A Google Business Profile is a completely free tool offered by Google that allows businesses to list their key information online to help potential customers find them faster. It could be considered the online equivalent of the Yellow Pages, but it’s so much more than that.
If you’re running a small business, especially one that services your local area, getting this right could be the most important thing you do for your business all year.
What a Google Business Profile actually is
It’s basically a complete run down of your business’s key information, which pops up when people are browsing Google Search or Google Maps. If you have a well-optimised profile and your business matches what they are searching, your business will show up.
You can input information such as your business’s location, contact details, services, hours of operation, images and links to your website and social media platforms. It’s also where customers can leave your business reviews.
Why setting it up correctly matters
Your Google Business Profile is the first thing a potential customer sees when they type your business name into Google, or when they search for services such as “plumber near me”. If you are a plumber with a well-optimised profile, you’ll show up here. And if you’re not, then your competitors’ profiles will instead.
Many people spend lots of money on really cool websites, but they lose potential customers because they never make it that far. Instead, people click on the website that has good Google reviews, relevant services and clearly listed contact information. And the thing is, it’s really simple to set it up correctly and revolutionise your business.
Setting up a GBP is the quickest way to boost your website in search rankings, especially for local businesses. Google wants to connect local businesses with local customers, so small business owners have the most to gain from using this free service correctly.
More and more people these days are saying that they won’t buy from someone who doesn’t have good reviews. A lot of the time, Google reviews are what they’re talking about, especially for small businesses that haven’t gone through the trouble of setting up a Trustpilot account.
How to set one up properly
Step 1 – Claim or create your listing at business.google.com
Click the link above and you’ll be taken to the Google Business Profile Manager. You’ll be prompted to create a Google account or simply sign in if you already have one. Fill in all your information as it asks for it. You can choose to get a Gmail email address, or if you already have a business email, you can use that. Accept all the terms and conditions and it will then start asking you about your business.
Step 2 – Choose the correct business type
It will give you three options: Online retail, Local store and Service business. Make sure you select the correct option here, as you will have to verify this later. For example, if you choose Local store, you may have to submit a video including the outside of your building to prove its existence. So, for people that run their business from home and have no branded signage, select “Service business”. For people with signage that can prove their location, select Local store. And if you sell products via your website, select Online retail.
Step 3 – Choose the right primary category
You’ll now be asked to select your primary business category. This sounds straightforward, but this is one of the most important steps. Be as specific as you can be. For example, try not to just put something like “Restaurant.” Something like “Fish and chip shop” or “Seafood restaurant” would work much better as a primary category.
Step 4 – Get verified
During this step, you will likely be prompted to verify your business, (usually via a video) but sometimes it can be verified using a different method. Be patient here. It can be a little fiddly and sometimes the videos time out, but this is the only annoying step. Everything else is pretty straightforward.
Once verified (this can take up to 5 days), you can continue with the profile.
Step 5 – Fill in every field completely: hours, description, services, service area
Now you’re going to be incredibly specific in this section. Fill in every field as completely as you can. Give as many contact methods as you can: text message, WhatsApp, phone call, website link, social media, etc. What are your opening hours? Do you close for lunch? What is your service area? Be specific and be complete.
Use every service area spot if you can. If you service the South West like I do, use the counties as locations, then narrow in on the cities, and then include some more local spots. If you serve a smaller region, skip the counties and get specific to your actual area.
Write a description that fully reflects you as a business. Try and use the full word count and include the following:
- What you sell
- Where you sell it
- Who you sell it to
You don’t need to overcomplicate it, just talk about these three things clearly and your description will be brilliant.
I would advise you not to use AI to write it. Google’s increasingly focused on genuinely helpful, original content, and people can usually tell when something’s been written by AI these days. We can sort of smell when it’s AI. If writing isn’t your thing, give me a call and we can do this together.
Step 6 – Add photos (a logo, real photos of you/your work, not stock)
Images are so important to a good Google Business Profile. They are the thing people subconsciously notice first. You need a decent logo, images of your product, your branding on company buildings, vehicles or clothing. If you’re a service business, include images of you doing that service, a meeting with a client, painting a house, delivering a parcel.
Try to ensure you stick to Google’s guidelines in terms of image format, size and resolution.
Step 7 – Reviews
This step is maybe the most important of all: collecting reviews from your customers. I know it can be awkward sometimes to ask someone else to give feedback on your work, especially in a public forum, but from my experience, most people are happy to help and understand how valuable a good review can be.
Try and get a few reviews in the door early from clients you know well or people that have told you they love your product. And then try and make it part of your regular practice. When you finish with a client or when you send out a product, ask for a review at the same time. A small number of people will actually do it, and over time, they will build to a more substantial number. You’ve put so much work in to get to this point, don’t miss out on something so simple that can have such a monumental effect on your business when done well.
Common mistakes worth avoiding
Even with the best intentions, plenty of businesses fall at the same few hurdles. Here’s what I see most often:
Stuffing keywords into your business name I do understand the thinking behind doing this. Putting something like “Will Price Digital | Web Design Devon | Website Designer Exeter” as your business name feels like it should help you rank for those terms. But it doesn’t. Google’s guidelines are clear that your business name should just be your real, legal business name. Stuffing it with keywords can get your listing suspended entirely. That’s exactly what your categories and description are for so use those instead.
Leaving fields blank Every incomplete field is a potential missed opportunity. If you haven’t filled in your hours, your services or your service area, you’re leaving Google to guess, and potential customers to look elsewhere for the details they need. Normally your competitors.
Going quiet after the initial setup Setting up your profile properly is only half the job. Profiles that get the odd update, photo or post tend to perform better than ones left untouched for months. It doesn’t need to be constant by any means but a little activity now and then makes a real difference.
Ignoring your reviews Whether they’re positive or negative, it is better to respond to them than ignore them. Even a short, genuine reply shows you’re an active, real business, and it means more to potential customers than you’d think. People understand that some people just like to moan so one or two bad comments in a sea of positive ones won’t hurt long term. But responding to these select few shows a willingness to communicate, help and that there is an actual person on hand.
Quick recap
- A Google Business Profile is completely free, and separate from your website
- It’s often the very first thing a potential customer sees about your business
- Choose the right category, and be specific rather than generic
- Decide between Service business, Local store or Online retail. This affects how you’ll need to verify and how you will show up in search
- Fill in every single field, especially your service area and description
- Add real photos, not stock images
- Ask for reviews initially and then make it a habit
- Keep the profile active. A bit of ongoing attention beats a “set and forget” approach
