How to Improve Your Google Business Profile
Updated: Jul 31
Your Google Business Profile is often one of the first things potential customers see when they search for your business or services nearby. Keeping it accurate, complete and regularly updated can help you appear more professional, build trust and make it easier for customers to contact you.
Make sure the information on your profile is accurate and up to date.
Check:
Business name
Primary business category
Phone number
Website address
Opening hours
Business description
Street address or service area
Services offered
Google allows service-area businesses to show the towns, postcodes or areas they cover instead of displaying a customer-facing shop address where appropriate.
2. Choose the Right Business Category
Your primary category should describe what the business mainly does.
Avoid selecting lots of unrelated categories simply to appear for more searches. Choose the most accurate primary category, then add relevant secondary categories only where they genuinely apply.
Accurate categories help Google understand the business and show the profile for more relevant searches.
3. Add Your Main Services
List the services customers can actually book or request.
For example, a plumbing company might include:
Boiler repairs
Tap replacement
Leak detection
Bathroom plumbing
Emergency call-outs
Depending on the business category, Google may show these services directly on the profile when customers search for them. Businesses can also group services and add descriptions or prices where the feature is available.
4. Use Genuine, High-Quality Photos
Photos help customers understand what the business looks like and the quality of work provided.
Useful images include:
Completed projects
Team members
Vehicles
Shopfront or premises
Equipment
Before-and-after work
Products or services in use
Use clear, recent images rather than relying entirely on generic stock photography.
5. Ask Customers for Reviews
Reviews can help potential customers feel more confident about choosing a business.
After completing a job or service, ask satisfied customers for honest feedback. Make the process easy by sending them the direct review link.
Respond to reviews professionally, including negative ones. Prompt and helpful responses show that the business values customer feedback.
Never buy reviews or offer rewards in exchange for positive ratings.
6. Keep Information Consistent Everywhere
The information on your Google Business Profile should match the details shown on your website and social profiles.
Check that these are consistent:
Business name
Phone number
Email address
Website
Opening hours
Services
Service area
Google may also use information from a business’s official website and other public sources when displaying local information, so conflicting details can create confusion.
7. Keep the Profile Active
Do not set the profile up once and then forget about it.
Regularly check:
Opening hours
Holiday hours
New services
New photographs
Website and phone links
Customer reviews
Suggested edits
Small, regular updates help keep the profile accurate and useful.
8. Monitor Profile Performance
Google provides performance information showing how people interact with the profile.
Depending on the business and available features, this can include:
Website clicks
Call-button clicks
Direction requests
Messages
Bookings
Search and profile views
Reviewing this information helps show whether people are finding and engaging with the business.
Google Business Profile Checklist
Before considering your profile complete, check:
Is every important detail accurate?
Is the primary category correct?
Are the main services listed?
Are the photos genuine and current?
Are customers being asked for reviews?
Are reviews receiving professional responses?
Does the information match the website?
Are profile interactions being monitored?
Want to Strengthen Your Google Presence?
A well-managed Google Business Profile can make it easier for nearby customers to discover, trust and contact your business.
Request a free digital review and we’ll highlight the clearest opportunities across your website and Google presence.
