7 Steps to Optimise your Google Business Profile in 2026

This guide is designed for businesses that have already set up and verified their Google Business Profile (Formally Google My Business) and want to improve local search visibility, attract more enquiries and strengthen their online credibility. If you’ve claimed your profile, added the basic information and left it untouched, you’re likely missing out on valuable opportunities to attract local customers.

Google Business Profile (GBP) is one of the most important local SEO tools available today, influencing how customers discover, evaluate and choose businesses through Google Search and Google Maps. The reason is simple: Google does not rank businesses randomly. It uses three core signals to determine which profiles appear in local search results and in what order:

Relevance: How closely your business matches what someone is searching for.
Distance: How close your business is to the person conducting the search.
Prominence: How trusted, established and active your business appears online.

Every optimisation outlined in this guide strengthens one or more of these core ranking signals for your Google Business Profile. Together, these improvements increase your visibility, build trust with potential customers and generate more enquiries. Done correctly, your Google Business Profile can become one of the most valuable lead-generation assets your business owns.

7 Steps to Optimise your Google Business Profile

Below we have outlined 7 steps to optimising your google business profile:

1. Complete Every Section of Your Profile

Incomplete profiles perform worse. Google uses the information on your profile to understand what your business does, where you operate and which searches you should appear for. The more complete and accurate your profile is, the more confidence Google has in displaying it to potential customers.

Make sure the following sections are fully completed:

Verify your Business
Business Name
Address or Service Areas
Phone Number
Website
Business Hours
Business Description
Services and Products

Each section helps strengthen your relevance, trust and visibility in local search. Your business description should clearly explain what you do, who you help and what makes your business different. Use natural language and include relevant keywords where appropriate.

A complete profile not only helps Google understand your business but also gives potential customers the information they need to choose you with confidence.

2. Add High-Quality Photos

Photos help build trust and can significantly increase clicks, calls and direction requests from your Google Business Profile.

At a minimum, upload:

A high-quality cover photo
Your business logo
Interior and exterior photos
Team photos
Product or service photos
Completed project photos

It’s also worth remembering that Google values profile activity. Regularly uploading new photos signals that your business is active and operating, while giving potential customers fresh content to engage with.

Where possible, make photo uploads part of your ongoing marketing process. Adding recent project photos, new products, team updates or behind-the-scenes content every month helps keep your profile looking current while strengthening your local presence. The businesses that consistently stand out in local search are often the businesses that do the best job of showing, not just telling, customers why they should choose them.

3. Choose the Right Business Category

Your primary category is one of the strongest ranking signals within Google Business Profile. Be as specific as possible. If you run a physiotherapy clinic, select “Physiotherapy Clinic” rather than a broad category such as “Health”.

You can also add secondary categories to help Google understand additional services you provide. Used correctly, these categories can increase visibility across a wider range of searches. Avoid adding irrelevant categories simply to increase reach. This can dilute your relevance signals and hurt rankings.

Choosing the right categories helps Google accurately understand what your business does and match your profile with relevant local searches. The more clearly Google can identify your services, the more likely your business is to appear in front of potential customers who are actively looking for what you offer.

4. Build a Consistent Review Strategy

Reviews are one of the most influential ranking and conversion factors in local search. Google pays attention not only to the number of reviews you have but also how frequently new reviews are being generated.

This is often referred to as review velocity.

A business generating five reviews every month will typically outperform a business that collected fifty reviews years ago but receives very few today. Ask customers for reviews at natural points in the customer journey and make the process as easy as possible by sharing a direct review link from your Google Business Profile.

Most importantly, respond to every review. Responses demonstrate professionalism, build trust and show potential customers that you value feedback.

A consistent stream of genuine reviews can strengthen your local visibility while helping customers feel more confident in choosing your business. For many businesses, reviews are one of the most powerful tools for improving both search performance and enquiry rates.

5. Optimise Your Products and Services

Your products and services sections help Google understand exactly what your business offers and which local searches you should appear for. The more detailed and accurate this information is, the stronger your relevance signals become. Add every service you provide and organise them into clear categories that reflect how customers search for them. For each service:

Write a detailed description
Include relevant keywords naturally
Explain the benefits and outcomes
Add pricing (optional)

Where possible, align your service descriptions with the language used on your website. Consistent keywords, services and messaging help Google better understand your business and strengthen the relevance signals between your website and Google Business Profile.

