A Google Business Profile, formerly Google My Business, is the free listing that appears in Google Search and Maps when someone looks for an organisation. It shows the location, opening hours, contact details, photos and reviews, and it is the modern equivalent of a Yellow Pages entry.
Why have a Google Business Profile?
When a customer searches for “physiotherapist near me” or for a business by name, the profile is often the first thing they see, ahead of the website. If the opening hours are wrong, customers arrive when the doors are closed.
Google also creates listings on its own from public information. Anyone can suggest edits to an unclaimed listing, and the owner can’t reply to reviews. Claiming the profile gives the organisation control over what it says.
A profile suits any organisation with a premises or a service area, including shops, clinics, trades, community groups and professional practices. Someone working from home can hide the address and list the suburbs served.
How we use it
We set up and verify a Google Business Profile as part of the websites we deliver through Solution Delivery, and we make sure the details match the website. Search engines compare the two, and a different name, address or phone number on each weakens local ranking. It is one of the foundations in our FAQ on SEO and SEM.
How to create a Google Business Profile
Go to Google Business Profile and follow these steps.
Step 1: Sign in. Use a Google account the organisation controls. One can be created with any email address, including one on the organisation’s own domain.
Step 2: Set up the profile. Google asks for:
- The business name, category and location
- A logo and photos
- A short description of what the business does
- Contact details and opening hours
Use the real business name, as it appears on signage and the website. Adding keywords to the name breaks Google’s guidelines and can get a profile suspended. Any step can be skipped and completed later.
Step 3: Claim an existing listing. Search Google for the business name. If a listing already exists, look for the “Own this business?” link and follow the prompts. If someone else has already claimed it, Google allows a request for access.
Step 4: Verify. Google needs to confirm the business is genuine. Depending on the business, that may be a phone call, an email, a short video or a postcard. Postcards can’t be sent to PO Boxes. The profile isn’t fully visible until verification is complete.
Keeping it current
A profile that was accurate on the day it was set up can be wrong six months later. It can be managed from the Google Maps app on a phone, or by searching for the business name on a computer while signed in. These are the tasks worth doing regularly:
- Update opening hours and holiday closures before they happen
- Add new photos, which Google shows prominently
- Post news, offers or events
- Reply to every review, usually within a few days
- Set up a QR code or link that makes it easy for customers to leave a review
A short, polite reply is enough for most reviews. Thank a happy customer and mention what they praised. When a review is critical, reply calmly with the facts, offer to talk offline and leave it there, because future customers read the reply as well as the complaint.
Need help?
Our Communications & Marketing service can set up, optimise and manage a Google Business Profile as part of a wider plan for being found locally. Our FAQ on Google Search Console covers the companion tool that shows how a website performs in search.
