When people search for a service “near me” or in a specific city, Google often shows a map with three local businesses at the top of the results. Appearing there can bring a steady stream of calls, visits and enquiries. Your Google Business Profile is the foundation of that visibility. Here’s how to set it up and optimise it.
How Google ranks local results
Google has said that local results are based mainly on three factors:
- Relevance — how well your profile matches what someone is searching for.
- Distance — how far your business is from the searcher or the location in the search.
- Prominence — how well known your business is, including reviews, links and mentions across the web.
1. Claim and verify your profile
Search for your business on Google Maps. If a profile exists, claim it; if not, create one at business.google.com. Google will ask you to verify that you own the business, for example by video, phone or postcard, depending on your category and location.
2. Complete every section accurately
- Business name: your real-world name, without extra keywords (keyword stuffing can get a profile suspended).
- Primary category: the most specific category that describes your main service. Add relevant secondary categories.
- Address or service area: show an address if customers visit you; set a service area if you visit customers.
- Hours, phone number and website: keep them current, including holiday hours.
- Services and products: list what you offer with short descriptions.
- Description: explain what you do, who you serve and what makes you different.
3. Add quality photos
Upload real photos of your premises, team and work, and keep adding new ones. Profiles with good photos look more trustworthy and tend to attract more engagement.
4. Earn and respond to reviews
Reviews influence both rankings and customer decisions. Ask satisfied customers for a review — a direct link and a polite request after a successful job works well. Respond to every review, positive or negative, professionally. Never buy fake reviews or offer incentives for positive ones; it violates Google’s policies and damages trust.
5. Keep your details consistent everywhere
Make sure your business name, address and phone number (often called NAP) are identical on your website, social profiles and business directories. Inconsistencies can confuse both customers and search engines.
6. Strengthen your website for local search
- Include your address and phone number on your contact page and footer.
- Embed a map on your contact page.
- Create helpful pages for your main services and, if relevant, the areas you serve — with genuinely useful, unique content.
- Add LocalBusiness structured data.
7. Use posts and updates
Google Business Profile lets you publish updates, offers and events. Regular posts keep your profile fresh and give customers another reason to choose you.
8. Track your results
Your profile shows how people found you and what they did — calls, website visits and direction requests. Combine this with website analytics to see which efforts lead to real enquiries.
Summary
A complete, accurate Google Business Profile, a steady flow of genuine reviews, consistent business details and a strong website are the core of local SEO. They take effort to set up, but they keep working for you every day.
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