SEO · 4 min read
How to set up and optimise your Google Business Profile
Your Google Business Profile is often the first thing customers see. Here is how to set it up properly, keep it accurate and connect it to your website, without breaking Google's rules.
When someone searches for a business like yours nearby, Google often shows a map and a list of businesses before any website. Those listings come from Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business). Keeping a complete, accurate profile is one of the most practical things a local business can do for search visibility.
Here's how to set up and optimise your Google Business Profile and keep it working, from verification and categories to reviews.
1. Claim and verify your profile
Search for your business name on Google Maps. If a profile already exists, claim it; if not, create one at Google Business Profile.
Google then asks you to verify that you own the business. Depending on your business, this can be by video, phone, email or post. Only the business owner or an authorised manager can complete verification, so plan to do it yourself.
Use a Google account that belongs to the business, not a personal account or your web designer's. You can add your agency as a manager later, while you remain the owner.
2. Get your core details exactly right
- Business name: your real business name, exactly as customers see it on your signage and website. Don't add keywords or locations to the name; it's against Google's guidelines and can get a profile suspended.
- Address or service area: if customers visit you, show your address. If you travel to customers or work remotely, you can hide the address and set a service area instead.
- Phone number and website: a number that's answered, and a link to the most relevant page of your website.
- Hours: including holiday hours. Wrong opening times are one of the fastest ways to lose a customer's trust.
3. Choose the right categories
Your primary category is one of the most important settings in the profile. Choose the one that best describes your core business, for example "Website designer" rather than "Marketing agency" if that's what you mainly do. Then add a few secondary categories for other genuine services. Don't add categories for things you don't really offer.
4. Add services, products and a description
- Services: list the services you actually provide, with short descriptions.
- Description: explain what you do, who you serve and where, in plain language. Write it for customers, not for search engines.
- Products: useful if you sell physical products or packaged services.
5. Add real photos
Add genuine photos of your premises, team and work. Customers trust real photos more than stock images, and a profile with recent photos looks active. Add new ones from time to time.
6. Ask for reviews, and reply to them
Reviews influence both rankings and whether people choose you. Ask happy customers for a review, and share the direct review link from your profile to make it easy. Reply to every review, good and bad, politely and specifically.
Never buy reviews or offer rewards in exchange for them. It breaks Google's policies and can get reviews removed or the profile penalised.
7. Keep your details consistent everywhere
Your business name, address and phone number should match exactly across your profile, your website and directories where you're listed. Inconsistent details make it harder for Google to trust the information.
Your website plays a big part here. Its contact page, footer and structured data should show the same details as your profile, and service pages should clearly describe what you do and where.
8. Keep it active
- Post updates, offers or news occasionally.
- Keep the details customers ask about accurate and complete. The old Q&A feature on profiles has been discontinued, and Google can answer common questions using your profile information, opening hours and contact details, services and products, reviews and photos, and your website's content. A clear FAQ section on your website helps here too.
- Update your hours, services and photos when they change.
- Check the Performance section to see how people find you and what they do next.
What a profile can't do alone
A strong profile works best alongside a website that loads fast, explains your services clearly and gives Google consistent information. No one can guarantee a position in the map results. Distance from the searcher, relevance and your reputation all play a part.
And visibility is only half the job. If your profile brings visits but the phone still doesn't ring, read why a website isn't getting enquiries.
If you'd like help, our local SEO service includes setting up or cleaning up your Google Business Profile and making sure your website supports it. Verification is always completed by you, the owner. Get in touch to talk it through.
Frequently asked questions
Can you set up and optimise my Google Business Profile?
Yes. We set up or clean up your profile (categories, services, description, photos and links) and make sure your name, address and phone number match your website. Google's verification step is completed by you, the business owner.
How long does SEO take to show results?
Technical fixes such as indexing, speed and structured data take effect once Google recrawls your pages, which can be quick. Ranking gains for competitive searches usually take months, not weeks, and depend on your competitors and how much content is needed. We tell you what's realistic for your market before you commit.
Do I need local SEO if customers don't visit my premises?
It can still help. Businesses that travel to customers can set a service area on their Google Business Profile instead of showing an address. If you serve clients nationally or internationally, the focus shifts from map results to technical and content SEO. See our Google Business Profile guide.
AntsHum Team · Web design & development, AntsHum Technologies
Written by the AntsHum team, who design, build and look after websites, online stores and integrations for businesses in India and worldwide.
