When you search for services such as a roofer, plumber or electrician, Google will often display a map listing featuring businesses that are closest to your location. These listings showcase important business information including reviews, images, contact details, opening hours and directions.
To appear within these map listings, you need a Google Business Profile.
A Google Business Profile is a free tool that allows businesses to manage how they appear across Google Search and Google Maps. When properly optimised, it can significantly improve your local SEO performance and provide potential customers with another way to discover and contact your business.
Within this article, we’ll explain how to create a Google Business Profile, why it is important for local businesses and the key ways you can optimise it to maximise your local visibility and enquiries.
How to Create a Google Business Profile
If your business does not currently have a Google Business Profile, creating one should be a priority. Fortunately, the process is relatively straightforward.
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Sign into Google Account
Go to the Google Business Profile Manager and sign into your Google account (preferably your business email).
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Find or Claim your Business
Enter your business name. If your business appears in the drop-down menu, you can claim it. If you haven’t got one created at all, you can click ‘Add your business to Google’
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Fill Out Your Business Details
Start adding all of the key details requested, these include:
Business Name
Business Category (select the closest one to your company)
Business Location (all specific areas included)
Contact Information
Platform links (website, socials etc)
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Verify Your Business
Before your profile can go live, Google will need to verify your business is genuine.
Verification methods can vary depending on your business type and location. In some cases, Google may send a verification code by email or phone. For some businesses, a postcard containing a verification code may be sent to the registered address.
More recently, Google has introduced video verification, which involves recording a short video of your premises, equipment or workspace to confirm your business is legitimate and operating from the stated location.
Google will provide the most suitable verification options available for your business during the setup process.
The Importance of having a Google Business Profile
For our local SEO services, Google Business Profile optimisation is hugely important due to the impact it can have on local visibility and enquiries. It is often the first interaction a potential customer has with your business, even before they visit your website.
When someone searches for a service in their area, Google prioritises businesses that are relevant, trustworthy and close to the searcher. A fully optimised Google Business Profile helps demonstrate all three.
Not only can it improve your chances of appearing within Google’s local map listings, but it also provides potential customers with all the information they need to make a decision. This includes your reviews, contact details, opening hours, website links and service information.
The easier you make it for people to find and trust your business, the more likely they are to get in touch. For businesses targeting local customers, a Google Business Profile is one of the most effective free marketing tools available.
How to Optimise Your Google Business Profile
Creating your profile is only the first step. To maximise your local visibility and generate more enquiries, you need to continually optimise and update your profile.
Getting People to Leave Reviews
Reviews are one of the strongest ranking signals within Google Business Profiles.
The more positive and genuine reviews your business receives, the more trustworthy you appear to both potential customers and search engines.
Whenever you complete work for a customer, make it part of your process to request a review.
Whether through email, text message or a direct link, making the process simple can significantly increase the number of reviews you receive.
It’s also important to respond to reviews, both positive and negative. Engaging with customers demonstrates that you value feedback and actively manage your business.
Add Products & Services to Your Profile
Many businesses create a Google Business Profile but never fully utilise the Products and Services sections.
Adding detailed information about the services you provide helps Google better understand your business while also giving customers additional information before they contact you.
For example, if you’re a roofing company, you could create separate services for roof repairs, new roof installations, flat roofing and emergency roofing services.
This provides additional relevance for searches related to those services and increases the likelihood of attracting qualified enquiries.
You can also add a link to your specific product/service website page so people can easily read more about your offerings.
Consistently Upload Images & Videos
Regularly adding images and videos can significantly improve engagement on your profile.
Customers want to see who they are dealing with before making contact. By showcasing completed projects, your team, premises and day-to-day work, you help build trust and credibility.
Google also favours active profiles. Continuously uploading fresh content signals that your business is operational and engaged with its customers.
Videos can be particularly effective as they allow potential customers to gain a better understanding of your services and professionalism before reaching out.
Keep Business Information Consistent Across Platforms
Consistency is incredibly important for local SEO.
Your business name, address, phone number and website details should match across your Google Business Profile, website, social media accounts and online directories.
Even small differences can create confusion for search engines and potentially impact your local rankings.
For example, if your Google Business Profile lists your company as “Online Marketing Surgery” but other directories list you as “Online Marketing Surgeons”, Google may struggle to determine which information is correct.
Maintaining consistent business details helps reinforce trust and supports stronger local visibility.
Write an Optimised Business Description
Your business description provides an opportunity to tell both customers and search engines exactly what you do.
Use this section to clearly explain your services, areas covered and what makes your business different from competitors.
Where relevant, naturally include keywords that people may search for when looking for your services.
However, avoid keyword stuffing and focus on creating a description that reads naturally.
A strong business description should provide useful information while helping Google better understand your business offering.
Use Google Business Profile Posts
Google Business Profile posts are often overlooked but can be extremely valuable for local visibility.
These posts allow you to share updates, offers, promotions, news and recent projects directly on your profile.
Regular posting demonstrates activity and provides additional content for customers to engage with.
It also gives you another opportunity to showcase your expertise and highlight recent work.
Whether you’re announcing a new service, promoting a seasonal offer or sharing a recent success story, Google Business Profile posts can help keep your profile fresh and engaging.
Start Generating More Local Enquiries Today
A Google Business Profile is just the first step for businesses looking to improve their local visibility and attract more enquiries. While creating a profile is relatively straightforward, ongoing optimisation is what separates businesses that simply exist on Google from those that consistently generate leads.
From collecting customer reviews and uploading fresh content to maintaining accurate business information and regularly posting updates, every optimisation helps improve your chances of appearing when potential customers are actively searching for your services.
If your business relies on local customers, investing time into your Google Business Profile could be one of the simplest and most effective marketing activities you undertake.