How to Improve Your Google Business Profile: A Checklist

For most local businesses, the Google Business Profile is the first thing a new customer sees. Someone searches "pilates studio near me" or "Italian restaurant Covent Garden", and Google shows a map with three businesses, their star ratings, photos and opening hours. Many people decide right there, without ever clicking through to a website.

The profile is free, yet most small businesses set it up once and forget it. This checklist covers what to fix first, what to keep doing every week, and the mistakes that can get a profile suspended.

Why your profile matters

Google says local results are based mainly on three things: relevance (how well your profile matches the search), distance and prominence (how well known and well reviewed you are). You cannot move your premises, but you can control almost everything that feeds relevance and prominence.

Search is also changing. AI-generated summaries and map results mean more people choose a business without visiting its website. Your profile, reviews and photos increasingly do the job your homepage used to do.

Claim and verify your profile

You cannot improve what you do not control. Search for your business on Google or go to Google Business Profile and claim the listing. Google will ask you to verify that you own the business, usually by phone, email or a short video showing your signage, premises and proof of management.

If an old listing exists under a former owner or agency, request access rather than creating a duplicate. Duplicate listings split your reviews and confuse Google.

Get the basics exactly right

Business name. Use your real trading name, exactly as it appears on your signage. Adding keywords or locations to the name ("Best Gym Clapham Personal Training") breaks Google's guidelines and is one of the most common reasons profiles get suspended.

Address or service area. Shops, venues and studios show their address. If you visit customers instead, such as a mobile beauty therapist or a personal trainer who works in clients' homes, set a service area and hide your address.

Phone and website. Use a local number you answer. Link to your homepage, or to a specific location page if you have several sites.

Consistency. Your name, address and phone number should match your website, social profiles and directories such as Yelp, TripAdvisor or industry listings. Inconsistent details weaken trust with both Google and customers.

Opening hours. Keep them accurate, and use the special hours feature for bank holidays, Christmas and refurbishments. Nothing loses a customer faster than arriving at a closed door.

Choose the most specific categories

Your primary category has more influence on which searches you appear for than almost anything else. Pick the most specific option that fits your main business:

• "Italian restaurant" or "Gastropub" rather than "Restaurant"
• "Pilates studio" or "Yoga studio" rather than "Gym" or "Health"
• "Nail salon" rather than "Beauty salon"
• "Vintage clothing store" rather than "Clothing store"

Then add secondary categories for everything else you genuinely offer. A café might add "Bakery". A spa might add "Massage therapist" and "Facial spa". Do not add categories for services you do not provide.

Write a description people want to read

You have 750 characters. Write for a person deciding where to go, not for an algorithm. Say what you do, who it is for, where you are and what makes you different. Mention your area and your main services in plain language, for example "beginner-friendly reformer pilates classes in Clapham". Avoid stuffing in keywords, links or promotional claims you cannot back up.

Fill in services, products, menus and attributes

These sections are where many profiles fall short.

Services. List every treatment, class or service with a short description and a price where possible. Use the words customers search with, such as "deep tissue massage" or "balayage".

Products. Retailers can add key product lines with photos and prices.

Menus. Restaurants and bars should add a menu link or upload the menu, and keep it current when dishes change.

Attributes. Add what applies to you: wheelchair accessible entrance, outdoor seating, free Wi-Fi, dog friendly, and similar. Customers filter by these, so missing ones can hide you from searches.

Add photos and short videos regularly

Profiles with plenty of recent, real photos get more engagement than sparse ones. Start with a solid set, then add new images every week or two:

• Exterior shots so people recognise you from the street
• Interior and atmosphere
• Your team at work
• Products, dishes, rooms or finished treatments
• Short clips, such as a class in action or the bar at night

A well-lit smartphone photo is fine. Authentic images beat stock photos every time. Only post customers' faces or before-and-after results with their permission.

Make reviews a weekly habit

Reviews feed directly into prominence and are often the deciding factor for customers. Ask every customer, not just the ones you think are happiest, and make it easy with a direct review link and a QR code at the till, on receipts or in a post-visit email or text.

Reply to every review. Thank positive reviewers with a specific detail. For negative reviews, a simple structure works: listen, empathise, apologise if it is due, offer a solution offline, and never argue in public.

Never offer discounts or freebies for reviews, and never post fake ones. Both break Google's policies, and fake reviews are now illegal in the UK under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024. Our full guide on how to get more Google reviews covers the process step by step.

Post updates every week

Google Posts appear on your profile and work like a mini social feed. Use updates for news, offers for promotions and event posts for classes, tastings or launches. Keep each one short, add a good photo and a clear button such as "Book", "Order online" or "Learn more". Older posts drop out of view, so a weekly post keeps the profile looking active.

Connect booking and ordering

The fewer steps between finding you and booking, the more bookings you get. Many booking platforms can add a booking button to your profile. Restaurants using OpenTable or SevenRooms, and gyms, studios and salons using Mindbody, Fresha or Treatwell, can often connect directly, so customers book a table, class or treatment without leaving Google.

Sector quick wins

Restaurants, bars and hotels. Upload the menu, add reservation links, post seasonal menus and events weekly, and refresh food and room photos each season.

Gyms and fitness studios. Choose specific categories, list class types as services, post timetables and new classes, and show the space and classes in action.

Beauty and wellness. List every treatment with prices, connect your booking system, and add finished-work photos regularly with client consent. See our beauty and fashion brand marketing page for how we support salons and spas.

Retail. Add product lines, update hours for sales and holidays, and post new arrivals.

Track performance and act on it

Your profile's performance data shows how many people saw your listing, which search terms found you, and how many called, asked for directions, visited your website or booked. Check it monthly.

Use it to make decisions. If direction requests are high, make sure your address and transport details are clear. If many people click through to your site but few book, the problem may be your website rather than your profile. Add UTM tags to your website link so you can see profile traffic separately in GA4.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Keywords stuffed into the business name
• Duplicate listings for the same location
• Out-of-date hours, especially over bank holidays
• No photos, or only old ones
• Unanswered reviews, especially negative ones
• Paying for or swapping reviews
• Setting it up once and never logging in again

FAQ

How long does it take to see results?

Fixing categories, hours and basic details can change how you appear within weeks. Gains from reviews, photos and posts build steadily over several months.

How often should I update my profile?

Spend around 30 minutes a week: one post, a few new photos, replies to new reviews and a quick check that everything is accurate.

Can I put keywords in my business name?

No. Use your real trading name only. Adding keywords breaks Google's guidelines and can lead to suspension.

Does my website affect my Google Business Profile ranking?

Yes. A fast, mobile-friendly website with matching contact details and clear location pages supports your local relevance and helps convert the visitors your profile sends.

Is Google Business Profile free?

Yes, creating and managing a profile is free. Google Ads can appear alongside local results, but they are separate and optional.

Next steps

Start with the foundations this week: verify, fix the name, categories, hours and description, and fill in services. Then build the weekly habit of posting, adding photos and replying to reviews. You can check where your listing stands with our free Google Business Profile checker.

Your profile works best as part of a wider local search plan. Our SEO services cover profile management, location pages and citations. To talk it through, get in touch with our London team.