When someone searches for a local business, Google has a decision to make.
Out of hundreds, sometimes thousands of businesses, which ones should it recommend?
That decision doesn’t happen by accident.
Your Google Business Profile is one of the biggest factors influencing whether your business appears, how trustworthy it looks and whether someone decides to contact you or keep scrolling.
Many businesses treat it as something they set up once and forget. In reality, it’s one of the hardest-working marketing assets they own.
This guide explains how to get the most from it.
If your business only had one page on Google
For many potential customers, your Google Business Profile is your business.
Before they visit your website, they’ve already looked at your reviews, your photographs, your opening hours, your location and perhaps even your latest updates.
They’ve already started making a judgement.
Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is Google’s free business directory, allowing organisations to manage how they appear across Google Search and Google Maps.
If you’re serious about attracting local customers, it’s one of the most valuable marketing assets you own.
What is Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business)?
A Google Business Profile is a free tool that lets you manage how your business appears on Google Search and Maps. Your listing will appear right when people are searching for products and services like yours. Google My Business makes it easy to create and update your business listing, helping you to stand out and attract customers. It includes adding your business name, location, and hours; monitoring and replying to customer reviews; adding photos; learning where and how people are searching for you, and more.
The best thing about a Google Business Profile is that it’s completely free.
Create a Google Business Listing
Step 1. If you don’t already have one, create a Google Account or log. We advise all of our clients to create a Google Account for their business and retain control of it. There are so many different features for businesses to take advantage of that you’d be mad not to.
Step 2. Go to: google.com/business and click on ‘Start Now’ or ‘Create your profile’.
Step 3. Enter your business details.
As simple and straightforward as that is, you will need to verify your listing. You can do this by postcard or business phone number.
Monitor, Revisit & Revise
Now the hard work begins. It’s time to roll up your sleeves…
Most important now is to let your business listing run for a couple of weeks to see how well it ranks in Google Search and Maps. You need to monitor where you rank and, if necessary, tweak things, including keywords, services you offer and any information that changes.
Remember when I said to complete all the information Google asks for?
Well, firstly, make you have.
Don’t leave Google guessing
Don’t leave Google guessing
Google’s job is surprisingly simple.
It wants to recommend businesses that are genuine, relevant and likely to give customers a good experience.
The more information you provide, the easier that job becomes.
That means completing every section of your profile, including:
- Business name
- Primary and secondary categories
- Address or service area
- Telephone number
- Website
- Opening hours
- Business description
- Products and services
- Attributes
- Questions and answers
Leaving sections incomplete doesn’t just make life harder for Google. It also makes life harder for potential customers who are trying to decide whether you’re the right business for them.
Your business description isn’t about keywords
One of the biggest mistakes businesses make is treating their description as somewhere to squeeze in as many keywords as possible.
It isn’t.
Your description should answer a much more important question.
Why should someone choose you?
Think beyond listing your services. Explain what makes your business different, who you help and what customers can expect when they work with you.
People buy confidence as much as they buy products and services.
Google is looking for signs of life
“There’s life Jim, but not as we know it”.
A Google Business Profile isn’t something you complete once and forget.
Businesses evolve. Opening hours change. Services expand. Team members join. Projects are completed.
Google wants confidence that the businesses it recommends are active, accurate and well maintained.
That’s why it’s worth reviewing your profile regularly.
Simple updates like adding new photographs, checking your contact details and updating your opening hours all help keep your profile relevant.
Google Business Profile Posts
Google Business Posts are small adverts or promotional posts that show up in Google search in your Google Business Profile listing or in the Knowledge Panel and on Google Maps.
To grab the searcher’s attention, include an image in your Post, but remember that on Google Maps, the image can get cut off.
Book button feature
Google’s Booking button feature can really help your business stand out.
People can now book an appointment with your business directly from your Google Business Profile listing. This can make it even easier to get new customers as they don’t have to leave Google to book an appointment with you.
