How to Improve Your Google Business Profile
Your Business Profile often matters more than your website for local searches. Here is how to set it up properly and keep it working.
When someone searches for "electrician near me", the first thing they see is usually a map with three businesses. Those listings come from Google Business Profiles, not from websites. For a local business, the profile is frequently the first impression and sometimes the only one.
It is free, and most profiles are half-finished. That is the opportunity.
How Google decides who appears
Google says local results are based mainly on three things: relevance (how well your profile matches the search), distance (how far you are from the searcher), and prominence (how well known the business is, including reviews and links). Its guidance on improving your local ranking is worth reading in full.
You cannot change where you are. You can make your profile more relevant and more prominent.
Get the foundations right
Claim and verify the profile. Until you verify, you cannot manage it fully.
Use your real business name. Do not add keywords or town names. "Smith Plumbing" must not become "Smith Plumbing 24/7 Emergency Plumber Glen Cove". That breaks Google's guidelines and can get a profile suspended.
Choose the right primary category. This is one of the strongest relevance signals you control. Pick the most specific category that describes your main business, then add secondary categories for other real services.
Set an accurate address or service area. If customers come to you, show the address. If you travel to them, set a service area and hide the address.
Keep hours accurate. Include holidays. A customer who drives to a closed shop because Google said it was open tends to leave a review saying so.
Fill in everything else
- Services or products, each with a short description in plain language.
- A business description that says what you do, for whom and where. Write it for people, not for the algorithm.
- Photos. Real ones: your work, your team, your premises, your vehicles. Add new ones regularly.
- Booking or appointment links, if you take bookings online.
- Attributes that apply to you, such as wheelchair access or languages spoken.
Reviews: the part that compounds
Reviews influence both ranking and whether a searcher picks you over the business listed next to you.
Ask everyone. The best moment is right after a job goes well. Send a text with a direct link to the review form; Google provides a short link in your profile dashboard.
Make it easy. Each extra step loses people.
Reply to every review. Thank the positive ones briefly. Answer critical ones calmly and specifically. Future customers read your replies to judge how you handle problems.
Do not offer rewards. Incentivized reviews violate Google's policies. Do not review yourself or ask staff to.
A simple automated message after each completed job is the most reliable way to keep reviews coming. See how to automate customer follow-ups.
Keep it alive
A profile that was last touched two years ago looks like a business that may have closed. Once a month:
- Add a few new photos.
- Answer any questions people have posted.
- Check that hours, phone number and website link are still right.
- Post an update if you have something worth saying: a new service, a seasonal offer, a finished project.
Common problems
A duplicate profile exists. Search for your business name and address. If you find a second listing, request to merge or remove it through Google's support.
Someone else claimed it. A former employee or agency may own the listing. Google has a process for requesting ownership.
The profile was suspended. This usually follows a guideline breach, often keyword stuffing in the name. Fix the issue, then apply for reinstatement.
Use the checklist below to go through your own profile item by item.
