How to optimise your Google Business Profile for local search

• By Kiwi Commerce
• 17 Nov, 2025
• Marketing

How to optimise your Google Business Profile for local search

Local SEO is essential for any business looking to attract customers in its local area. As part of a successful digital marketing and SEO strategy, improving your visibility where people are actively searching is crucial  and one of the most powerful tools for achieving this is your Google Business Profile (GBP).

Optimising your GBP not only boosts your local SEO performance but also supports your wider digital marketing goals by increasing brand awareness, building trust, and driving highly relevant traffic to your website or physical premises. A fully optimised profile helps your business appear prominently in Google Search and Google Maps, making it easier for potential customers to find you quickly and confidently.

In this guide, we’ll cover everything from setting up your Google Business Profile to advanced optimisation techniques, while also showing how GBP contributes to your broader SEO and digital marketing strategy to achieve long-term success in local search.

Google Business Profile is a free tool that helps businesses manage their online presence on Google Search and Maps. It allows customers to find your business, learn about your services, and interact with your company.

It’s important to note that GBP is available only for businesses with a physical presence or a service-area business. Businesses that operate solely online cannot create a GBP listing.

Google increasingly prioritises local results in searches like “restaurants near me” or “plumbers in London”. Businesses with fully optimised profiles are more likely to appear in the Local Pack, the map-based listings that appear above organic search results.

Optimising your GBP can:

• Increase your visibility in local search results.
• Attract more website visits, calls, and in-store visits.
• Strengthen your credibility through reviews and photos.

Step 1: Claim Your Business Listing

Search Google for your business name to see if a listing already exists.

• If it exists: Claim it through GBP.
• If it doesn’t exist: Create a new profile.
• If an old employee has claimed it: Submit a ‘Request Access’ form via Google Help.

Step 2: Update Your Business Information

Once you’ve claimed your listing, complete all profile fields with accurate and up-to-date information. Key details include:

• Business Name: Match your website and branding.
• Address: Use the full address, no abbreviations.
• Telephone Number: Same as your website.
• Website URL: Ensure Google can crawl your site and no penalties are present.
• Opening Date & Hours: Keep hours accurate, including holiday updates.
• Description: Use up to 750 characters; focus on clarity, relevance, and keywords.

Consistency is key – discrepancies between GBP, your website, and other directories can harm local rankings.

 

Step 3: Verify Your Listing

Verification is essential for visibility. Methods include:

• By Post: Google sends a postcard with a verification code.
• By Phone: Available for select businesses.
• By Email: Available for select businesses with access to the listed email.
• Instant Verification: If your website is verified in Google Search Console.
• Bulk Verification: For businesses with 10+ locations.

Categories and Services

• Choose a primary category that best represents your business.
• Add up to 9 additional categories if relevant.
• For service-based businesses, list your services and prices where possible.

Photos and Videos

• Upload a profile picture and a cover photo.
• Add photos of products, staff, and your premises.
• Videos up to 30 seconds and 720p can make your listing more engaging.

Reviews

• Respond promptly to both positive and negative reviews.
• Address negative reviews professionally, resolving issues offline where possible.
• Encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews.

Posts and Bookings

• Use GBP Posts to share promotions, events, or news.
• If applicable, enable Bookings through supported scheduling software.

Attributes

Highlight accessibility, dining options, facilities, or other attributes relevant to your business.

Google evaluates three primary factors:

1. Relevance: How well your business matches a search query.
2. Distance: Proximity to the searcher.
3. Prominence: How well-known your business is both online and offline.

Other factors include the number and quality of reviews, website SEO, and consistency across directories.

Use GBP Insights to track how users find and interact with your listing:

• Search Type: Direct vs. discovery searches.
• Customer Actions: Visits to website, requests for directions, calls.
• Photo Insights: Compare your photos to competitors.

Questions & Answers: Monitor and respond promptly.

• Incorrect business information – Keep details consistent and up to date.
• Duplicate listings – Avoid creating a new listing when moving location; update the existing one instead.
• Improper use of fields – Stick to Google’s recommended field usage; don’t keyword-stuff your business name.

1. Maintain your profile: Regularly update information, photos, and posts.
2. Enhance your listing: Add offers, high-quality photos, and respond to reviews.

Use insights: Track interactions and adjust your local marketing strategy accordingly.

Optimising your Google Business Profile is an ongoing process, but it’s one of the most effective ways to boost your local visibility and drive more customers to your business.

If you want expert help getting the most out of your Google Business Profile  from setup and optimisation to ongoing management KiwiCommerce can help. Our team specialises in local SEO and digital marketing strategies that strengthen your online presence and ensure your business stands out where it matters most.