TL;DR
- Your Google Business Profile is your listing on Google Maps and in the map block at the top of the search results. It is free to set up and manage.
- You’ll display your address, opening hours, telephone number, services, photos and reviews.
- For local searches, this is more important than your website: the map results are largely determined by your profile.
- Google looks at three things: relevance, distance and brand awareness. You cannot change distance, but you can change the other two.
- Fill in as much information as you can, keep your opening hours up to date (including public holidays) and respond to every review.
- Do not include keywords in your company name. This contravenes Google’s guidelines and could cost you your profile.
You’re probably familiar with this. You’re quickly looking for a hairdresser or restaurant nearby on your phone. Within a second, you see a handy map showing three excellent options. Everything you need to know about Google My Business (Business Profile) starts right here with this clear map.
This is where local customers make their choices. They look at the star ratings, read a few reviews and ring straight away. If your business isn’t listed here, you’re simply missing out on a lot of turnover. Google currently more than 90 per cent of the search engine market firmly in hand.
This platform is indispensable for any local business owner. Data shows that almost half of all search queries have a clear local intent. People are specifically looking for a quick solution close to home.
If digital agency We often see companies completely overlook this free profile. They invest a huge amount of time in social media, but ignore search engines. That is a really costly mistake. In this article, we explain how to optimise this profile for local success.
Table of Contents
What exactly is Google My Business for companies?
Google My Business is a free tool that enables company owners to manage their online presence on Google Search and Maps. It allows you to display key company information such as your address, opening hours and telephone number straight away. It helps local customers find your shop or office in no time at all.
When consumers search for your company name, this profile appears prominently on the right-hand side of the screen. We call this the ‘knowledge panel’. It is literally the very first thing people see about your brand.
It’s actually a modern and smart alternative to the old-fashioned telephone directory. Every month, more than a billion people actively use Google Maps to find local companies. If your profile is right, you’ll be listed there immediately in a professional manner.
When we website design For new clients, we always claim this business profile straight away. We ensure that the contact details on the website match the profile in the search engine exactly. This immediately instils confidence in both the visitor and the strict search engine.
Why is a business profile so important?
A business profile is important because it significantly increases your local visibility. Fully completed profiles immediately attract more attention. Users can see at a glance whether you’re available and what other clients think of you. This lowers the barrier to getting in touch.
The system rewards companies that share up-to-date information with their customers. According to Google itself, Company profiles that are fully completed receive seven times more clicks. This simply means more traffic to your digital front door without weekly advertising costs.
Furthermore, it plays a huge role in your overall SEO optimisation. The search engine uses the details entered in this profile to determine your exact location. This allows them to effectively link your company to the right search queries from your specific region.
Companies with an optimised local profile see a significant monthly increase in telephone enquiries. This is because people no longer even need to click through to the website; they simply press the large call button in your clearly laid-out account.
The difference between organic and local search
For a standard search query, the search engine displays a long list of blue links. We call these the organic search results. For a local search, however, a map featuring three highlighted companies almost always appears first.
In our field, this highly sought-after space is known as the ‘local pack’. It is the most valuable spot on the internet for local service providers. This is because your business appears here directly, with your telephone number, above the major national competitors and well-known comparison sites.
You’ll secure a place in this directory by conducting regular maintenance on your profile. Make sure your opening hours are correct. Also, check regularly that your website is still working properly and, above all, very quickly.
During our regular WordPress support and maintenance We always check carefully to ensure the website still loads flawlessly on mobile phones. After all, a slow or insecure website could cause you to disappear from this important local directory.
How do you create a new company profile?
You create a company profile by logging in with a Google account on the dedicated management page. You enter your company name and address. You then verify ownership via a phone call, a text message or a postcard containing a unique code.
This security measure is crucial to prevent unscrupulous competitors from simply taking over your profile. This profile is Can be created completely free of charge via the official website. Please ensure you use exactly the same company name as appears on your premises.
Once approved, you can get straight to work filling in your page. Add a clear description of your most important and popular services. Also, choose the right categories so that the smart search engine knows exactly which specific sector you operate in.
The professional management of this profile is an essential part of modern online marketing. A strong account attracts new and interested visitors every week.
