How to optimize your Google Business Profile

Start with the primary category

The primary category tells Google what your business is, and it shapes which searches your profile can appear for more than any other field. Pick the one that describes your main service the way a customer would search for it. Add secondary categories only for services you offer today, so every category on the profile is true.

Fill in every field a customer would check

• Services: each service listed by the name customers use, with a short description and a price where you can give one.
• Hours: regular hours, holiday hours and special hours, updated before every long weekend.
• Booking or contact link: pointed at the page where people book or enquire, with tracking so you can count those visits.
• Description: what you do, who you help and where, in plain words that match the first lines of your homepage.
• Attributes: accessibility, payment options and any other details that apply to you.

Photos and posts

Upload photos of your space, your team at work and your finished work, taken by you. Add new ones every month. Posts announce offers, events and seasonal services and give people a reason to click. A profile that changes regularly tells searchers the business is open and cared for.

Reviews in your customers' own words

Ask every customer you served well, by email, text or a QR card at the counter, with a direct link to your review form. Never script the review or offer anything in exchange, since Google's rules forbid incentives. Reviews that describe the service and the area in the customer's own words help Google and AI tools understand what you do. Reply to every review, good or bad, within a few days.

Match your facts everywhere

Google compares your profile with your website, Bing Places, Apple Business Connect, Yelp and industry directories. When the name, address, phone, hours and description match, Google and AI tools trust the details and repeat them correctly. When they disagree, the wrong version can show up in maps and in AI answers.

Where to start

If you want a hand with this, see Local SEO + Google Business Profile, browse examples of our work, or get a free AI Search Check to see where your business stands today.

Questions