How to Optimise Google Business Profile

If you are showing up on Google Maps but the phone is not ringing, the problem is rarely “local SEO in general”. It is usually your Google Business Profile underperforming at the moment of decision - when someone searches “near me”, compares three options, then picks one in under a minute.

Optimising your profile is not about making it look nice. It is about removing doubt, increasing relevance to high-intent searches, and proving you are a safe choice. The businesses that win local clicks are the ones that answer Google’s questions clearly: who you are, what you do, where you do it, and whether customers rate you.

What Google Business Profile optimisation actually affects

A well-optimised Google Business Profile influences three things you can measure: visibility (impressions in Maps and local results), engagement (calls, direction requests, website clicks, messaging), and conversion (enquiries and sales after the click).

It also reduces wasted traffic. If your opening hours are wrong, you will attract clicks you cannot convert. If your service area is vague, you will show for searches that do not match your delivery footprint. If your categories are off, Google will test you against irrelevant competitors and you will lose the comparison.

Step 1: Lock down ownership, verification and access

Before you tweak anything, make sure the profile is verified and controlled by the right people. You want one primary owner tied to a business-controlled Google account, then add managers for the team. Agencies can be added as managers without taking ownership.

This matters because Google frequently adds features, and you do not want to discover you cannot respond to reviews or update hours when it is already hurting revenue.

Step 2: Get NAP and locations right (no guesswork)

NAP is Name, Address and Phone number. It still matters because inconsistency creates friction for both users and Google’s confidence.

Use your real-world trading name consistently. If you add keywords into the business name that are not part of your legal or trading name, you might see a short-term uplift, but it comes with a very real suspension risk. If your lead flow depends on Maps, it is not a sensible trade-off.

For the address, only show it if customers can visit during stated hours. If you are a service-area business (for example, mobile locksmith, roofer, or cleaning team), you can hide the address and set a service area instead. The key is alignment: your on-page contact details, invoices, signage, and Google Business Profile should tell the same story.

Step 3: Choose categories like you are buying media

Your primary category is one of the strongest relevance signals you control. Pick the category that describes the core thing you want to be found for, not the thing you also do.

Then add secondary categories to reflect genuine services, but do not try to cover everything. Too many categories can dilute relevance and muddy user expectations. A specialist often converts better than a “we do it all” profile.

If you operate across multiple services with meaningful revenue in each, it can be worth creating separate landing pages (and in some cases separate profiles for truly distinct, staffed locations). The rule is simple: do not create duplicates just to rank more. If a human would consider them the same business in the same place, Google usually will too.

Step 4: Write the business description for conversion, not fluff

The description does not directly “rank” in the way categories do, but it shapes clicks and calls. Keep it plain, specific and local.

Aim to cover what you do, who you do it for, the areas you serve, and what makes you a lower-risk choice. Mention your lead service lines and local patch naturally. Avoid salesy filler and avoid stuffing keywords.

A strong description reads like a confident answer to: “Why should I choose you over the two businesses above you?”

Step 5: Services, products and attributes - fill the gaps Google can’t infer

Most profiles leave money on the table by skipping services, products and attributes. These fields help Google match you to long-tail searches and help customers self-qualify.

Add services with clear names and short descriptions. If pricing is predictable, add price ranges. If it depends on site conditions or scope, say so. Transparency filters out poor-fit leads and improves conversion rate.

Attributes matter too. Things like wheelchair accessibility, on-site parking, or “women-led” can influence decisions in competitive results. Only select what is true. Google users will call it out quickly.

Step 6: Photos and video - prove you are real and operational

In local search, trust is a ranking factor in practice, even when it is not a formal metric. Photos create trust.

You want a clean set that shows:

• Exterior and signage (so customers recognise the location)

• Interior (so they know what to expect)

• Team and “in-progress” work (so you look active)

• Finished results (for trades, clinics, salons, and professional services)

Geotagging is not the magic lever people claim, but consistency is. Update imagery regularly. If your latest photos are three years old, it subtly signals the business may be quieter than competitors.

Step 7: Reviews - build a system, not a one-off push

Reviews are where local SEO and conversion meet. They influence ranking indirectly through engagement and sentiment, and directly influence whether people choose you.

The winning approach is operational: ask at the right moment, make it easy, and respond consistently.

Ask after a successful outcome, not during delivery. For example, after an installation is signed off, after a patient’s follow-up, after a project handover, after a meal when staff have checked everything was right.

When responding, do not write generic “thanks”. Mention the service, the area if appropriate, and a detail that shows it is a real reply. For negative reviews, stay factual, invite the customer to resolve it offline, and do not get dragged into a public argument. Prospects read your responses as a signal of how you handle problems.

If you see a sudden wave of fake reviews, document it and report through the profile. Do not retaliate with fake positives - that is how businesses get flagged.

Step 8: Posts, updates and offers - keep the profile active

Google Posts are not social media, and they do not need daily attention. But they do help you control your narrative.

Use posts when you have something that affects buying decisions: seasonal availability, new services, limited-time offers, event dates, or a strong case study outcome. A monthly cadence is often enough for stable industries; more frequently if you are running promotions.

Think like a performance marketer: each post should have one job, one message, and a clear next step (call, book, request a quote, or visit a specific page on your website).

Step 9: Questions and answers - handle objections before they bounce

The Q&A section is underrated, partly because anyone can ask and answer. That is exactly why you should seed it with real FAQs.

Add questions you know prospects ask on the phone: minimum spend, lead times, emergency call-outs, parking, cancellation policy, and what areas you cover. Then answer them clearly.

Monitor this section. If a competitor or random user posts misleading information, you want to correct it quickly.

Step 10: Track what matters: calls, forms and real leads

Optimisation without tracking is just editing.

Use UTM tagging on your website link so you can see Google Business Profile traffic in analytics. Track calls and form submissions as conversions. If you run appointment bookings, ensure the booking link is set correctly and test it on mobile.

Then look at the outcomes monthly: which searches trigger you, which actions users take, and whether you are getting high-intent enquiries or time-wasters. Sometimes the right move is not “more visibility” but “better matching”. Tightening categories, services, and service area can reduce impressions and increase leads.

If you want an accountable view of what is driving your Maps leads, Think SEO can audit your profile, local rankings and conversion path, then tie changes to measurable call and enquiry growth.

Common optimisation mistakes we see (and how to avoid them)

The most expensive mistake is chasing hacks instead of fundamentals. Keyword stuffing the business name, creating duplicate listings, or spinning up fake locations might deliver a bump, but it can also trigger suspensions and wipe out your lead source overnight.

Another common issue is misalignment between profile and website. If your profile says you serve Greater Manchester but your service pages and contact details suggest otherwise, Google has to guess. Guessing rarely helps you.

Finally, many businesses “optimise” once and never revisit. Opening hours change. Services evolve. Staff come and go. Competitors add photos, collect reviews and improve their sites. Local search is a moving auction for attention, and your profile needs ongoing maintenance.

A simple way to prioritise your next actions

If you need a quick decision framework, prioritise based on what blocks conversions first. Wrong hours, wrong phone number, missing services, weak reviews, and poor photos will cost you more leads than a minor category tweak. Once the trust and accuracy pieces are solid, then iterate on relevance (categories, services, attributes) and activity (posts, Q&A) while tracking outcomes.

The goal is not a “perfect” profile. It is a profile that consistently turns local intent into calls, bookings and revenue - and keeps doing it while competitors drift.