If you run a local shop, salon, restaurant or trade business, your Google Business Profile is one of the most valuable things you can set up, and it is free. It is the panel that appears on Google Maps and on the right-hand side of search results, with your opening hours, photos, reviews and a button to call you. Here is how to set it up properly, and the mistakes we see most often when we take on new clients.
Why it matters more than you think
When someone searches for something like “barber near me” or “plumber Romford”, Google usually shows a map with three local businesses before any normal website results. That spot is called the local pack, and it is driven almost entirely by Google Business Profiles.
For a lot of local businesses, more customers find them through that map than through their website. A good profile also sends people to your site, so the two work together: the profile gets you noticed, and the website convinces people to get in touch.
Setting it up
You will need a Google account, ideally one connected to your business email rather than a personal address.
- Go to Google Business Profile and sign in with your Google account.
- Add your business name exactly as it appears on your signage and website. Do not add extra keywords.
- Choose your primary category carefully. This is one of the biggest factors in which searches you appear for. Pick the most specific category that describes your main service, then add a few secondary categories if they genuinely apply.
- Add your address or service area. If customers come to you, add your address. If you travel to customers, such as a mobile mechanic or a plumber, set a service area covering the towns you work in and hide your address.
- Verify your business. Google will ask you to verify, usually by video, phone, email or post depending on your business. Your profile will not show properly until this is done.
- Add your opening hours, including special hours for bank holidays.
- Add your phone number and make sure it is one you actually answer.
- Add your website link, pointing to your homepage or the most relevant page.
Optimising your profile
A basic profile gets you listed. An optimised one gets you chosen.
Photos
Profiles with good photos get more clicks. Add your logo, a cover photo, the outside of your premises (so people recognise it), the inside, your team and examples of your work. Add new photos every few weeks rather than all at once.
Services and products
List each service you offer, with a short description and a price if you are comfortable sharing one. This helps Google match you to more specific searches and gives customers a quick overview.
Description
You get space for a short description of your business. Explain what you do, who you do it for and where, in plain English. Mention your area naturally, but do not stuff it with keywords.
Posts
You can publish short updates, offers and events directly on your profile. They do not need to be long. A quick post about a seasonal offer or a recent job shows customers and Google that your business is active.
Q&A
Customers can ask questions on your profile, and anyone can answer them. Check regularly and answer questions yourself so the information is accurate.
Reviews: getting more and replying well
Reviews are one of the strongest signals for local rankings, and they matter even more to customers deciding who to call.
- Ask at the right moment. The best time is just after a job goes well, when the customer is happy and it is fresh in their mind.
- Make it easy. Google gives you a short link to your review form. Send it by WhatsApp or text, or put it on a card or a QR code at the counter.
- Reply to every review. Thank people for positive reviews, and reply calmly and helpfully to negative ones. Future customers read your replies as much as the reviews themselves.
- Never buy or fake reviews. It breaks Google’s rules and can get your profile suspended.
Connecting it to your website
Your profile and your website should back each other up.
- Keep your name, address and phone number identical everywhere: on your website, your profile and any directories you are listed in.
- Create pages for the areas you serve. If you work across several towns, a page for each one, with genuinely useful information, helps you show up in searches for those places.
- Link back to your site from your profile, and make sure the page it lands on loads quickly and makes it easy to get in touch.
Common mistakes
These are the problems we fix most often:
- Keyword-stuffing the business name, for example “Smith’s Plumbing Romford Emergency Plumber Best Prices”. It can get your profile suspended.
- Choosing the wrong primary category, which means you do not show up for your main service.
- Using a PO box or virtual office as your address. Google does not allow it for most business types.
- Duplicate listings, often created years ago by a previous owner or an old agency. These split your reviews and confuse Google.
- Out-of-date hours, especially over holidays, which lead to frustrated customers and bad reviews.
Want it done for you?
Setting up a profile properly takes a few hours, and keeping it fresh takes a little time every month. Our Premium package includes Google Business Profile setup alongside your website, so the two work together from day one. Have a look at the packages and prices, read more about web design in East London, or request a free quote and we will take a look at where you are now.