Your Google Business Profile, set up to bring people in.
A Google Business Profile brings people in when its category is exact, its hours and details are always current, its photos show the business as it is, and it collects and answers reviews steadily. That is most of what decides who shows up in the map.
6 min
01
Why the profile matters.
When someone searches for a florist, a wine shop or a lawyer nearby, Google shows a map with three businesses before any website. Those three are chosen by how relevant, how close and how prominent each one is.
You can’t move your address, but the profile decides most of the rest.
02
Choose the category with care.
The primary category tells Google what you are. Choose the one that describes the business itself, not something it happens to have. A florist is a florist, even if it also sells vases.
You can add up to nine more categories for what else you are. Add only the ones that are true and that people search for.
03
Keep the details current.
Hours, holiday hours, phone, website and the products or services you offer should always match what a visitor finds when they arrive. A profile that says open when the door is locked loses that customer for good.
Write a short description in plain words, naming what you do and where you do it.
04
Photos that show it as it is.
Profiles with real, recent photos get more attention than those with none. Show the front of the business, the inside, the work and the people, in good light.
Add new photos through the year, so the profile looks like a place that is open and busy.
05
Reviews, asked for and answered.
Reviews are one of the strongest signals a profile has, and they persuade the people reading them. Ask every happy customer, make it easy with a direct link, and answer every review, the good and the bad, briefly and in your own voice.
- Ask at the moment of delight, in person or by email
- Share a direct review link, not instructions
- Answer within days, and thank people by name
- Never offer anything in exchange for a review
Answer every review, the good and the bad, briefly and in your own voice.
06
Posts and updates.
Posts show offers, events and news right on the profile. A short post when something changes, such as a season, a class or a holiday cut-off, keeps the profile current and gives searchers a reason to choose you.
07
Measure what it brings in.
The profile reports calls, direction requests and website clicks. Track those month by month, alongside the visits and orders that follow. For The Flower Bar in Larchmont, clicks from Google search grew 55% year on year as its profile, site and search worked together.
