How to optimise a Google Business Profile
The map results on Google are drawn from Business Profiles, and much of what decides which profiles appear is in the owner's hands: the category chosen, how complete the details are, and how many recent reviews the business has earned.
Each sounding opens its section
- 01 Claim it and verify it 53 words
- 02 Choose the primary category carefully 49 words
- 03 Complete every field 56 words
- 04 List services and products 34 words
- 05 Add real photographs 35 words
- 06 Earn reviews, and reply to them 50 words
- 07 Post updates 35 words
- 08 Keep the details identical everywhere 34 words
- 09 What gets a profile suspended 50 words
- 10 Questions people ask 129 words
- 11 Free competitor gap report 103 words
- 12 More in this series 51 words
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- Sections (H2)
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- File
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- HTML, uncompressed · of 83.6 kB budget · 0 scripts
Claim it and verify it
A profile can exist before the owner has ever seen it, because Google creates them from public information. Search for the business on Google Maps, claim the profile, and complete the verification Google asks for. An unverified profile cannot be edited reliably and may not appear at all.
Choose the primary category carefully
The primary category is the strongest statement a profile makes about what the business is. Pick the most specific one that fits: “Cosmetic dentist” says more than “Dentist” if cosmetic work is the trade. Add secondary categories only for services the business really provides.
Complete every field
Google’s own advice is that complete profiles are more likely to be shown. Fill in each of these, and keep them current.
- Address, or the service area if customers are visited at home.
- Opening hours, including bank holidays and seasonal changes.
- Phone number and website.
- A description written for customers, in plain words.
List services and products
The services and products sections tell Google, and the customer, exactly what is offered. List each service by the name a customer would use for it, with a short description.
Add real photographs
Photographs of the premises, the work and the people who do it show that the business is real and active. Add new ones regularly. Stock images add nothing, and customers can tell.
Earn reviews, and reply to them
Ask every customer for a review, and make it easy with the review link the profile provides. Reply to all of them, including the critical ones.
Two practices break Google’s rules: paying for reviews, and asking only the customers you expect to be positive.
Post updates
Updates are short posts shown on the profile: an offer, an event, a piece of news. They are a small signal, but they show a searcher that someone is looking after the listing.
Keep the details identical everywhere
The name, address and phone number on the profile should match the website and every directory the business appears in. Our local SEO checklist covers the places to check.
What gets a profile suspended
Most suspensions trace to one of three causes.
- Keywords or place names added to the business name.
- An address where the business has no staff, such as a virtual office or a mailbox.
- More than one profile for the same business at the same location.
Questions people ask
How do I choose the right category for a Google Business Profile?
Choose the most specific category that describes the whole business as the primary one, then add others only for services you really offer. The categories your strongest local competitors use are a fair guide.
Can I add keywords to my business name on Google?
No. The name on the profile must be the name the business really trades under. Adding a town or a service to it breaks Google's guidelines and can get the profile suspended.
Do reviews affect local rankings?
Yes. Google says that the number of reviews and the score are part of how prominent a business is in local results. Replying to reviews also shows that the profile is looked after.
Free competitor gap report
The profile is half of local search, and the website behind it is the other half. Name up to three local competitors and we measure your site against theirs, then send you where theirs gives Google more to work with.
- Speed and technical health, side by side
- On-page SEO and site structure
- The content they are found for and you are not
- Who holds the searches that matter in your market
- A prioritised list of what to fix first
Request your free report by email
- Address
- contact@hadalmedusa.com
- Include
- your site; up to three competitors; where you compete