Your Google Business Profile (GBP) is often the very first impression a potential customer has of your business. It appears in Google Maps, in the Local Pack at the top of search results, and in the knowledge panel when someone searches your business name directly. Getting it right isn't optional — it's one of the most important things you can do for your local visibility.
This guide covers every section of your GBP and exactly what to do to make it as strong as possible.
Business Name
Use your actual trading name — nothing else. Don't add keywords, locations, or descriptors to your business name. "Smith Plumbing" not "Smith Plumbing — Best Plumber Cardiff."
Google considers keyword stuffing in business names a violation of its guidelines, and it can result in your listing being suspended. Your categories and description are where keywords belong.
Categories
Your primary category is the single most important ranking signal in your GBP. Choose the most accurate, specific category available. If you're a general builder, "General Contractor" is correct. If you specifically do roofing, "Roofing Contractor" will serve you better for roofing searches.
You can add multiple secondary categories — use these to cover additional services you offer. A web design agency might have "Web Design Company" as their primary, with "SEO Agency" and "Marketing Consultant" as secondaries.
Review your categories periodically. Google occasionally adds new, more specific categories, and switching to a better-matched one can improve your rankings.
Business Description
You have 750 characters for your business description. Use them well. Write a clear, natural description of what you do, who you serve, and where. Include your location and primary service naturally — not forced.
A good description reads like something a human wrote to inform another human, not a list of keywords. For example:
"NC Digital is a web design and local SEO agency based in Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales. We build fast, professional websites for small businesses and help them rank on Google through local SEO. From Managed Starter Websites from £50/month to fully custom builds, we help businesses across South Wales get found online and generate more enquiries."
Avoid promotional language like "best" or "cheapest" — Google may remove these. Stick to factual, informative content.
Photos
Businesses with photos receive significantly more clicks, calls, and direction requests than those without. Upload a minimum of 10 photos and keep adding them regularly.
What to include:
- Logo — upload your logo as your logo photo
- Cover photo — this appears prominently on your listing; use a high-quality image of your premises, team, or work
- Work/project photos — for tradespeople and service businesses, photos of completed work are the most compelling content you can add
- Team photos — people buy from people; showing your team builds trust
- Premises/exterior — helps customers recognise you if they're visiting
Add new photos at least once a month. Google tracks the recency of your photo uploads, and listings that are regularly updated with fresh content tend to rank better.
Services
Add every service you offer as a separate entry in the Services section. This helps Google understand your full range and can improve your visibility for service-specific searches.
For each service, add a title and optionally a short description and price range. Don't leave this section empty — it's a missed opportunity to tell Google exactly what searches your business should appear for.
Business Hours
Keep your hours accurate, including bank holidays and seasonal variations. Incorrect hours are one of the most common reasons businesses receive negative reviews — nobody likes arriving at a business that's supposed to be open and finding it closed.
If your hours change for a bank holiday or a holiday period, update your listing in advance using the "Special hours" feature. Google displays your hours prominently and will flag your listing as "Closed" if someone searches during hours you've listed.
Website Link
Make sure your website is linked correctly. This should be your main website URL. Google cross-references your website content with your GBP to understand what you do and where — consistent information between the two improves your ranking.
If you don't yet have a website, our Managed Starter Websites service gets you set up from £50/month. Your GBP and website work together — having both is significantly more powerful than either alone.
Google Posts
The Posts feature lets you share updates, offers, events, and news directly on your GBP listing. These posts appear on your profile and can show up in search results.
Use Posts to:
- Announce new services or seasonal offers
- Share completed projects (with photos)
- Promote blog content
- Highlight any upcoming events
One post per week or fortnight is ideal. Posts expire after seven days for standard updates (events expire after the event date), so posting regularly ensures your listing always has fresh, visible content.
Reviews
Reviews are both a ranking factor and a conversion factor. Respond to every review — positive and negative.
For positive reviews: a short, genuine response shows you're engaged and appreciative.
For negative reviews: stay calm, acknowledge the experience, and offer to resolve things offline. Never argue. How you handle criticism says more about your business than the criticism itself.
To collect more reviews, ask every satisfied customer and share your direct review link. See our full guide on how to get more Google reviews for a detailed strategy.
Questions & Answers
The Q&A section of your GBP is often overlooked, but it's worth seeding with your most commonly asked questions. You can ask and answer your own questions — just log in with your business account and add questions that potential customers are likely to have, then answer them clearly.
This turns a blank section into a useful FAQ that reduces enquiry friction and can influence searches for specific phrases.
Messaging
Enable the messaging feature to allow customers to send you direct messages through Google. Respond promptly — Google tracks your response rate and time, and slow responses can negatively affect how your listing is presented.
Keep an Eye on Insights
Your GBP dashboard includes Insights — data showing how people are finding your listing, what searches triggered it, and what actions they took (calls, direction requests, website visits). Review this monthly to understand which aspects of your listing are performing well and where there's room to improve.
GBP Optimisation Is Part of Local SEO
A well-optimised Google Business Profile is the foundation of local search visibility, but it works best alongside a strong website, consistent local citations, and a steady stream of new reviews. Together, these elements make up local SEO — the ongoing process of improving how your business ranks in local search results.
If you'd like help getting your business to the top of local search, get in touch with NC Digital. We work with small businesses across South Wales to improve their local visibility and generate more enquiries from Google.