How to optimise your Google Business Profile

Your Google Business Profile is often a customer’s first impression, before they ever reach your website. A well-set-up profile puts you in Google Search and Maps in front of people who are already looking for what you do, and Google favours profiles that are complete and active. Six steps, then the mistakes that quietly cost you visibility.

Why it matters

Around 87% of consumers use Google to find local businesses, and 64% use a Business Profile for contact details or directions. An incomplete or inactive profile means missed visibility, and visibility here is the cheapest lead source most small businesses have. A strong profile helps you get found and trusted.

Step 1: Set up or claim your profile

You’ll need a Google Account. Either create one or use the account you already run the business from.

To set up a new profile:

• Go to business.google.com
• Follow the prompts and enter accurate business details

If your business already appears on Google:

• Go to business.google.com/add
• Find your listing, click “request access”, fill in your details and submit
• Wait for the current owner to approve the request

Step 2: Enter the business details

Fill in every section. Accuracy and consistency are what Google rewards, so make sure the details match your website and every other channel.

Include:

• Your exact business name
• One primary category and up to ten secondary categories
• Physical address and service area
• Hours, website, phone, social and WhatsApp links
• A business description of up to 750 characters, written for a customer, with your main services mentioned naturally

Step 3: Verify your business

The profile won’t appear publicly until it’s verified. Google chooses the method based on your setup: postcard, video, email, phone or text, or instant verification for some accounts.

Not sure whether you’re verified? Go to support.google.com/business, search “check your verification status” and follow the prompts.

Step 4: Stay active

Google rewards profiles that are kept up to date, and so do customers. Keep yours fresh by:

• Adding new photos of your work, team or space regularly. Quality over quantity.
• Posting a monthly update: news, offers or a useful tip
• Collecting and replying to reviews, and finding natural ways to ask for more

Businesses with photos get around 42% more direction requests and 35% more website clicks.

Step 5: Strengthen the technical side

Your profile and your website work together. Three things that make the profile work harder:

• Embed a Google Map on your website and include your location in page titles and meta descriptions
• Make sure the site is fast, secure and works properly on a phone
• If you run paid ads, use them to amplify reach while organic visibility builds

Step 6: Track and improve

Use the Performance tab in your profile to see what’s working. The two things worth checking monthly:

• The search terms people use to find you
• Customer actions: calls, clicks, messages, bookings and direction requests

Mistakes to avoid

• Neglecting reviews. Not replying, or deleting them.
• Stock photos. Google and customers both prefer real images.
• A fake address. Always use your real location.
• Wrong categories. Choose the ones that truly match what you do.
• Inconsistent information. Name, address and phone must match everywhere.
• Keyword stuffing, especially in the business name.
• Letting the profile go quiet. Post and update regularly.

The Q&A feature is going

Google is retiring the Q&A section to reduce clutter and outdated content. If you relied on it, the replacements are mostly things you should be doing anyway:

• Keep the profile complete and current (Step 2)
• Post regularly and reply to reviews (Step 4)
• Add an FAQ page or Q&A-style articles to your website
• Add schema markup to your site so search engines can read it properly
• Write in plain, conversational language. It helps search engines understand what makes you different.