Google Business Profile Optimisation: Treat It Like Your Digital Shopfront
If your website is your 24/7 salesperson, your Google Business Profile (GBP) is the shopfront on the busiest street in town.
Google Business Profile optimisation is about making that shopfront so clear, welcoming, and useful that people choose you before they even click through to your website.
In this guide, we’ll walk through how to optimise your GBP using a simple analogy: your profile is a physical shop on a busy high street. We’ll keep the tech talk to a minimum and focus on practical steps any UK service business can take.
Why Google Business Profile Matters More Than You Think
Imagine two plumbers on the same street:
- One has a clean shopfront, clear opening hours, and glowing reviews in the window.
- The other has no sign, no hours, and you’re not sure if they’re even open.
Who would you walk into?
Online, your Google Business Profile is that shopfront. People might never visit your website if your profile already tells them everything they need:
- What you do
- When you’re open
- Where you are
- What other people think of you
For many local searches (like “electrician near me” or “dentist in Leeds”), Google often shows:
- A map
- A list of 3–4 local businesses
- Star ratings and key info
If you’re not there, you’re invisible. If you are there but your listing is half‑empty or wrong, you’re losing leads without even knowing.
That’s where Google Business Profile optimisation comes in.
Step 1: Claim and Verify – Put Your Name Above the Door
You can’t decorate a shop you don’t own. Same with GBP.
Claim your profile
- Go to google.com/business.
- Sign in with a Google account you’ll actually keep (not Dave’s personal Gmail you’ll forget the password for).
- Search for your business name.
- If Google finds it, claim it.
- If not, create a new listing.
Verify your business
Google usually asks you to:
- Receive a postcard with a code, or
- Verify by phone/email (depends on the business type), or
- Use video verification.
Until you’re verified, your changes may not show fully. Think of this as Google checking you really have the keys to the shop.
Step 2: Get the Basics Right – Your Digital Signage
Before we talk fancy features, we need the basics solid. This is your sign above the door, opening times sign, and business card all in one.
Use your real business name (no spammy extras)
Good:
- BrightSpark Plumbing & Heating
Bad:
- BrightSpark Plumbing & Heating – Best Cheap 24/7 Emergency Plumber Leeds
Stuffing keywords into your business name can actually get you penalised. Use the name you use on your van, invoices, and website.
Choose the right categories
Categories tell Google what kind of shop you are.
- Primary category = your main service
- Additional categories = other things you do
Examples:
- A dentist might use:
- Primary: Dentist
- Additional: Cosmetic dentist, Emergency dental service
- A roofer might use:
- Primary: Roofing contractor
- Additional: Gutter cleaning service, Roofing supply store (if relevant)
Don’t try to be everything. Pick what you genuinely offer.
Match your NAP everywhere
NAP = Name, Address, Phone.
These details should be exactly the same on:
- Your GBP
- Your website
- Directories (Yell, Checkatrade, etc.)
“High Street” vs “High St”, or “Ltd” vs “Limited” may seem small, but consistency helps Google trust your business.
Step 3: Opening Hours, Service Areas & Holiday Hours – Don’t Look Closed
Nothing kills trust faster than turning up to a “closed” business that’s actually open – or the other way round.
Set accurate opening hours
- If you have fixed hours, add them.
- If you’re by appointment only, you can still set core hours and explain more in your description.
Use special hours for bank holidays
Google lets you set special hours for:
- Bank holidays
- Christmas
- One-off closures
Treat this like putting a note on the door before a bank holiday weekend. It saves a lot of frustrated phone calls.
Service areas for mobile businesses
If you go to customers (e.g. plumbers, mobile hairdressers, locksmiths):
- You can hide your exact address and
- Set service areas (towns, cities, postcodes)
Don’t go crazy and select the whole of the UK if you realistically only serve 20 miles around your base. Google prefers honest, realistic areas.
Step 4: Your Description – The Friendly Welcome Mat
Your business description is like the short blurb in your shop window.
You get up to 750 characters – use them wisely.
Keep it simple and human
A handy template:
We’re a [type of business] based in [location], helping [who you serve] with [main services]. We specialise in [key services], and pride ourselves on [what makes you different]. Book online or call us today.
Example for a physio clinic:
We’re a physiotherapy clinic based in Bristol, helping busy professionals and active families with pain, injuries and long-term conditions. We specialise in sports injuries, back and neck pain, and post-surgery rehab, and pride ourselves on friendly, one-to-one treatment plans. Book online or call our team today.
Include your focus local phrases naturally, like:
- “physiotherapy in Bristol”
- “emergency electrician in Manchester”
Don’t cram them in – if it sounds robotic, rewrite it.
Step 5: Photos & Video – Dress Your Shop Window
People buy with their eyes. Profiles with photos get more clicks and calls.
Think of your photos as the displays in your shop window.
