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What is Google Business Profile?

Before we dive into the how-to, let's make sure you understand what we're actually working with and why it matters for your business.

What Google Business Profile Actually Is

What to do

Google Business Profile (GBP) is a free listing that appears when people search for your business — or businesses like yours — on Google Search and Google Maps. It's that box that appears on the right side of search results (on desktop) or at the top (on mobile) with your business name, photos, reviews, and contact details.

Step by step

  1. Open Google in your web browser (Chrome, Safari, Edge — any browser is fine)
    Make sure you're on google.co.uk or google.com, not a different search engine
  2. Type in a local business you know — for example, a nearby café or your own business name
    Try searching for something like "cafes near me" or "plumber [your town]"
  3. Look at the results. You'll see a map with pins, and below it a list of businesses with star ratings, addresses, and phone numbers. This is the Local Pack or Map Pack — and each of those listings is a Google Business Profile.
  4. Click on any business name. You'll see their full profile with photos, reviews, opening hours, and more. This is what you're going to create and optimise for your own business.

Examples by industry

When someone searches "emergency plumber Plymouth", Google shows a map with 3 plumbers. If your GBP is well-optimised, you could be one of those 3 — meaning customers find you before they even scroll down to regular website results.
Search "breakfast cafe Exeter" and you'll see local cafés with their photos, star ratings, and whether they're currently open. A great GBP with appetising photos and strong reviews can fill your tables.
"Dentist accepting new patients Bristol" — people searching this are ready to book. If your GBP shows up with good reviews and a clear "Book appointment" button, you've just won a new patient.
For "solicitor near me", people see which firms have good reviews and are easy to contact. Your GBP lets you compete with bigger firms without spending on advertising.
Why the Local Pack matters (the data)

According to various studies, the Local Pack (those 3 listings with the map) gets approximately 44% of clicks on a local search results page. That means nearly half of all people clicking go to one of those three businesses. If you're not in the Local Pack, you're fighting over the remaining clicks with everyone else. The GBP factors that influence your ranking include: relevance (how well you match what they searched), distance (how close you are), and prominence (reviews, photos, how complete your profile is).

Google's official guidelines

Why This Matters for YOUR Business

What to do

Your Google Business Profile is often the first impression potential customers have of your business. It's free, it's powerful, and most of your competitors aren't using it properly — which is your opportunity.

Step by step

  1. It's where buying decisions happen. When someone needs a plumber, wants a haircut, or is looking for a good restaurant, they search Google. Your GBP is your shop window for those searches.
  2. It builds trust before they contact you. Photos of your work, reviews from happy customers, and clear business information all help people choose you over competitors.
  3. It's completely free. Unlike Google Ads or Facebook advertising, maintaining your GBP costs nothing. The only investment is your time.
  4. Most businesses do it badly. Incomplete profiles, no photos, zero reviews, wrong opening hours — this is your competition. A properly optimised profile stands out.

Examples by industry

A homeowner with a burst pipe at 10pm searches "emergency plumber". They'll call the first result that looks trustworthy, has reviews mentioning emergency call-outs, and shows they're open. That could be you.
Someone new to the area searches "best brunch". They see 5-star reviews mentioning your eggs benedict, photos of your sunny terrace, and that you're open now. They're walking through your door in 20 minutes.
A parent searches "children's dentist". They want to see friendly reviews mentioning "great with kids", photos of a welcoming waiting room, and easy online booking. Your GBP can show all of that.
Someone going through a divorce searches "family solicitor". They want someone local, with good reviews, who seems approachable. Your GBP lets you present exactly that — no expensive website redesign needed.

What We're Going to Do Together

What to do

This guide will walk you through every step of setting up and optimising your Google Business Profile. By the end, you'll have a complete, professional listing that helps customers find and choose your business.

Step by step

  1. First, we'll get you access — either by claiming your existing listing (if you already have one) or creating a new one from scratch.
  2. Then we'll fill in your business information — correctly. This sounds simple but there are specific ways Google wants things done, and getting it wrong can actually hurt your visibility.
  3. We'll add photos and videos — showing you exactly what to photograph, how to take good pictures with just your phone, and how to upload them properly.
  4. We'll set up your reviews — giving you a simple system to get more reviews from happy customers, and showing you how to respond to all reviews professionally.
  5. We'll cover ongoing maintenance — the simple things you can do each month to keep your profile active and ranking well.

Before you continue, make sure you understand: