When someone nearby searches for what you do, Google usually shows three businesses on a map before any normal results. Those three spots get a huge share of the calls. Getting into them is not luck. It comes down to how complete, active and trusted your Google Business Profile is. Here are twelve things you can do to improve your chances.
Get the basics exactly right
- Choose the most accurate primary category. This is the single biggest ranking factor you control. Pick the category that best describes your main service, then add a few relevant secondary ones.
- Use your real business name. Do not stuff keywords into it. Google can suspend profiles that do.
- Keep your name, address and phone identical to what is on your website and other listings.
- Set accurate hours, including holiday hours. Nothing loses trust faster than a customer turning up to a closed door.
- Define your service area if you travel to customers instead of having them come to you.
Make your profile genuinely useful
- Add every service you offer, each with a short description. This helps you show up for more specific searches.
- Write a clear business description. Explain what you do, who you help and what makes you different, in plain language.
- Upload real photos regularly. Your team, your work, your premises. Profiles with fresh photos tend to get more clicks.
- Answer common questions in the Q&A section before customers have to ask.
Show Google you are active and trusted
- Post updates weekly or every two weeks. Offers, news, tips and recent projects all count.
- Ask every happy customer for a review with a direct link, and reply to every review you receive, good or bad.
- Build consistent citations. List your business on reputable directories with exactly the same details as your profile.
Support your profile from your website
Your Google profile and your website work together. Link your profile to the most relevant page, make sure that page mentions your location and services clearly, and add your business details in the footer. Local landing pages for each area you serve can also help.
Track what matters
Inside your profile you can see how many people called, requested directions or clicked through to your website. Those numbers tell you far more than your ranking position. If calls are rising, your profile is doing its job.
A quick test: search your main service plus your city on your phone. If you are not in the top three on the map, start with tips 1, 6 and 11. They usually make the biggest difference.
Local SEO takes consistent effort, but it is one of the best investments a local business can make. If you want help, here is how our Google Business Profile SEO service works, or you can book a free call to review your profile together.