If you run a local business — a trade, a shop, a clinic, anything with customers nearby — Google Business Profile is one of the highest-value things you can set up, and it's free. It's the listing that shows up with your reviews, opening hours, and location when someone searches for what you do near them. Here's how to actually get it working for you.
Claim it properly
Search for your business name on Google Maps first — a listing may already exist, created automatically, and simply unclaimed. If it does, claim it. If it doesn't, create a fresh one at business.google.com. Either way, you'll need to verify you're really the business owner, usually by postcard, phone, or email depending on what Google offers you.
Fill in every section properly
It's tempting to do the bare minimum — name, address, done. Don't. Fill in your opening hours accurately, choose the most specific business category available (not just "business" but "plumber," "hair salon," whatever actually fits), add a proper description of what you do, and list your service area if you travel to customers rather than working from a shop.
Photos matter more than you'd think
Listings with genuine, decent photos get far more engagement than blank ones. You don't need a professional shoot — clear photos of your actual work, your premises, or you and your team are enough. Avoid generic stock images; people are looking for proof you're real and good at what you do.
Reviews are the single biggest lever
Ask happy customers to leave a review. Most people are happy to if you simply ask at the right moment — right after a job well done, or when they've said something nice. Reply to reviews too, good and bad; it shows you're actually paying attention.
Keep it updated
Post the odd update — a recent job, a seasonal offer, a change in hours over a bank holiday. An active-looking profile signals a business that's actually trading and paying attention, and Google notices activity too.
Where your website fits in
Your Google Business Profile should link straight to your website, and your website should make it just as easy to call or message you as your profile does. The two work together — one gets you found nearby, the other convinces someone once they've clicked through.
Common mistakes that hold a profile back
- Leaving the category as something generic instead of the most specific match available
- Opening hours that don't match reality, especially around bank holidays
- No photos at all, or only a logo with no real images of the business
- Never replying to reviews, positive or negative
- A profile that links to a slow or outdated website, undoing the good work of getting someone to click through
Most of these take minutes to fix once you know to look for them.
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