Your Most Powerful Free Marketing Tool
If you're a local business, your Google Business Profile (GBP) is arguably the most important piece of your digital marketing strategy. It's what appears when people search for businesses like yours on Google Search and Maps.
Here's the opportunity: fully optimized profiles get up to 18x more visibility and 70% more customer visits than incomplete ones.
Getting Started: Claim Your Profile
If you haven't already:
- Go to [google.com/business](https://www.google.com/business/)
- Search for your business
- Claim or create your listing
- Verify via postcard, phone, or email
Verification typically takes 3-7 days for the postcard option. Don't skip this step—unverified profiles have limited functionality.
The Essential Optimizations
1. Complete Every Section
Google rewards completeness. Fill out:
- Business name (exactly as it appears in real life)
- Address (be precise—this affects "near me" searches)
- Phone number (local area code preferred)
- Website URL (track with UTM parameters if possible)
- Hours (including special holiday hours)
- Business description (750 characters—use keywords naturally)
- Services/Products (be comprehensive and specific)
- Attributes (wheelchair accessible, veteran-owned, etc.)
2. Choose the Right Categories
Your primary category is a major ranking factor. Choose:
- Primary category: Your main business type (be specific)
- Secondary categories: Up to 9 additional relevant categories
Example for a pizza restaurant:
- Primary: Pizza Restaurant
- Secondary: Italian Restaurant, Delivery Restaurant, Takeout Restaurant
3. Add High-Quality Photos
Businesses with over 100 photos see explosive results:
- 520% more phone calls
- 1,065% more website clicks
- 2,717% more direction requests
Photos to include:
- Storefront (exterior)
- Interior views
- Team members in action
- Products or services
- Before/after examples
- Happy customers (with permission)
Photo tips:
- Use high resolution (at least 720px)
- Good lighting, no blurriness
- Add new photos monthly—Google notices activity
- Add photos with relevant filenames (topeka-bakery-fresh-bread.jpg)
4. Post Regular Updates
Google Posts work like a social media feed for your business. They appear directly in search results and stay visible for 6 months.
Post types:
- Updates: News, tips, behind-the-scenes
- Offers: Sales, discounts, promotions
- Events: Workshops, sales events, community activities
- Products: Highlight specific items
Posting frequency: Aim for weekly at minimum. Active profiles rank higher.
5. Collect and Respond to Reviews
Reviews are a top ranking factor for local search:
- Quantity matters: More reviews = higher rankings
- Quality matters: 4+ star average is essential
- Recency matters: Recent reviews count more than old ones
Response strategy:
- Respond to EVERY review (positive and negative)
- Thank positive reviewers specifically
- Address negative reviews professionally—offer to resolve offline
- Include keywords naturally in responses
6. Answer Questions
The Q&A section is often overlooked. Monitor it and:
- Answer questions promptly
- Add your own FAQs (you can ask AND answer questions)
- Report spam or competitor sabotage
Pro tip: Structure answers for voice search. When someone asks Google "Does [business] offer [service]?", your Q&A answers can be read aloud.
7. Enable Messaging
Let customers message you directly from your profile:
- Open your GBP dashboard
- Go to Messages
- Turn on messaging
Important: You MUST respond within 24 hours, or Google may disable this feature. Set up notifications so you don't miss messages.
Advanced Optimization Tips
NAP Consistency
Your Name, Address, and Phone number must be exactly identical everywhere online:
- "Street" vs "St." matters
- "Suite 100" vs "#100" matters
- Inconsistencies confuse Google and hurt rankings
Audit your listings on major directories (Yelp, Facebook, Yellow Pages, industry sites) and correct any variations.
Local Content on Your Website
Your website should reinforce your GBP:
- Include your address and NAP on every page (footer)
- Create location-specific pages if you serve multiple areas
- Embed a Google Map
- Add LocalBusiness schema markup
Track Your Performance
GBP provides valuable insights:
- How many views your profile gets
- Where views come from (Search vs Maps)
- Customer actions (calls, website visits, directions)
- Photo views vs competitors
Review these monthly and adjust your strategy based on what's working.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Keyword stuffing your business name (violates guidelines, can get you suspended)
- Using a P.O. Box (must have a physical address for most business types)
- Creating multiple profiles for the same location (this hurts you)
- Ignoring questions and reviews (looks like you don't care)
- Using stock photos (customers can tell—use real photos)
Your Optimization Checklist
- ☐ Profile verified
- ☐ All sections complete
- ☐ Correct primary and secondary categories
- ☐ 20+ high-quality photos uploaded
- ☐ Business description includes keywords
- ☐ Services/products listed with descriptions
- ☐ Hours accurate (including special hours)
- ☐ Messaging enabled
- ☐ First post published
- ☐ Review response strategy in place
Start Today
Your Google Business Profile is free, powerful, and often the difference between being found or being invisible. Every day you wait is another day competitors are capturing your potential customers.
Need help optimizing your local presence? Contact us for a free Google Business Profile audit.