Must-have images
- Logo – clear and not blurry
- Cover photo – the main image people see
- Exterior shots – so people recognise your place from the street
- Interior shots – tidy, welcoming, and accurate
- Team photos – faces build trust
- Before/after or work in progress – great for trades and clinics
Keep it real
Use real photos of your business, not stock images of overly happy models with perfect teeth.
If your budget allows, a half‑day with a local photographer is often worth more than another flyer drop.
Step 6: Reviews – Your Digital Word of Mouth
Reviews are like customers chatting about you in the local pub – but in public, forever.
Google uses reviews as a strong signal for local rankings. People use them to decide whether to call you.
Ask for reviews regularly
Don’t wait for the odd super‑happy (or super‑angry) person.
Build reviews into your process:
- After completing a job, send a follow-up message with your review link
- Add the review link to:
- Email signatures
- Invoices
- WhatsApp follow-ups
You can get a shareable review link inside your GBP dashboard.
What to ask customers to mention
You can’t script reviews, but you can nudge:
- Your location (e.g. “Great dentist in Birmingham”)
- The service (e.g. “boiler repair”, “sports massage”)
This helps Google connect you to local search phrases.
Always reply to reviews
Respond to every review – good and bad.
- For positive reviews: thank them, mention the service, and show personality.
- For negative reviews: stay calm, be polite, and offer to resolve it offline.
Think of it as other customers watching how you handle problems. That can win more trust than a perfect score.
Step 7: Posts, Services & FAQs – Keep the Shop Alive
An abandoned shopfront gathers dust. A living one gets attention.
GBP lets you add content that shows you’re active and helpful.
Google Posts – mini updates on your window
You can share:
- Offers and promotions
- New services
- Seasonal messages (e.g. “Boiler checks before winter”)
- Helpful tips
Post once a week or fortnight if you can. Keep it short, clear, and include a call-to-action like:
- “Call now”
- “Book online”
- “Learn more” (linking to a relevant page on your site)
Services & products – your menu
For service businesses, this is your menu board.
Add key services with:
- Clear names (e.g. “Emergency call-out within 2 hours”)
- Short descriptions
- Prices or “from” prices if possible
This helps Google understand what you do and helps customers see if you’re a good fit.
Q&A – answer questions before they’re asked
The Q&A section is like someone knocking on your window to ask a quick question.
- Add common questions yourself (yes, you’re allowed), like:
- “Do you offer home visits?”
- “Is parking available?”
- “Do you provide emergency call-outs?”
- Answer them clearly and simply.
This reduces phone calls for basic questions and improves trust.
Step 8: Keep It Updated – A Shopfront, Not a Museum
Google loves fresh, accurate information. So do customers.
Set a simple routine:
- Monthly:
- Add a new photo
- Check opening hours
- Add at least one Google Post
- Quarterly:
- Review services list
- Update description if your focus has changed
- Remove old offers
- Ongoing:
- Ask for reviews
- Reply to reviews within a few days
Treat your profile like a real shopfront: if something changes inside your business, update it outside too.
A Quick Checklist for Google Business Profile Optimisation
Use this as your mini to-do list:
- [ ] Claim and verify your profile
- [ ] Use your real business name (no keyword stuffing)
- [ ] Pick accurate primary and secondary categories
- [ ] Ensure NAP (Name, Address, Phone) matches your website
- [ ] Add correct opening hours and special hours
- [ ] Write a clear, friendly business description with local phrases
- [ ] Upload logo, cover photo, exterior, interior, team, and work photos
- [ ] Set your service areas (if you travel to customers)
- [ ] Add key services and/or products
- [ ] Encourage and reply to reviews
- [ ] Use Posts for offers, news and tips
- [ ] Add and answer common Q&As
Tick these off and you’re already ahead of most local competitors.
How Your Website Fits Into the Picture
Even with a brilliant Google Business Profile, your website still matters.
Think of GBP as the shopfront on the main street, and your website as the full store inside:
- GBP gets attention, builds trust quickly, and drives calls.
- Your website explains your services properly, answers deeper questions, and turns visitors into customers.
For the best results, your GBP and website should:
- Use the same branding and messaging
- Share consistent contact details
- Support each other (GBP linking to strong service pages, and your site linking back to your GBP)
If your current website looks more like a back room than a polished showroom, that’s where we come in.
Need Help Turning Your Profile Into a 24/7 Lead Magnet?
At Los Webos, we build fast, search-friendly websites and help UK service businesses get the most from tools like Google Business Profile.
If you’d like:
- A website that works hand-in-hand with your GBP
- Clear tracking so you know where enquiries come from
- Plain-English advice on local SEO, without the jargon
…then let’s talk.
Get in touch with Los Webos today and we’ll help you turn your digital shopfront and website into a team of 24/7 salespeople, not just digital brochures.