Attract more customers with photos and reviews
People are incredibly visually oriented online. A profile without clear photos often comes across as unprofessional and untrustworthy straight away. So make sure you regularly upload clear images of your cosy shop premises, your cheerful team and your latest products.
Hard figures prove the enormous power of good visual content. Profiles featuring photos receive forty-two per cent more requests for directions. These assisted visitors are also much more likely to click through to the underlying website. So it really does pay to give this a little attention.
Furthermore, positive reviews are invaluable for your growth. Consumers read these star ratings very carefully before making a final decision. Eighty-eight per cent trust online reviews just as much as a personal recommendation From a good friend.
Therefore, always politely ask satisfied customers to leave a short review. You should then always respond politely to these posted reviews. Thank them for their positive comments and resolve any negative complaints immediately and in a highly professional manner.
How much does it cost to manage this company profile?
Using and managing a business profile via Google is completely free. You pay no subscription fees for visibility in local search results or on the map. However, it does take a little time each week to keep your information up to date and appealing.
Some external parties may claim over the phone that you must pay immediately to retain this profile. Do not fall for this under any circumstances. The handy basic features and visibility in the well-known map app are has always been available completely free of charge.
Of course, you can choose to allocate an advertising budget. Through special local campaigns, you can artificially place your profile right at the top. Here, just as with regular search adverts, you pay per click achieved.
For most small business owners, however, a strong free listing immediately generates more than enough extra enquiries. It just requires a bit of discipline to keep your opening hours up to date around public holidays.
Frequently asked questions about Google My Business (Business Profile)
Is Google My Business (Business Profile) really completely free?
Yes, creating and managing this digital business profile is 100 per cent free. Google offers this service free of charge because they want to show users the very best and most up-to-date local information. There are no hidden monthly subscription fees or strange set-up costs involved. You can add an unlimited number of photos and reply to all your customer reviews as often as you like. Sometimes, external companies will ring up with the intimidating claim that your profile will be removed if you do not pay immediately. This is always an annoying and well-known trick. So never fall for it. The basic features will always remain available free of charge to every business owner. Of course, you will have to pay if you decide to run adverts yourself.
How can I remove negative reviews from my page?
Unfortunately, you cannot simply remove negative reviews yourself at the touch of a button. This is because Google places extremely high value on honest and uncensored consumer opinions. A negative review therefore, in principle, always remains visible to new visitors to your business profile. Only when a specific review clearly breaches the platform’s strict guidelines can you officially report it. Examples include offensive language, obvious spam or fake comments from resentful competitors. The support team will then assess your report and remove the post if necessary. The best way to handle a bad review is with an extremely polite response. This shows new customers exactly how professionally you resolve difficult issues.
Why doesn’t my profile appear straight away in the search results?
It often takes a while for a brand-new account to become clearly visible in search results. The search engine must first thoroughly check your new profile and officially approve it. This verification process can sometimes take a few days. Only after this check is the information listed made publicly accessible to all potential customers. In addition, local competition plays an incredibly important role in your final ranking. If there happen to be ten other bakeries on your particular street, you’ll have to work extra hard to secure that top spot. You can significantly improve your daily visibility by completing your profile in full. So, add plenty of clear photos and actively collect new reviews from loyal customers.
Can I conceal my business location if I work from home?
Yes, you can easily hide your specific home address in your public profile settings. This is a particularly useful and convenient feature for service providers who mainly work from their own living room. Think, for example, of mobile hairdressers, freelance copywriters or travelling plumbers. Naturally, you don’t want unknown customers suddenly turning up unannounced in your front garden. During registration, you simply indicate that you visit clients at their own locations. The system will then no longer require you to display an exact street address on the digital map. Instead, you can select a broader service area. You simply indicate that you work daily within a specific radius around your own town.
How do I add multiple business locations to a single account?
If your company has multiple physical branches, you can manage them all clearly from a single overarching account. So there’s absolutely no need to create a completely new, blank email address for each individual branch. In the main dashboard, you’ll find a very handy button that lets you add an extra business location in a flash. For large chains or well-known franchises, there’s even a special upload function to import everything in bulk. This allows you to upload a large spreadsheet containing hundreds of addresses at once in a single, simple step. The platform then verifies each added branch individually to prevent misuse. This ensures you always have a perfect, centralised overview of all your successful nationwide branches.
