Marketing

Local SEO: how to optimise your Google Business Profile

Step-by-step Google Business Profile optimisation for local businesses, from categories and photos to reviews, posts and tracking results.

Rapid Action Team · 13 May 2026 · 9 min read

Key takeaways

Google says local results are based mainly on relevance, distance and prominence, and you can influence two of those three.
Your primary category is one of the most important choices on your profile, so pick the most specific accurate option.
A complete profile with real photos, services and accurate hours gives customers and Google more reasons to choose you.
A steady flow of genuine reviews, with thoughtful replies, builds both trust and visibility.

When someone searches for "florist near me" or "accountant in Walthamstow", the first thing they often see is a map with a short list of local businesses. Those listings come from Google Business Profile, and for many local firms they bring in more calls and visits than the website itself.

The good news is that a Business Profile is free, and most of what makes it work well is within your control. This guide explains how Google chooses which businesses to show, then walks through each part of your profile with practical steps to make it as strong as possible.

What is Google Business Profile?

Google Business Profile (previously called Google My Business) is the free listing that appears when people search for your business by name, or for a type of business near them. It shows up in Google Search, in the local "map pack" of results and in Google Maps.

A complete profile typically shows:

Your business name, category and address or service area
Phone number, website link and opening hours
Photos of your premises, team and work
Reviews and star rating
Services or products, with descriptions and sometimes prices
Posts with updates, offers or events

For a local customer, this is often the first impression of your business and sometimes the only one before they pick up the phone.

How Google ranks local businesses

According to Google's own guidance on local ranking, local results are based mainly on three factors.

Factor	What it means	Can you influence it?
Relevance	How well your profile matches what someone searched for	Yes, through categories, services and a complete profile
Distance	How far your business is from the searcher or the location in their search	Not really, beyond choosing an accurate address or service area
Prominence	How well known and well regarded your business is	Yes, through reviews, links, mentions and your website's strength

Google also states that you cannot pay for a better local ranking. The only way up is to be the most relevant, prominent option for the search.

Step 1: Claim and verify your profile

If you have not already, search for your business on Google Maps. A listing may already exist, created automatically or by a customer. If it does, use the option to claim it. If not, create a new profile at business.google.com.

Google then asks you to verify that you own or manage the business. Depending on your business type and location, this may be by video recording, phone, text, email or postcard. Verification can take anything from a few minutes to a couple of weeks, so start early.

A few points to get right from the start:

Use your real business name exactly as it appears on your signage, website and stationery. Adding keywords or locations to the name, such as "Smith Plumbing Best Plumber London", breaks Google's guidelines and can get your profile suspended.
Choose the right business type. If customers come to you, show your address. If you travel to customers, set up as a service-area business and hide your home address.
Only one profile per location. Duplicate listings confuse customers and Google alike.

Step 2: Choose the right categories

Your primary category is one of the most important settings on your profile. It tells Google what your business is and has a big influence on which searches you appear for.

Be as specific as possible. "Italian restaurant" is better than "restaurant"; "emergency locksmith service" may be better than "locksmith" if that is genuinely your main service.
Add secondary categories for other services you actually offer, but do not add categories just to appear in more searches.
Check competitors. Look at the businesses ranking well for your main searches and note which categories they use. Several free browser extensions can reveal these.

Revisit your categories occasionally, as Google adds new ones over time.

Step 3: Complete every relevant section

Profiles with complete, accurate information tend to perform better, and they give customers more reason to choose you. Work through each section in turn.

Business description

You have up to 750 characters to describe your business. Use it to explain what you do, who you help, where you work and what makes you different. Mention your main services naturally, but write for people rather than search engines. Do not include links or promotional claims such as prices in this field.

Services and products

Add each service you offer with a short description. This helps Google match you to more specific searches and helps customers understand what you do before they call. Retailers and some service businesses can also add products, with photos and prices.

Hours and special hours

Keep opening hours accurate, and add special hours for bank holidays and Christmas. Nothing frustrates a customer more than arriving at a closed door that Google said was open.

Attributes

Attributes are extra details such as wheelchair access, free Wi-Fi, appointment only, or online estimates. Some are factual and set by you; others are based on customer feedback. Add every attribute that genuinely applies.

