Google Business Profile Optimisation: The Complete Guide

Google Business Profile (GBP), formerly known as Google My Business, is a free platform that allows businesses to manage how they appear in Google Search and Google Maps. A fully optimised Google Business Profile is one of the most powerful local marketing tools available — it determines whether your business appears in the coveted Map Pack that shows at the top of local search results, and provides multiple ways for customers to engage directly from search results.

Claiming and verifying your Google Business Profile is the essential first step. Search for your business on Google to determine whether a profile already exists. If one exists, claim it; if not, create a new one. Verification typically requires receiving a postcard at your business address with a PIN, though phone and email verification are available for some businesses. Unverified profiles have limited functionality and reduced visibility.

Business category selection is one of the most impactful GBP optimisation decisions. Your primary category tells Google what type of business you are and determines which searches your profile is eligible to appear for. Choose the most specific, accurate primary category available — Web design company rather than Internet company, Family law solicitor rather than Legal services. You can also add secondary categories for other services you provide.

Business description is a 750-character narrative about your business visible in your profile. Write a description that clearly communicates what you do, who you serve, and what differentiates you — incorporating relevant keywords naturally. The description appears in your profile and contributes to Google's understanding of your business's relevance for specific searches. Avoid generic boilerplate; a specific, genuine description outperforms vague marketing language.

Photos significantly influence both your profile's performance in search and customers' willingness to contact you. Profiles with more photos consistently receive more views, clicks, and customer actions than those with few or no photos. Add: a logo image, a cover photo, interior and exterior photos of your premises, product photos, team photos, and photos of your work. Update photos regularly — recent, high-quality photography signals that the business is active and professional.

Google Posts — short updates published within your GBP — appear in your knowledge panel and provide fresh content that can increase engagement with your profile. Post types include: What's New, Offers, Events, and Products. Posting at least weekly demonstrates an active, engaged business and provides additional content for Google to assess your profile's relevance. Posts are removed from visibility after seven days, creating an incentive for regular publishing.

Products and Services sections allow you to showcase your offerings directly in your GBP. Adding detailed product or service listings — with names, descriptions, and prices where applicable — makes your profile more informative and helps Google understand and match your profile to relevant searches. These listings appear in your knowledge panel and can be a deciding factor for customers comparing multiple businesses in a category.

Q&A management is a frequently overlooked GBP feature. The Q&A section allows anyone to post questions about your business — and anyone to answer them. Unanswered questions, incorrect answers, or misleading questions can damage your profile's impression. Set up notifications for new questions and respond promptly and professionally to every question. Proactively adding and answering your own frequently asked questions populates this section with accurate, helpful information.

Review management is one of the most commercially important aspects of GBP optimisation. A higher average rating and more reviews improves both ranking in local search and conversion rate from profile views. Develop a systematic review request process: follow-up emails after service delivery, in-person requests for satisfied customers. Respond professionally to every review — positive reviews deserve acknowledgement, negative reviews deserve prompt, empathetic, constructive responses.

GBP Insights provides valuable data about how customers find and interact with your profile: how many saw your profile in search versus Maps, what searches triggered your profile appearance, what actions customers took, and how performance trends over time. Reviewing these insights monthly provides visibility into which aspects of your profile are working and where optimisation effort should be focused.