Written by Craig Fearn
Director
Last updated: 2 October 2026
Part of our complete guide: Local SEO for UK Small Business: Get Into the Map Pack
A Google Business Profile is the free listing that puts your business on Google Search and Maps, and setting it up properly takes about an hour. It is the most useful free presence you control for local search visibility. This guide walks through each step, from claiming your listing to building a steady review habit.
TL;DR
Claim your listing, complete every field, choose your categories carefully, add real photos, and build a steady review habit. Keep your name, address and phone number consistent everywhere, and treat the profile as a living channel, not a one-time setup.
What a Google Business Profile Actually Does
When someone searches “plumber near me” or “restaurant Truro,” Google shows regular website listings and a “local pack”: a map with a few business listings underneath. Your profile is what lets you appear in that map section. It also controls the information panel that shows when someone searches your business name directly: hours, phone number, photos, reviews and website link.
Google says local results are mainly based on relevance, distance and prominence (Google local ranking help). A complete, actively managed profile is the part of that you can control most directly.
The profile is free. There is no fee to claim, verify or manage it. We’ll walk through every field below.
Setting Up Your Profile: Step by Step
Step 1: Claim or Create a Business Listing
Go to google.com/business and sign in with a Google account. Search for your business name. If it already exists on Maps, choose the option to claim it. If it doesn’t appear, create a new profile from scratch. Google will then ask you to verify the business.
Google lists these verification methods: phone or text, email, video, live video call and postcard. Which ones you see depends on your business. Most postcard codes arrive within 14 days, and verification reviews take up to 5 business days (Google verification help). Once verified, you can edit details, post updates and reply to reviews. If you remember the older Google My Business app, this is its successor: see our Google Business Profile Manager guide for how to reach and edit your profile.
Step 2: Complete Every Field
Completeness matters. Categories deserve extra thought: Google says the categories you select affect your local ranking (Google categories help), and its guidelines say to use as few categories as possible (Google guidelines). Fill in every available field:
| Field | What to Enter | Common Mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Business Name | Your real trading name exactly as it appears on signage | Keyword stuffing (e.g. “John’s Plumbing Best Plumber Cornwall”). Google’s guidelines say the name should reflect your real-world name. |
| Primary Category | The most specific category available (“Plumber” not “Home Service”) | Choosing a broad category, or adding many categories. Use as few as possible. |
| Address / Service Area | Full address if customers visit you; a service area if you travel to them | Using a P.O. box (not acceptable) or a virtual office (not eligible) per Google’s guidelines. |
| Phone Number | A number customers can reach you on, matching your website | Using a number that differs from your website. In our experience, consistency avoids confusion. You can add up to 2 extra numbers. |
| Website | Your homepage or a dedicated landing page | Linking to a social media page instead. If you don’t have a website, consider a one-page site. |
| Hours | Accurate hours, updated for holidays and seasonal changes | Wrong hours frustrate customers who turn up to a closed door. |
| Description | Up to 750 characters describing what you do, who you serve, and where | Wasting space on marketing slogans instead of useful information. |
The 750-character limit, the extra phone numbers and the option to hide your address come from Google’s editing help. The name, address and category rules come from Google’s guidelines.
Step 3: Add Photos
Add at minimum your logo, a cover photo, three to five photos of your work or premises, and a photo of you or your team. In our experience, real photos of real work beat stock images. For tradespeople, before-and-after project photos work particularly well. See our construction website guide for how to showcase projects, and our tradesman website design page if you need a site to match.
Optimising Your Profile for Better Rankings
Setup gets you listed. Optimisation is what you do next. Google’s three main local ranking factors are relevance (how well your profile matches the search), distance (how close you are to the searcher) and prominence (Google local ranking help). You can’t control distance, but you can influence relevance and prominence.
For more on local ranking beyond the profile, see our local SEO services and local SEO in Cornwall pages.
Customer Reviews
Reviews are a visible part of how customers judge you, and a steady flow is easier to manage than bursts. Reviews are available only in certain regions and categories, and you must be verified to reply to them (Google reviews help).
How to generate reviews consistently:
- Ask every satisfied customer. In person, by text, or by email. Most happy customers will leave a review if you make it easy.
- Use Google’s review link or QR code. The link is under Read reviews > Get more reviews, and the QR code can be downloaded from a computer browser (Google help).
- Time it right. In our experience, asking soon after the work is done, while the experience is fresh, gets the best response.
- Never offer incentives. Google prohibits incentives for reviews, and replies shouldn’t be used for deals or promotions (Google review policy).
- Reply to every review. Thank positive reviewers specifically (“Thanks for mentioning our kitchen refit, glad you’re happy”). Address negative reviews professionally. In our practice we reply within 48 hours. Google says you can flag reviews that break its policy (Google reviews help).
If a review-related restriction is applied to your profile, see our suspension guide for how a restriction differs from a suspension.
Google Posts
Posts appear on your profile in search and Maps. Post about completed projects, seasonal offers or useful tips. Google says posts older than 6 months are archived unless you set a date range (Google Posts help), so older posts won’t stay visible forever. Each post can include a photo, text and a button linking to your website. Posting weekly is our own practice, not a Google requirement.
