Marketing

How to nail your Google Business Profile as a small business

Take a look at these two Google Business Profiles.

Which business looks more friendly? More trustworthy? Which would you rather patronise?

In all likelihood, you chose the one with the more detailed Google Business Profile (GBP). Why? Because – for better or for worse – a business’s GBP is a trust signal. It not only tells you all the important information about a business (like phone number and opening hours), but also its reputation, values and customer service quality. 

On the other hand, an incomplete or inaccurate profile – lacking photos, hours or correct address information – can quickly drive potential customers away. A profile with unanswered reviews or missing details creates the impression of a business that doesn’t care enough about its customers’ experiences.

In sum, a well-optimised GBP doesn’t just ensure you turn up in search results – it builds trust.

The good news is that it doesn’t take much know-how or money to optimise your GBP. You just need to understand the basics of how it works, and a few smart moves can both put you ahead of your competition and boost your revenue.

Let’s look at the most important aspects of your GBP and the tweaks you can make to optimise these.

Contact details or NAP

Including your name, address and phone number (NAP) on your GBP can improve local SEO, while making it easier for potential customers to find and contact your business.

To avoid confusion for consumers, it is important to maintain consistent and accurate NAP by filling out all relevant fields in your business profile and double-checking for accuracy.

Keeping your GBP up-to-date when you have any changes to your NAP information is an essential task. If you have a new address or phone number, be sure to update your business profile as soon as possible to ensure your NAP information is accurate.

Photos and videos

Visual content increases engagement. Businesses with high-resolution, updated photos receive more clicks and interactions. Add images of your storefront, products, team or services to help potential customers get a feel for your business. Video content – such as a walkthrough of your store – can also be impactful, offering a more immersive experience that builds a stronger connection with your audience.

Posts

Did you know that Google allows you to post updates, special offers and news directly to your profile?

These posts show up in search results and on Google Maps, keeping your profile fresh and informative. Consistently sharing relevant posts not only informs customers but also signals to Google that your business is active and engaged.

FAQs and messaging

Anticipate the questions customers might have and answer them directly in your profile. Enable messaging (or use an alternative now that Google Business Messaging is being phased out) to make it easy for customers to contact you directly. Streamlining communication will reduce friction and increase the chances of conversion.

Booking and contact links

If your business offers bookings, consultations or quotes, make sure those links are integrated directly into your GBP. The fewer clicks it takes for a customer to take action, the more likely they are to convert. Simplifying the booking process is a proven way to increase customer acquisition.

Simplified actions

Remove as much friction as possible from the customer journey. Features like “Book Now”, “Request a Quote”, or direct call buttons increase the likelihood of conversions. When customers can act directly from your profile, you’re reducing steps, and that often means gaining business you might have otherwise lost.

Cross-platform consistency

Today’s consumers find businesses in a variety of ways. It can be through asking Siri or Alexa, searching on Apple Maps, checking Instagram, or scanning directory sites. 

If your business details differ across these platforms, it can lead to confusion, lost trust, and even missed opportunities. Crucially, consistent business information also sends trust signals to Google, contributing to your credibility and improving your rankings in search results.

If you have many business profiles and are short on time, there are paid services that allow you to make simultaneous updates across platforms.

Your website still matters

While your GBP is essential, your website remains the digital headquarters. A fast, mobile-optimised website not only fosters trust but also converts clicks into action. When a customer finds your GBP, engages with your profile, and clicks through to your site, the transition should be seamless. 

Ensure that your website is user-friendly, loads quickly on mobile devices, and has clear calls to action. Contact forms should be easy to find and submit, and your value proposition should be immediately clear. A website that is well-designed and intuitive will guide visitors toward using your business.

Connect the dots between GBP and your website

Listing the specific products or services your business offers can help potential customers learn more about what you offer and make it more likely they’ll choose your business over a competitor. In addition to listing your products and services, it’s helpful to add a short description for each one. This description should include information such as pricing, any limits on when the service expires and relevant keywords. 

Your GBP and your website should work hand-in-hand. If you offer product listings, menus or pricing details on your GBP, make sure those same offerings are easy to find and consistent on your website. Conflicting or outdated information can damage trust and cause drop-offs.

Features like popular times, product listings, or menus on your GBP give potential customers a snapshot of what to expect before they even click through. These tools influence decisions, especially when users are searching with purchase intent, and can help determine which businesses AI and Google prioritise in results.

Attributes and tags

Google also allows you to add specific attributes or tags to your business profile, such as ‘LGBTQ+ friendly’, ‘women-owned’, ‘wheelchair accessible’, and more. These aren’t just labels, they help Google (and AI tools like ChatGPT) better understand what kind of business you are, whom you serve, and what sets you apart. These tags can also influence visibility in niche or values-driven searches.

An optimised Google Business Profile – complete with accurate information, high-quality photos, up-to-date hours, service details, and relevant attributes – signals to both search engines and potential customers that your business is active, trustworthy and relevant. The more complete and consistent your profile, the more likely you are to appear in both traditional and AI-powered search results.

