Let me ask you something. When was the last time you Googled a local business before deciding to visit or call them?
If you’re like most people, you probably did it just this week. Maybe you searched for a plumber, a restaurant, or a dentist. You looked at the photos, read a review or two, checked the hours, and made your decision in under a minute.
Here’s the thing. Your customers are doing the exact same thing with your business.
And if your Google Business Profile isn’t set up properly, or worse, if you haven’t claimed it at all, you’re leaving a massive first impression to chance. More importantly, you’re handing potential customers over to your competitors who have taken the time to set up theirs.
So let’s talk about Google Business Profile (GBP): what it is, why it matters, and exactly what you should be doing with it right now.
What Is Google Business Profile, Anyway?
Google Business Profile is the free listing that appears on the right side of Google’s search results when someone looks up your business. It’s also what shows up in Google Maps. It includes your business name, address, phone number, hours, photos, reviews, and more.
You’ve seen it a thousand times. You just might not have realized you need one too, and that it needs to be actively managed.
The best part? It costs absolutely nothing. Zero, and that’s pretty rare in the world of digital marketing.
Here’s the thing, Google will create a basic listing for your business whether you claim it or not. It pulls information from the web and puts something out there. The problem however is, that information is often incomplete, outdated, or just plain wrong, and when a potential customer finds that listing and sees missing hours, no photos, or zero reviews, they just move on. And it takes about ten seconds to lose that lead that might have turned into a buying customer.
The Parts of Your Profile That Actually Matter
Let’s break down the key pieces of your Google Business Profile and what you should be doing with each one.
Your Basic Information
This sounds obvious, but you’d be surprised how often I see business names spelled wrong, old addresses, disconnected phone numbers, or websites that haven’t been updated in years.
Go through every detail and make sure it’s accurate because this is the foundation, and everything else builds on top of it. A checklist you can go through include:
- Business name (exactly as it appears on your signage and website)
- Address or service area
- Phone number
- Website URL
- Business category
- Hours of operation, including holidays
Photos
Photos matter a lot. According to Google, businesses with photos receive significantly more direction requests and website clicks than those without them. As a small business, here’s what I recommend for you:
- A cover photo that represents your brand well
- Your actual storefront or location so people know what to look for
- Photos of your team at work
- Before and after shots if you’re in a service-based industry
- Your products or completed projects
One very important thing to remember is to keep adding to them. Fresh photos signal to Google that your listing is active and well-maintained. Aim to add new photos at least once a month. One thing to avoid though is not to use stock photos else they might deter people from your business. People can always tell authentic, real photos from stock or AI images. Genuine images of your actual business build trust in a way that a generic office photo never will.
Reviews
If there’s one thing I could get every local business owner to focus on, it’s this: your Google reviews are gold. Reviews are one of the biggest factors in whether a potential customer chooses you over a competitor. They also play a role in how high your listing ranks in local search results.
The key to getting more reviews? Simply ask. We have a blog article on how to receive reviews from your clients, you can check it out here.
How Google Business Profile Connects to Your SEO
Google Business Profile isn’t just a standalone listing, it’s a core part of your local SEO strategy. When someone searches for “landscaping company near me,” Google pulls from a combination of signals to decide which businesses show up in the top three results (known as the Local Pack). Your GBP listing is one of the most important of those signals.
A well-maintained profile with accurate information, consistent reviews, regular posts, and quality photos tells Google that you’re a legitimate, active, and trusted local business. That translates directly into better visibility in local search results. It works hand-in-hand with your website too. The information on your GBP should match your website perfectly. Your business name, address, and phone number need to be consistent across the web. Any discrepancies can actually hurt your rankings on Google.
Where to Start
If you haven’t claimed your Google Business Profile yet, that’s step one. Go to business.google.com and either claim your existing listing or create a new one. Google will verify your business, usually by sending a verification code to your email address. Once that’s done, work through the checklist above; fill everything out completely, upload real photos, and ask your best customers for a review this week.
Then commit to maintaining it. The businesses that get the most out of Google Business Profile aren’t the ones who set it up once, they’re the ones who treat it as an ongoing part of their marketing.
Need Help Getting It Done?
Setting up and optimizing your Google Business Profile is something we help local businesses with at PBP Web Design. If you’d like someone to take a look at your listing and help you get it working harder for you, we can help you.
Schedule your free consultation today and let’s talk about how to level up your local visibility, starting with the tools that are already available to you for free.