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Your Google Business Profile is often the first thing local customers see, before they ever reach your website. I set it up, clean it up and keep it working, so you show up for the services you offer in the areas you serve.
Local businesses, trades, clinics and shops that rely on calls, visits and bookings.
Google Business Profile optimisation is the work of making your free business listing on Google Search and Maps as complete, accurate and relevant as possible. It covers categories, services, hours, photos, posts, reviews and the information Google uses to decide when and where your business appears in local results.
Google says local results are based mainly on relevance, distance and prominence, and its own tips for improving local ranking are simple: verify your business, keep your information complete and accurate, respond to reviews and add photos. Simple, but most profiles still miss several of them.
The details matter. Your primary category makes a big difference to which searches you can appear for, and your business name must match your real-world name. Adding keywords to it breaks Google's guidelines for representing your business and can get a profile suspended.
Profiles also change without you noticing. Anyone can suggest edits, and Google sometimes accepts them, while Google itself adds and removes features over time. Regular checks keep your details correct and make sure you use what's available now, not what worked three years ago.
A full check of your profile against Google's guidelines and against the competitors who appear above you in the map pack.
The right primary and secondary categories, and every service you offer listed with a clear description, so you can match more searches.
Name, address or service area, opening hours including special hours, attributes, website and booking links, all accurate and consistent.
Real photos of your premises, team and work, added regularly, so people can see what to expect before they visit or call.
Updates, offers and events published on your profile, keeping it active and giving people a reason to choose you.
A simple, rule-compliant way to ask happy customers for reviews, plus guidance and templates for replying to every review.
Help with suspended or unverified profiles, duplicate listings and unwanted edits, including the reinstatement request once the cause is fixed.
Calls, direction requests and website clicks reviewed each month, with tagged website links so profile visits show up properly in GA4.
Want to go deeper? My guide to Google Business Profile optimisation covers the basics, and my local SEO services cover listings, local pages and links as well.
Most businesses fill in the basics once and leave it there. Here's what changes when a profile is properly set up and looked after.
| Compare | Optimised profile | Basic profile |
|---|---|---|
| Categories | Primary and secondary categories chosen to match how people search | One broad category picked at sign-up |
| Services | Every service listed with a clear description | Few or none listed |
| Photos | Regular, real photos of premises, team and work | A logo and a few old photos |
| Reviews | A steady flow, with every review answered | Occasional reviews, rarely replied to |
| Tracking | Calls and website clicks tracked and reviewed | Not tracked at all |
Want to check your own profile first? My local SEO checklist includes the main profile checks.
We talk about your services, the areas you cover and the customers you want more of.
I audit your profile and compare it with the businesses that appear above you in the map pack.
Information, categories, services and photos fixed first, then the review process and regular posts.
Monthly checks on rankings, calls and clicks, with unwanted edits caught and corrected.
Can't see your question? Send me a message and I'll answer it.
Yes. Creating and managing a profile costs nothing. You only pay if you choose to run ads, which appear separately and are labelled as sponsored.
Fixes to categories and information can make a difference quite quickly once Google processes them. Reviews and prominence build over months. Distance from the searcher always plays a part, so results vary across your area.
Google names relevance, distance and prominence. In practice, the right primary category, complete and accurate information, steady reviews and a strong website make the biggest difference.
No. Your profile name should match your real-world business name. Adding keywords breaks Google's guidelines and is a common reason for suspensions.
They keep your profile active and give people extra reasons to get in touch, such as offers and news. They're worth doing regularly, but they matter less than categories, information and reviews.
Yes. If you serve customers at their location and don't receive them at your premises, Google asks you to hide your address and set a service area instead.
Common reasons include a name with added keywords, an address that doesn't qualify, such as a virtual office, or duplicate profiles. The cause needs fixing before you ask Google to reinstate the profile, otherwise the request is likely to fail.
Ask every happy customer at the right moment, with a direct link. Don't buy reviews or offer anything in return for them. My local SEO page explains more about review processes.
If it breaks Google's policies, you can report it from your profile. Either way, reply calmly and factually. Future customers read the reply as much as the review.
Google has removed the questions and answers feature from Business Profiles. That makes the information in your profile, your website and your reviews even more important, because that's what people and Google rely on instead.
Check your information whenever anything changes, such as hours, services or phone numbers, and add photos and posts regularly. A quick monthly review also catches edits you didn't make.
Yes. I can set it up, show you what to keep doing and leave you a simple checklist. Some businesses prefer ongoing management; others are happy to run it themselves.
It helps a lot. Your website supports your profile, gives Google more to go on, and is where many people check you out before they call.
It depends on how many locations you have and how much needs fixing. A one-off set-up is priced differently from ongoing management. After a short call I'll give you a clear quote.
Tell me where things stand and what you'd like to change. I'll reply personally with honest next steps.