Think beyond simply listing a service name. Use the description to explain what the service includes, who it’s for and the value it provides. This not only helps Google better understand your business but also gives potential customers the information they need to make a decision.

6. Define Your Service Areas

Service areas help Google understand where your business operates and which local searches your profile should appear for.

One of the most effective ways to optimise your service areas is by using the SEMrush Local SEO Heatmap. This tool provides a visual representation of how your Google Business Profile performs across different suburbs and locations, helping you identify where your business ranks strongly, where competitors may be outperforming you and where opportunities exist to improve visibility.

Be accurate and specific when defining your service areas. Many businesses make the mistake of targeting large geographic regions when they only actively serve a handful of suburbs. Google’s distance factor rewards genuine proximity, meaning well-defined service areas typically outperform broad coverage.

If the heatmap reveals weaker visibility in certain locations, it may indicate opportunities to:

Generate more reviews from customers in that area
Create location-specific content on your website
Improve your products and services section
Increase profile activity through Google Posts
Strengthen local authority and relevance signals

The goal isn’t to target every suburb possible. It’s to build strong visibility in the locations that matter most to your business.

7. Use Google Posts to Keep Your Profile Active

Google Posts are one of the most underutilised features within Google Business Profile. They provide an easy way to keep your profile active while giving Google and potential customers fresh information about your business.

Use Google Posts to promote:

Blog articles
Special offers
New products or services
Events
Customer success stories
Industry tips and insights

Regular posting helps reinforce your services, demonstrate expertise and show that your business is active and engaged. For example, a landscaping business that regularly shares completed projects, seasonal tips and new services creates stronger relevance signals than a profile that hasn’t been updated in months.

Aim to publish at least one post each week. Consistent activity helps build trust, supports your local SEO efforts and gives customers more reasons to choose your business over competitors.

Google Business Profile: The Free Tool That Puts You on the Map

Optimising your Google Business Profile is essential for businesses looking to improve their visibility in Google Search and Google Maps, attract more local customers and generate more enquiries. By regularly updating and maintaining your profile, businesses can strengthen their local presence, build trust and improve their chances of appearing in front of customers when they are actively searching for relevant products or services.

Your Google Business Profile may be the first thing customers see, but it’s your overall Local SEO strategy that determines how often you’re found. The businesses that consistently dominate local search results combine a well-optimised Google Business Profile with strong website content, local authority signals, technical SEO and a clear strategy for targeting the locations that matter most.

At Clue, we help businesses improve their visibility through strategic SEO and Local SEO services designed to drive more qualified traffic, conversions and long-term growth. If you’re looking to improve your local search performance and gain a competitive edge in your market, get in touch with our digital marketing team today.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Google Business Profile and why does it matter for local visibility?

Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is a free platform that controls how your business appears across Google Search and Google Maps. It provides potential customers with key information such as your business name, address, phone number, website, services, reviews and operating hours. A well-optimised profile can significantly improve local visibility, helping your business appear in Google’s Local Pack and Google Maps results. Because local searches are often high-intent, an accurate and active profile can generate more website visits, phone calls, direction requests and enquiries.

How do I claim and verify my Google Business Profile?

To claim or create a Google Business Profile, visit business.google.com and search for your business. If a profile already exists, you can claim ownership. If not, you can create a new listing. Google will then require verification, which may occur through a postcard, phone call, email or video verification process depending on your business type. Verification is essential because it confirms that you are authorised to manage the listing and unlocks the full range of profile features.

How should I choose my primary and secondary categories?

Your primary category is one of the strongest ranking signals within Google Business Profile. It should accurately describe your core business offering. For example, a physiotherapy clinic should select “Physiotherapy Clinic” rather than a broad category such as “Health”. Secondary categories can be added to highlight additional services and increase visibility for related searches. However, categories should always be relevant to your business. Choosing inaccurate categories may confuse Google’s understanding of your services and negatively impact rankings.

Why are reviews important for Google Business Profile?

