01How Google picks local results
Google has said that local results are based mainly on three things: relevance (how well your profile matches what someone searched for), distance (how far you are from the person or the place they named), and prominence (how well known your business is, including reviews and how you appear on the web).
You cannot change where a customer is standing, but you can improve relevance and prominence with accurate information and genuine reviews. Nobody can honestly guarantee a ranking.
02The checklist
Business name
- What to do
- Use your real name as it appears on your signage, with no keywords added
- Why it matters
- Keyword stuffing breaks the guidelines and can get a profile suspended
Address or service area
- What to do
- Show an address if customers visit you, or set a service area if you visit them
- Why it matters
- Customers and Google need to know where you operate
Hours
- What to do
- Keep regular and holiday hours correct
- Why it matters
- Wrong hours send customers away
Categories
- What to do
- Choose the main category that best describes you, then add others that apply
- Why it matters
- Categories help match your profile to what people search for
Services and products
- What to do
- List what you offer, with short descriptions
- Why it matters
- People compare options before they call
Photos
- What to do
- Add real photos of your premises, team and work
- Why it matters
- Photos help people trust and choose you
Website and contact
- What to do
- Add your website, phone and booking or message links
- Why it matters
- Make it easy to get in touch
03Reviews: earn them honestly
- Ask real customers, ideally soon after a good experience, with a simple review link or QR code.
- Reply to every review, good or bad, politely and specifically. A calm reply to a poor review shows how you treat customers.
- Never buy, write or trade reviews. Fake or incentivised reviews break Google's policies and can lead to removal or suspension.
- Do not ask only happy customers in a way that screens out others. Ask everyone.
04Keep the profile active
- Post regular, useful updates, offers or news.
- Check the questions and answers section and answer questions yourself.
- Update the profile whenever hours, services or contact details change.
- Make your business details the same on your website and in key directories.
05Add local pages to your website
A profile works best with a website that says clearly where you work and what you do. Useful local pages for each area and service, with your address, hours, a map and local business markup, give people and Google more to go on. Write them for customers, with real information, not copied from page to page.
06Measure what happens
Your profile shows how many people called, asked for directions or visited your website. Check these each month alongside your website analytics, and note which changes were followed by more enquiries.
?Frequently asked questions
How do I improve my Google Business Profile?
Complete every relevant field accurately, add real photos, ask real customers for reviews and reply to all of them, post regular updates and track calls, directions and website visits.
Can I add keywords to my business name?
No. Use your real business name as it appears in the real world. Adding keywords breaks Google's guidelines and can lead to suspension.
Can I buy Google reviews?
No. Fake or incentivised reviews break Google's policies and can lead to removal or suspension of your profile.
How long does it take to see results?
Profile fixes can show quickly, while reviews and local pages build over weeks and months. Nobody can honestly guarantee a ranking.
What if I visit customers instead of having a shop?
You can set a service area instead of showing a public address.
Can you manage my profile for me?
Yes. We manage profiles for local businesses. The profile stays in your own Google account, with us added as a manager you can remove at any time.