Contact details and links

Use a local phone number where possible, and link to the most relevant page on your website. A multi-location business should usually link each profile to its own location page rather than the homepage. You can also add booking or menu links where your category supports them.

Step 4: Add real photos and videos

Photos help customers judge whether you are the right fit, and Google encourages businesses to upload them. Generic stock images do far less than real pictures of your business.

Aim to include:

Exterior shots from the street, so people recognise you when they arrive
Interior shots of your premises, if customers visit
Your team at work, which builds trust for service businesses
Examples of your work, such as finished projects, dishes or products
Your logo and a cover photo

Many local searches happen on a phone, often when the customer is ready to act.

Add new photos regularly, for example after each notable job or seasonal change. Short videos showing your premises or a project can also work well. Keep images well lit and in focus, and avoid adding text overlays or heavy filters.

Step 5: Build and manage reviews

Reviews influence both your visibility and whether people pick you. A steady stream of recent, detailed reviews is generally more persuasive than a large batch from years ago.

How to get more reviews

Ask at the right moment, such as straight after a job is finished or a happy customer thanks you.
Make it easy. Your profile dashboard gives you a short review link you can share by text, email, on receipts or via a QR code at your counter.
Ask everyone, not just the customers you expect to be delighted. Selectively asking only happy customers (sometimes called review gating) goes against Google's policies.
Never offer incentives such as discounts in exchange for reviews, and never write or buy fake reviews. Google's policies prohibit this, and fake reviews are also illegal under UK consumer protection law.

How to respond to reviews

Reply to every review if you can. For positive reviews, a short personal thank-you that mentions the service is ideal. For negative reviews:

Respond calmly and promptly, without getting defensive.
Acknowledge the experience and apologise where appropriate.
Offer to resolve the issue offline, with a name and contact route.
Keep it brief; future customers are reading your reply as much as the reviewer.

If a review breaks Google's policies, for example it is spam, offensive or from someone who was never a customer, you can report it for removal through your profile.

Step 6: Keep your profile active

A profile that is regularly updated signals that the business is open and engaged. A few simple habits help:

Publish posts about offers, events, new services, seasonal advice or recent projects. Add a photo and a clear call to action.
Update photos every month or two.
Check your information each quarter, as anyone can suggest edits to a public listing and Google sometimes accepts them automatically.
Respond to new reviews within a few days.

Step 7: Support your profile beyond Google

Your Business Profile does not work in isolation. Several things outside it affect how prominent Google considers your business to be.

Consistent NAP: keep your name, address and phone number identical across your website, Bing Places, Apple Business Connect, Yell, Facebook and relevant industry directories.
A strong website: good local service pages, your address and phone number in the footer, and LocalBusiness structured data all reinforce your profile. Our SEO services cover this side of local search.
Local links and mentions: coverage in local news, sponsorships, partnerships with nearby businesses and membership of trade bodies all add to your prominence.

How to track your results

Your profile includes a Performance section that shows how people found you and what they did next. Check it monthly and note:

How many people viewed your profile on Search and Maps
Which search terms led to your profile
Calls, website clicks, direction requests and bookings

To track website visits more accurately, add UTM tracking parameters to your website link so visits from your profile show up separately in your analytics. Look for trends over a few months rather than week-to-week swings.

FAQs

Is Google Business Profile free?

Yes. Creating and managing a Google Business Profile is free. Google also states that you cannot pay to improve your local ranking, although you can run separate, clearly labelled ads.

How long does it take to rank in the Google map pack?

It depends on your competition, location and how strong your profile and website are. Some improvements, such as fixing your primary category, can have an effect within weeks, while building reviews and local prominence usually takes several months.

Can I have a Google Business Profile without a shop or office?

Yes. If you visit customers rather than having them visit you, you can set up as a service-area business and hide your address. You will still need to verify the business, and you choose the areas you serve.

Why is my Google Business Profile not showing?

Common reasons include an unverified or suspended profile, an inaccurate category, searching from too far away, or very strong local competition. Check that verification is complete and your details follow Google's guidelines, then work on reviews and relevance.

Should I put keywords in my business name on Google?

No. Your profile name should match your real-world business name. Adding extra keywords or locations breaks Google's guidelines and risks suspension.

If you would like us to review your Google Business Profile alongside your website, we can show you exactly where you are losing local customers. Get a free audit or book a call to talk through your local SEO.