Reviews play a major role in both rankings and customer decision-making. Google considers review quantity, quality, recency and response rates when evaluating local businesses. Businesses that consistently generate new reviews often outperform competitors with older, inactive review profiles. Positive reviews also help build trust with potential customers and improve conversion rates. Responding to every review demonstrates professionalism and provides additional engagement signals to Google.

How many photos should I upload to my profile?

There is no set limit, but businesses should aim to maintain a library of high-quality and up-to-date photos. At a minimum, your profile should include:

A cover photo
Business logo
Interior and exterior photos
Team photos
Product or service photos
Completed project photos

Regular photo uploads show Google that your business is active and help customers better understand your products, services and overall experience.

What are Google Posts and should I use them?

Google Posts allow businesses to publish updates directly to their Google Business Profile. They can be used to share blog articles, promotions, events, new services, customer success stories and company updates. While Google Posts are not a direct ranking factor, they contribute to profile activity, increase customer engagement and provide additional opportunities to showcase your expertise. Consistent posting helps keep your profile fresh and relevant.

How should I define service areas to improve local rankings?

Service areas help Google understand where your business operates and where your profile should appear in local search results.Businesses should focus on the suburbs and locations they genuinely service rather than selecting broad geographic regions. Accurate service areas combined with local content, reviews and ongoing optimisation help strengthen relevance and visibility within those locations.

How often should I update my Google Business Profile?

Google Business Profile should be treated as an ongoing marketing asset rather than a one-time setup task. Best practices include:

Uploading new photos regularly
Publishing weekly Google Posts
Updating business information when required
Responding to reviews promptly
Adding new products and services as they become available
Regular updates signal activity and help maintain strong local search visibility.

How can I improve my Google Maps rankings?

Improving Google Maps rankings requires a combination of profile optimisation and Local SEO. Businesses should focus on selecting the correct categories, building reviews, uploading photos, completing every section of the profile and maintaining consistent activity. Additional factors such as website optimisation, local content, backlinks and proximity also influence rankings. The businesses that consistently appear in Google’s Local Pack typically combine Google Business Profile optimisation with a broader Local SEO strategy.

Can Google Business Profile help generate more leads?

Yes. Google Business Profile is often one of the highest-performing lead generation channels available to local businesses because it connects you with customers actively searching for your products or services. A complete and optimised profile can increase visibility, improve trust, generate more calls, drive website traffic and encourage direction requests. When combined with a strong Local SEO strategy, Google Business Profile can become a valuable long-term source of leads and business growth.

Can you transfer a Google Business Profile to another account?

Yes. You can transfer a Google Business Profile to another Google account by adding the new account as an owner or manager through your Google Business Profile settings. Once the new account has the appropriate permissions, you can transfer primary ownership to it. This is useful when changing business owners, agencies, or team members while maintaining access to your business profile, reviews, and local SEO performance.

What are the benefits of having an updated online business profile?

An updated online business profile helps customers find accurate information about your business, including your contact details, opening hours, location and services. It also improves your visibility in local search results, builds trust through reviews and up-to-date information, increases customer engagement, and supports your local SEO. Keeping your profile current makes it easier for potential customers to choose your business over competitors.

How do I set up a business profile on a popular online listing service?

To set up a business profile on a popular online listing service like Google Business Profile, create or sign in to your account, enter your business details, including your name, address, phone number, website and business category, then complete the verification process. Once your profile is verified, add your business hours, services, photos and a detailed business description. Keeping your information accurate and up to date helps improve your online visibility, local SEO, and makes it easier for potential customers to find and contact your business.

Is Google Business Profile free?

Yes, Google Business Profile is completely free to create and manage. You can add your business information, respond to customer reviews, upload photos, post updates, and appear in Google Search and Google Maps at no cost. While optimising your profile or hiring a local SEO agency may involve additional costs, creating and maintaining a Google Business Profile is free for all eligible businesses.

How long does it take for a Google Business Profile to appear on Google?

After your Google Business Profile is verified, it can take anywhere from a few hours to several days to appear on Google Search and Google Maps. In some cases, Google may take longer to review new or updated profiles before publishing them.

Why isn’t my Google Business Profile showing up on Google?

Your Google Business Profile may not appear if it hasn’t been verified, contains incomplete information, has been suspended, or is too new. Ensuring your profile is complete, accurate, and follows Google’s guidelines can improve its visibility.