rest as additional photos. Keep photos under 5MB each. GBP compresses images, so high-res originals are fine to upload directly.
Reviews are the most powerful conversion driver on GBP. A listing with 3 real 5-star reviews outperforms a listing with zero reviews by a massive margin in local search ranking.
These testimonials are already on your site — use them to request Google reviews from real clients:
Tonya — Family Portrait Client
"Craig has a gift for capturing the true essence of a child. The images we received are absolutely stunning — we cry every time we look at them."
Mitch — Headshot Client
"I hated getting my headshot done. Craig made it fun and the result was a photo I actually use everywhere. Worth every penny."
Marcia — Family Portrait Client
"Our family portraits are treasures. Craig has a patience and eye that you simply cannot teach. We will be customers for life."
How to request reviews (send one of these via text or email):
Text to Tonya / Mitch / Marcia:
"Hi [Name]! It was so great working with you on [session type]. If you ever had a great experience and wouldn't mind leaving a quick Google review for our studio, it would mean the world to us. Here's the link:
g.page/r/[your-review-link] (I'll share the link from your GBP dashboard once verified). Thank you so much — we love what we do because of clients like you!"
Once your GBP is verified, you'll get a short "Share review link" from Google that you can copy and paste anywhere. Use that instead of the placeholder above.
- Turn on Messaging in your GBP dashboard — so people can text you a question directly from Google Search.
- Pre-populate the Questions & Answers section with common questions:
- "Do you travel to client locations or do you have a studio?" → "I'm an on-location photographer. I come to you — whether that's your home, backyard, or a location meaningful to your family. No studio needed."
- "What is your pricing?" → "Portrait sessions start at $800 for the Story Session collection. Headshots begin at $175/person. Full pricing is on my website: sidewalkstoriesphotography.com/pricing"
- "How far in advance should I book?" → "Most clients book 4–6 weeks ahead. The summer and fall seasons book out especially early — I recommend reaching out as soon as you have a date in mind."
✅ Completion Checklist
- Signed in at business.google.com with personal Google account
- Claimed or created "Sidewalk Stories Photography" listing
- Set primary category: Photographer
- Added secondary categories: Portrait Photographer, Corporate Photographer
- Set service area: Midland, Bay City, Saginaw, Grand Blanc, Traverse City
- Added phone: +17574084004
- Added website: sidewalkstoriesphotography.com
- Requested postcard verification (or email/phone if offered)
- Completed all profile fields: hours, attributes, description
- Added pricing for headshots ($175) and portrait packages ($800–$2000)
- Uploaded 5–10 portfolio images
- Requested Google reviews from Tonya, Mitch, and Marcia
- Enabled messaging on GBP dashboard
- Pre-populated 3 Q&A entries