Your Google Business Profile is honestly the single most important real estate for a local business. It's where people find you when they search for what you do on their phone. It's free. It costs nothing to maintain. And yet, I see business after business leaving money on the table because their profile is either missing information or just plain wrong.
The good news is that optimising it isn't complicated. You don't need special tools or technical knowledge. Here's exactly what you need to do to get found by local customers searching in your area.
Claim Your Profile First
This is embarrassing to say, but about one in five businesses I audit don't actually own their Google Business Profile. Someone created one when they opened, or Google created one automatically, and they never claimed it. If you don't own it, you can't control what information shows up.
Go to Google Business Profile (google.com/business) and search for your business. If it exists, claim it. If it doesn't exist, create one. Google will ask you to verify ownership. Follow the steps, usually through a postcard or a phone call. This takes a few days but it's worth it.
Fill in Every Section. Properly.
Your business name, address, phone number, website, hours of operation. All basic, right? Except I see inconsistencies constantly. Your address on Google is different from your website. Your phone number is your personal mobile instead of the business line. Your hours say you're open Mondays when you're actually closed.
Google uses this information to rank you locally and to decide if you're a good match for what someone is searching for. Inconsistent information hurts you. Make sure everything matches across Google, your website, and any other directories where you're listed.
Categories matter too. Choose the ones that actually describe your business. Don't stuff keywords in. A dentist should pick "Dental clinic" and maybe "Cosmetic dentist". Not "best teeth whitening dental implants emergency dentist". Google penalises keyword stuffing.
Write a Real Business Description
You get 750 characters. Use them. Not to list every service, but to explain who you are and what makes you different. I see descriptions like "We are a digital marketing agency offering SEO and PPC services". That's generic rubbish that could describe anyone.
Instead, write something real. "Independent digital marketing agency in Newbury. We specialise in getting restaurants and professional services more footfall through Google. No long contracts, no jargon, just results." That tells people who you are, who you help, and what to expect.
Add Photos. Proper Ones.
Most Google profiles have terrible photos or none at all. People want to see your place, your team, your work. Your storefront. Your treatment room. Your finished projects. Add 10 to 15 photos. Update them every few months. Photos with people in them perform better than empty spaces.
Yes, they should be decent quality. You don't need a professional photographer, but a smartphone photo in good lighting is better than a grainy picture from 2015.
Ask for Reviews (And Respond to Them)
Reviews are a ranking factor for Google. Full stop. Businesses with more reviews rank higher. But it's not just about quantity. It's about consistency. A dentist with 47 four-star reviews will rank higher than a dentist with five five-star reviews.
Ask your customers to leave reviews. Put a link on your invoice, on your receipt, in a follow-up email. Make it easy. Then, and this is important, respond to every review. Even the bad ones. Especially the bad ones. Show that you care about feedback.
Use the Posts and Q&A Features
Google Business Profile has built-in features that most businesses ignore. You can post updates. Customers can ask questions. These features give you chances to appear in more search results and to keep your profile active.
Post about a new service or a seasonal offer. Answer common questions people ask. This keeps your profile fresh and signals to Google that your business is active and engaged.
Get Your Fundamentals Right First
Optimising your Google Business Profile isn't rocket science, but it does require attention to detail and consistency. Most businesses get 60% of the way there and stop. The last 40% is what separates businesses that get found from businesses that don't.
Not sure where your business stands?
A £199 local presence audit will show you exactly what is and is not working with your Google Business Profile, plus a clear action plan to fix it. No jargon, no fluff.
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