A Google Business Profile is the free listing that appears in Google Search and Google Maps when people look for your business by name or search for a service near them. For any business that serves local customers, it is one of the simplest and cheapest ways to be found.
Setting one up takes less than an hour. Keeping it accurate and active takes a few minutes a month.
What it shows
Your profile can display your business name, category, address or service area, phone number, website, opening hours, photos, reviews and short updates. Customers can call, get directions or visit your website directly from the listing.
For many people searching on a phone, the profile is the first thing they see about you, before they reach your website.
Setting it up
- Search for your business on Google Maps to check whether a profile already exists. If it does, claim it rather than creating a duplicate.
- Use your real trading name, without adding keywords or locations that are not part of it. Google's guidelines do not allow this and it can lead to the profile being suspended.
- Choose the primary category that best describes your business, then add relevant secondary categories.
- If customers visit your premises, show your address. If you travel to customers, for example a trades business run from home, you can hide your address and set a service area instead.
- Complete the verification process Google asks for. The profile will not appear fully until it is verified.
Making it work harder
Keep the basics accurate
Wrong opening hours or an old phone number cost you enquiries and frustrate customers. Update holiday hours in advance and check the details whenever something changes. Make sure your name, address and phone number match those on your website and other directory listings.
Add good photos
Photos of your premises, team and work help people recognise you and understand what you do. Replace them from time to time so the profile looks current.
Write a clear description
Explain in plain terms what you do, who you work with and where. Avoid stuffing it with keywords.
List your services
Adding your main products or services helps Google match your profile to relevant searches and tells customers what to expect.
Post updates
Short posts about news, offers or useful information show the business is active. A post every few weeks is enough for most small businesses.
Reviews
Reviews influence both whether people contact you and how prominently you appear. Ask satisfied customers for a review as a routine part of finishing a job, and make it easy by sending them the direct review link from your profile.
Reply to every review, positive or negative, politely and promptly. A calm, factual reply to a critical review often reassures future customers. Do not reveal personal or confidential information in replies.
Do not offer incentives for reviews, ask only happy customers or post reviews yourself. Google's policies prohibit this, and fake reviews and concealed incentivised reviews are unlawful under UK consumer protection law.
Check what it tells you
The profile includes basic performance information, such as how many people viewed your listing, called you or asked for directions. Look at it every few months to see whether changes you make are having an effect.
What to do
- Claim or create your profile and complete verification.
- Check that your name, category, address, hours and contact details are correct.
- Add photos and a list of services.
- Ask recent satisfied customers for reviews and reply to every review you receive.
- Set a monthly reminder to review the profile.