Google Business Reviews
Google actively encourages businesses to ask customers for honest reviews. Those reviews appear on your Google Business Profile and are often one of the first things potential customers see when deciding whether to click, call or visit your website.
Reviews do more than improve your visibility in local search. They help answer one of the biggest questions every prospective customer has:
“Can I trust this business?”
A healthy stream of genuine, recent reviews can increase confidence before someone even reaches your website. They also send positive signals to Google that your business is active, trusted and relevant within your local area.
BrightLocal’s Local Consumer Review Survey 2026 highlights just how influential reviews have become:
- 97% of consumers read online reviews before choosing a local business.
- 41% say they always read reviews when researching local businesses, up significantly from the previous year.
- 85% are more likely to choose a business after reading positive reviews.
- 77% are put off by negative reviews.
- 74% only consider reviews written within the last three months to be relevant.
- 31% will only consider businesses with a 4.5-star rating or higher.
- 80% are more likely to choose a business that responds to every review.
- 89% expect businesses to reply to customer reviews.
- 94% are willing to leave a review, and 78% said a business had asked them for one during the previous year.
Collecting reviews should never be a one-off exercise. The businesses that perform best make requesting feedback part of their everyday customer journey.
Fresh reviews, thoughtful responses and a consistently high rating all help demonstrate that your business is active, trusted and committed to customer service.
Every review answers a question your next customer hasn’t asked yet
People don’t read reviews because they’re interested.
They read reviews because they’re trying to reduce risk.
They’re wondering:
- Can I trust this business?
- Do they deliver what they promise?
- What happens if something goes wrong?
- Are other customers happy?
A collection of genuine, recent reviews answers those questions before you’ve even had a conversation.
Build a habit of asking satisfied customers for honest feedback. Then take the time to respond to every review, whether it’s positive or negative.
Reviews aren’t just good for SEO. They’re one of the strongest forms of public evidence your business can have.
Google Business Profile Optimisation
Remember, Google is always looking for engagement: engagement from searchers and you, as the owner. The more interaction, the better your chances of ranking higher in the local three-pack and organic rankings in general.
That means you need to keep optimising your Google Business Profile listing to get the most out of it. And as new features come out, use them to keep your Google Business Profile listing fully optimised.
Photographs matter more than most businesses realise
Imagine searching for two local businesses.
One has a handful of dark, outdated photographs from five years ago. The other has bright, recent images of its premises, team, completed work and customers.
Which one feels more trustworthy?
People don’t expect professional photography, but they do expect evidence that your business is active. Regularly adding photographs of your work, premises, products and team helps customers picture what it’s like to work with you.
Keep your profile working between enquiries
Google Business Profile includes features that many businesses never use.
Posts allow you to share updates, offers, news and recent work.
Questions and Answers lets you answer common customer queries before they’re asked.
Products and Services help explain exactly what you offer.
These features won’t transform your business overnight, but together they help create a richer, more useful profile for both Google and your potential customers.
Remember: your profile isn’t a brochure
Think of your Google Business Profile like your shop window.
If it’s neglected, people notice. If it’s inaccurate, people lose confidence. If it’s regularly updated, filled with helpful information and backed by genuine customer reviews, it becomes far easier for both Google and your customers to trust your business.
That’s ultimately what good local SEO is about. Not gaming an algorithm. Not chasing rankings.
Giving Google enough confidence to recommend your business and giving potential customers enough confidence to choose it.
A quick Google Business Profile checklist
Before you move on, ask yourself:
- Is every section of my profile complete?
- Are my opening hours accurate?
- Have I uploaded recent photographs?
- Have I replied to every review?
- Would someone immediately understand what my business does and why they should choose it?
- Is there anything on my profile that would make a customer hesitate?
If you answered “no” to any of those questions, you’ve probably found your next opportunity to improve your local visibility.
Because Google isn’t simply recommending businesses. It’s recommending the businesses it trusts most.
Need some help with your local SEO?
We can help improve your local search rankings and bring you more of the customers you want.
Get in touch to find out how.