Don’t try to game the system

Double-check that your GBP aligns with all of Google’s policies, which are available online. Policy violations are the number one reason GBPs are denied or suspended. If your GBP is removed, it can take a while to get it back up and running, costing you valuable time and money.

Reviews

Online reviews play a vital role in the success of local businesses. Positive reviews can strongly influence potential customers’s decisions, while negative ones can hurt your reputation. Your responses to reviews can also have a big impact on your reputation and SERP ranking, as we’ll discuss later. But first – how do you get people to leave reviews on your GBP?

Post-purchase steps you can take to encourage reviews 

Knowing how to encourage and manage reviews effectively is essential for building trust and driving business growth. Here are some ways you can encourage your customers to talk about your business.

1.Send a follow-up email or text

After a successful transaction, send a personalised email or text to the customer. Thank them for choosing your business then gently ask for a review. Bonus points for including a direct link to the review page. 

2. Make the most of QR codes

Strategically place QR codes around your physical space – on receipts, packaging, even your front counter – and link them directly to your preferred review platform. Curiosity will entice customers to scan and share their experience, even if they wouldn’t have thought of it before. 

3. Place a prompt to review on receipts or invoices

Print a short message directly on your receipts or invoices, something like: “Loved your delivery? Share your experience with us with a quick review.” It’s a gentle nudge at the end of the customer journey. 

4. Educate your team

Your frontline staff are key to generating reviews. Train your team to understand the value of customer feedback and how to ask for it in a friendly, professional manner. Whether in person or over the phone, encouraging satisfied customers to share their experience can become a natural part of your customer-service process. 

Responding to reviews: A gamechanger 

Responding to customer reviews is no longer optional; it’s a key factor in how people perceive your brand and how well you perform in local search rankings. When done right, engaging with reviews can boost your credibility, improve customer relationships, and even enhance your position in Google’s local search results.

When customers see your business responding to reviews, especially negative ones, it humanises you. You’re not just active, you’re listening, learning and engaging. Even a simple ‘Thank you’ or ‘We’re sorry you had a bad experience, here’s what we’ve done to fix it’ can turn a three-star review into a five-star reputation.

And, once again: Google pays attention to engagement. The quicker and more consistently you respond to reviews, the more it can positively influence your visibility.

What makes a good review response?

A good reply often follows the following structure: – Acknowledges the specific feedback (whether praise or criticism).Reinforces positive aspects of the customer’s experience. – Addresses concerns or outlines next steps to resolve issues. – Maintains a consistent and professional tone aligned with your brand.

Do

• Respond to all reviews, not just the positive ones.
• Reply in a tone that is consistent among reviews and reflects your brand’s tone – warm and friendly, straightforward and efficient, etc.
• Personalise your reply and go beyond ‘thank you’. Reference specific details mentioned in the review.
• Thank the reviewer for their feedback, even if it’s critical.
• Offer to resolve issues offline when appropriate; for example, ‘We’d love to make this right – please contact us directly at [your email].’

Don’t

• Copy-paste the same reply to multiple reviews. 
• Get defensive – never argue with or shame the reviewer, even if the complaint seems unfounded.
• Be overly emotional or casual (unless this is in line with your brand’s tone).
• Disclose private customer information.
• Delay responses – try to reply within 72 hours.

Don’t respond when

• The review is spam or inappropriate content: If a review is offensive, irrelevant or violates Google’s review policies, report it instead of replying.
• The reviewer is a troll or commenting in bad faith: If someone is clearly trying to provoke or mislead, keep your response minimal and professional, or choose not to engage and flag the review.

Looking ahead: AI and the future of search

Search is becoming smarter thanks to AI, which helps Google understand what people are really looking for, not just based on keywords, but also on things like location, behaviour, and past searches. This means search results are now more personalised and relevant.

Your GBP is a big part of this new system. It’s one of the first things Google looks at to decide how relevant your business is to a search. If your profile has old or incorrect information, it can hurt your visibility and make it harder for customers to find you.

Google’s AI not only analyses the information on your GBP, but also cross-references your presence across directories, review platforms, websites and social media. If your business name, address, hours or services vary from one platform to another, it can send confusing signals, affecting how, or if, you appear in search.

And it’s not just Google anymore. AI-powered tools like Meta, ChatGPT, and other conversational search assistants are increasingly being used to find local businesses and services. These tools pull data from multiple online sources, including reviews, directories, and your GBP. A complete, consistent, and up-to-date Google Business Profile increases the chances that your business will be recommended by these AI assistants, especially when users are asking for the ‘best’, ‘closest’, or ‘top-rated’ businesses in your category or location.

So, your GBP – and your reviews, reputation and relevance – are all going to be more relevant than ever as AI informs purchasing decisions. Keeping your GBP updated could mean the difference between a sale and a scroll, so stay on it as much as you can.

• This article first appeared in issue 49 of the Inside Small Business quarterly magazine.