Google Business Profile Optimisation: 10 Steps to Rank in the Local Map Pack
Your Google Business Profile can bring in more calls than your website. Follow these 10 practical steps to optimise it and climb into Google's local Map Pack.
When someone searches for a service "near me" or in a specific city, Google usually shows a map with three businesses before any regular results. That box, the local Map Pack, captures a large share of clicks and calls for local searches. Getting into it depends heavily on one free tool: your Google Business Profile. Here are ten steps to optimise yours properly.
1. Claim and verify your profile
Search for your business on Google Maps. If a profile exists, claim it; if not, create one at business.google.com. Complete the verification process, which may involve a video, phone call or postcard. Unverified profiles rank poorly and can be edited by anyone.
2. Choose the right primary category
Your primary category is one of the strongest ranking factors in local search. Be specific: "Wedding Photographer" rather than "Photographer", "Italian Restaurant" rather than "Restaurant". Add relevant secondary categories for other services you offer, but do not add categories that do not genuinely apply.
3. Get your name, address and phone exactly right
Use your real business name, with no keyword stuffing. Google can suspend profiles that add phrases like "Best Dentist Iligan" to their name. Make sure your address and phone number match exactly what appears on your website, Facebook page and directory listings. Consistency across the web builds Google's confidence in your business.
4. Write a useful business description
You have 750 characters. Describe what you do, who you serve, where you operate and what makes you different. Include your main service and location naturally. Avoid links, promotions and all-caps text.
5. Add services and products
List each service individually with a short description and, where possible, a price or price range. This gives Google more context for matching your profile to specific searches and helps customers decide before they call.
6. Upload real, high-quality photos regularly
Add your logo, a cover photo, exterior shots so people can find you, interior shots, your team and examples of your work. Profiles with plenty of genuine photos tend to receive more engagement. Keep adding new photos every month; it signals an active business.
7. Set accurate hours, including holidays
Few things frustrate a customer more than arriving to find a business closed when Google said it was open. Keep regular hours accurate and set special hours for holidays like Christmas, New Year and Holy Week.
8. Build a steady stream of reviews
Reviews influence both rankings and conversions. Ask every satisfied customer for a review, ideally with a direct link sent by SMS or Messenger right after a successful job. Aim for a steady flow rather than a sudden burst. Respond to every review, positive and negative, politely and professionally. Never buy fake reviews; Google removes them and can penalise your profile.
9. Post updates weekly
Google Posts let you share offers, news, events and new work directly on your profile. They keep your listing fresh and give searchers more reasons to choose you. A short weekly post with a photo is enough.
10. Connect it to a strong website
Your profile links to your website, and Google considers the quality and relevance of that site when ranking you locally. A fast, mobile-friendly website with a page for each service and your location clearly stated strengthens your profile significantly. Answer the questions in the Q&A section too, before someone else answers them for you.
A Google Business Profile works best with a website that backs it up. Our 7-Day Website Package gives you a fast, locally optimised site that turns Map Pack clicks into enquiries.
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