What the profile is
The Google Business Profile – formerly “Google My Business” – is a free listing of your business on Google. It appears in Google Search and Google Maps, with your address, opening hours, photos, reviews and a button to call or get directions.
For many local businesses it’s the first impression, even before their own website. A clean presence here brings calls from people who are looking for someone like you right now.
Five steps to a good profile
- Create or claim the profile. First check whether your business already exists on Google. If so, claim the listing instead of creating a second one. Google then verifies that the business really belongs to you – how is specified by Google during setup.
- Choose the right category. The primary category is one of the most important details. Choose it as precisely as possible: “electrician” rather than “tradesperson”. Additional categories cover your other services.
- Fill everything in. Your name exactly as it appears on your sign – without added search terms. Plus your address or service area, phone number, website, services and opening hours, including public holidays.
- Show real photos. Premises, team, samples of your work, products. Images from your everyday work build more trust than any stock photo.
- Stay current. New opening hours, holidays, a new offer – add it. A well-kept profile shows the business is alive.
Reviews: ask, respond, stay calm
For many searchers, reviews are the reason to call you – or not. Three rules help:
- Ask actively. Many customers are happy to leave a review if you ask – ask everyone, not just those you expect praise from. A direct link or a QR code on your invoice, business card or loyalty card makes it easy for them.
- Respond to every review. To praise with a short thank-you, to criticism objectively and kindly. Your reply isn’t only read by the author, but by everyone searching for you.
- Don’t buy reviews. Bought or fake reviews violate Google’s guidelines and can put your profile at risk. Honest reviews grow more slowly, but they last.
Profile and website belong together
Your profile should link to your website, and your website should contain the same details: name, address and phone number, written the same way everywhere. If the details don’t match, it looks uncertain – to people and search engines alike.
Your presence becomes even stronger with dedicated pages for your most important services and the places where you actually work. That way, searchers find exactly the answer they need.
If you’d rather hand it over
A profile is quickly set up – maintaining it well takes time and care. With Local SEO we take care of the setup, the copy and aligning it with your website – so you’re found where you work.
Based in our area? We’re based in Gimbsheim, not far from Worms, Alzey, Mainz and Mannheim.