If your business doesn’t appear for a search you expected, check categories, photos and reviews first, in our experience those are the usual gaps.
Questions and Answers
Google discontinued the My Business Q&A API on 3 November 2025 (Google sunset dates). We no longer recommend pre-populating questions on your profile. Put your common questions on your website and in your description instead.
Attributes and Services
Add the attributes and services Google offers for your category. For restaurants that might be outdoor seating or wheelchair access. For trades it might be free estimates or emergency service. These help customers judge whether you suit their needs.
Common Mistakes That Get Profiles Suspended
Google says it may suspend or disable profiles that don’t follow its guidelines (Google suspension help). A suspended listing can disappear from search. Our full suspension and appeal guide covers what to do. Avoid these common errors:
| Mistake | Why It Hurts | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Keyword-stuffing business name | Goes against the guideline that the name should be your real name | Use your real trading name exactly as it appears on signage |
| Inconsistent name, address, phone | Confuses customers, and in our experience muddies your online presence | Make sure they match on your website, profile and directories |
| Setting it and forgetting it | Out-of-date hours, photos and replies put customers off | Treat your profile as a regular marketing task, not a one-time setup |
| Ignoring negative reviews | Unanswered complaints deter customers who read replies | Respond professionally, offering to resolve the issue |
| Wrong business hours | Customers arrive to find you closed and may leave one-star reviews | Update hours for bank holidays, seasonal changes and temporary closures |
| Using a P.O. box or virtual office | Google’s guidelines say P.O. boxes aren’t acceptable and virtual offices aren’t eligible | Use your actual business address, or set a service area instead |
Google’s guidelines are at support.google.com/business/answer/3038177.
Tracking Your Profile Performance
Once you manage your profile day to day, check its performance data regularly. Things worth watching monthly:
- Search queries. The words people typed before seeing your profile. This shows what customers call your service, which may differ from what you call it.
- Profile views. How many people saw your listing, and whether that is growing.
- Actions taken. Website clicks, direction requests and phone calls. Actions matter more than views.
- Photo views. If your photos get little attention, they may need refreshing.
For broader local SEO tracking, combine profile data with free SEO tools such as Google Search Console.
How Your Profile Connects to Your Wider SEO Strategy
Your Google Business Profile is one part of your overall local SEO strategy. These elements work together:
- Match your website. Your site’s contact details, business name and service areas should match your profile.
- Build citations. List your business in relevant directories (Yell, Thomson Local, industry-specific sites) with identical name, address and phone details.
- Create location-specific content. Pages and posts for your service areas help show where you work. See our Cornwall SEO guide.
- Earn links from local sites. Links from local businesses, chambers of commerce and community organisations support your website’s authority.
Ready to Set Up or Improve Your Profile?
Your Google Business Profile costs nothing and takes about an hour to set up properly. Whether you serve customers in Falmouth, Penzance, or anywhere else in the South West, the process is the same. If you haven’t claimed yours yet, do it today. If you have one but haven’t updated it in months, log in and bring it up to date.
Want help with your profile as part of a wider SEO strategy? Outcome Digital Marketing helps local businesses across Cornwall and Devon get found in local search. Get in touch for honest advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a Google Business Profile really free?
Yes. You don’t need a paid plan to get listed on Google, verify your business or manage your profile. If anyone calls offering to “register” your listing for a fee, be cautious and go to Google’s official Business Profile help pages instead.
How long does Google Business Profile verification take?
Most postcard codes arrive within 14 days, and verification reviews take up to 5 business days (Google verification help). Google lists phone or text, email, video, live video call and postcard as verification methods. If you change your business name after verification, Google says it may ask you to re-verify (Google editing help).
How do I get more Google reviews for my business?
Ask every satisfied customer directly. Use the link or QR code from Read reviews > Get more reviews (Google help). Place the QR code on receipts, invoices and business cards. Never offer incentives for reviews, as Google prohibits them (Google review policy). In our practice we reply to every review within 48 hours.
How often should I post on my Google Business Profile?
Google doesn’t set a schedule. Posts older than 6 months are archived unless you set a date range (Google Posts help). Post when you have something worth sharing, and keep a regular rhythm.
What affects local pack rankings?
Google says local results are mainly based on relevance, distance and prominence (Google local ranking help). The categories you select affect your local ranking (Google categories help).
Will a Google Business Profile work without a website?
You can appear in map results with a profile alone. In our experience a website still helps by letting you explain your services and target more searches. Even a simple one-page website is a useful addition.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a home address for my Google Business Profile?
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Get in touchCraig Fearn
Director
Craig is Director of Outcome Digital Marketing. He brings over a decade of C-suite advisory experience, having advised senior executives and boards on organisational strategy before focusing on the marketing decisions that move the needle for smaller businesses. As a Fellow of the Royal Society for Public Health (FRSPH) and Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute (FCMI), he applies evidence-based thinking to marketing - helping Cornwall and UK businesses make informed decisions backed by research, not hype.