When someone in your area searches for a service you provide, where do they look first? The chances are it’s not your website — it’s the Google Maps panel and the local pack of three businesses that appears for location-based queries. Your Google Business Profile is often the very first impression a potential customer has of your business.
It shows your name, address, phone number, opening hours, photos, reviews, and more — all before a customer has even clicked through to your website. In many cases, it’s what determines whether they call you or scroll past to a competitor. The remarkable thing? It’s completely free to set up and manage.
Why Google Business Profile Matters So Much
Google uses proximity, relevance, and prominence to decide which local businesses to show in Maps and search results. A well-optimised Business Profile signals all three. According to Google’s own data, businesses with complete profiles are twice as likely to be considered reputable, and receive 35% more website clicks.
This connects directly to our local SEO services — a fully optimised Google Business Profile is one of the most powerful and cost-effective things a local business can do to increase visibility.
Step-by-Step: Optimising Your Profile
1. Claim and verify your listing. Visit business.google.com and claim your business. Google will verify you by postcard, phone, or video. An unverified listing can be edited by anyone, so don’t skip this step.
2. Complete every section. Name, address, phone number, website, opening hours, business category, services, and description — fill in everything. Incomplete profiles rank lower and look less trustworthy.
3. Choose the right primary category. Your primary category is especially important for search ranking. Be as specific as possible (e.g. “Web Design Company” rather than just “Business”).
4. Add high-quality photos. Listings with photos receive 42% more requests for directions and 35% more website clicks, according to Google. Add photos of your premises, team, work samples, and logo. Keep them current.
5. Actively request reviews. Reviews are one of the strongest ranking signals in local search. A steady stream of genuine positive reviews makes you more visible and more trusted. Always respond professionally — to both positive and negative reviews.
6. Post regular updates. Google Business Profile lets you publish updates directly on your listing — share offers, news, events, and new services. Active profiles consistently rank better.
7. Answer Q&As proactively. The Q&A section allows anyone to ask — and answer — questions. Get ahead of this by posting and answering the most common questions yourself.
Connect It to a Great Website
Your Google Business Profile and your website work as a team. Once someone has seen your profile and decided you look credible, many will click through to your website before making contact. If your website doesn’t match the professional impression your profile creates, you lose the conversion at that final hurdle.
At Nexgen Web Design, we build websites optimised to receive local search traffic. You can view our website plans or read about our approach to web design to see how everything connects. If your local online presence isn’t working as hard as it should, speak to us today.