When someone searches for a local service, the first thing they often see is the map pack: three businesses with their ratings, opening hours and a call button. Those listings come from Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business). For many local businesses, this free profile generates more calls and direction requests than the website itself. Yet most profiles we review are only half complete. This guide walks through every section that matters, and the policy rules you must follow to avoid suspension.
This article is part of our complete guide: SEO for Small Business: The Complete Guide (2026).
How Google ranks local listings
Google uses three main factors for local results:
- Relevance: how well your profile matches the search. Categories, services, description and reviews all contribute.
- Distance: how far you are from the searcher or the location in the search.
- Prominence: how well known you are, based on reviews, links, citations and your website’s authority.
You cannot move your business closer to every searcher, but you can maximise relevance and prominence.
Step 1: Claim and verify your profile
Search for your business on Google or go to the Google Business Profile site to claim it. Verification may be by video, phone, email or postcard, depending on your business. Use a Google account that the business controls long term, and add a second manager so you never lose access.
Step 2: Use your real business name
Enter your business name exactly as it appears on your signage, website and documents. Adding keywords or locations that are not part of your legal or trading name (“Best Plumber Manchester Ltd” when you trade as “Smith Plumbing”) breaks Google’s guidelines and can lead to suspension.
Step 3: Choose the right categories
Your primary category is one of the strongest relevance signals. Choose the most specific category that describes your core business: “Emergency locksmith service” rather than “Locksmith” if that is your main service, or “Wedding photographer” rather than “Photographer”. Add secondary categories for other genuine services. Look at the categories used by top-ranking competitors for ideas.
Step 4: Address or service area
If customers visit you, show your address. If you travel to customers and do not serve them at your premises, set up as a service-area business, hide your address and list the areas you serve. Do not use virtual offices or addresses where you do not actually operate; this is a common cause of suspensions.
Step 5: Hours, phone and website
Add accurate opening hours, including special hours for holidays. Use a local phone number that matches your website. Link to your website, ideally the homepage or the most relevant location page. You can add UTM parameters to the website link so you can see profile traffic separately in analytics.
Step 6: Services and products
List every service you offer, with short descriptions and prices or “from” prices where possible. For retailers or product businesses, add products with photos and prices. These sections add relevance for specific searches.
Step 7: Write a helpful description
Use the 750 characters to explain what you do, who you serve, where you work and what makes you different. Write for customers, include your main services naturally, and do not include links or promotional claims you cannot support.
Step 8: Add real photos regularly
Upload a logo, a cover photo, photos of your premises (inside and outside), your team at work, vehicles, and completed jobs or products. Real, recent photos build trust and engagement. Add new photos every month.
Step 9: Build a review process
Reviews influence both rankings and conversions. Ask every satisfied customer for a review with a direct link (available in your profile dashboard), at the moment they are happiest, such as after a job is completed. Reply to every review, thanking positive reviewers and responding calmly and helpfully to criticism.
Never buy reviews, offer incentives for reviews, review your own business, ask staff or family to post reviews, or gate reviews by only asking happy customers through a filter. These practices break Google’s policies and can result in removed reviews or a suspended profile.
Step 10: Use posts and updates
Posts let you share offers, events, news and recent projects. They do not dramatically affect rankings, but they keep your profile active and give searchers more reasons to choose you. Post recent work with photos and link to the relevant service page or article on your website.
Step 11: Answer questions
Monitor the questions section and answer quickly. Anyone can answer questions on your profile, so make sure the correct information comes from you.
Step 12: Strengthen your website
Your website supports your profile’s prominence and relevance. Make sure your name, address and phone number match exactly, create service pages for each main service, add local business structured data, and earn local links. See local business schema and local SEO for service businesses.
Step 13: Keep citations consistent
List your business on relevant directories and industry sites with the same name, address and phone. Fix outdated listings with old addresses or numbers.
Messaging, bookings and attributes
Depending on your category and country, your profile may offer messaging, booking links and attributes such as “wheelchair accessible”, “online appointments” or “women-owned”. Turn on messaging only if someone will reply quickly; slow responses can be shown to customers. Add a booking link if you use an online booking system, so customers can book straight from search. Select every attribute that genuinely applies, because attributes help your profile match more specific searches and help customers decide.
Measuring performance
The Performance section shows how people found you, searches used, calls, direction requests, website clicks and messages. Track these monthly alongside your website enquiries.
Common reasons profiles get suspended
- Keywords added to the business name.
- Virtual office or fake addresses.
- Multiple profiles for the same business at one location.
- Service-area businesses showing a home address incorrectly.
- Suspicious edits or ownership changes.
If suspended, fix the issue and submit a reinstatement request with evidence such as utility bills, business registration and photos of signage.
Platform links
Whether your website runs on WordPress, Wix or Squarespace, the profile works the same. For Wix users, see Wix local SEO.
From our work
For local businesses like Tech Lab Repairs and K9 Daycare, the website and Google Business Profile work together: the profile wins the map pack visibility, and the website converts the visitors who want more detail before calling.
Related guides and services
- Local SEO for service businesses: how local businesses win the map pack and nearby searches.
- Local business schema markup: how to add LocalBusiness structured data correctly.
- Wix local SEO: how local businesses on Wix can rank in their area.
- Keyword research for small businesses: how to find the searches that bring customers.
- SEO services: technical, on-page and local SEO for small businesses.
Get expert help
We can audit and optimise your Google Business Profile, set up a review process and strengthen your website’s local signals. Start with our local SEO services, browse real client results in our case studies, or contact us for a free, no-pressure review of your website.
Frequently asked questions
Is Google Business Profile free?
Yes. Creating and managing a profile is free.
How long does it take to rank in the map pack?
It varies with competition and distance. Many businesses see improvements within weeks of a full optimisation and consistent reviews.
Should I respond to negative reviews?
Yes, calmly and helpfully. Future customers read your responses.
Can I have a profile without a physical address?
Yes, as a service-area business with the address hidden, if you serve customers at their locations.
