Google Business Profile Optimisation: 12 Tips to Rank in Google Maps

For local businesses, Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) can drive more calls and visits than your website. Google Business Profile optimisation means completing, improving and actively managing your listing so that Google understands your business and customers choose you.

Here are twelve practical tips to climb the Google Maps results, plus the mistakes to avoid and how to measure your progress.

Get the basics right

1. Verify your profile so you have full control over your listing.
2. Choose the most accurate primary category and add relevant secondary categories.
3. Use your real business name — avoid stuffing keywords, which can lead to suspension.
4. Keep NAP consistent — name, address and phone should match your website and directories.

Make your profile complete and attractive

1. Write a helpful description that explains what you do, who you serve and where.
2. Add services and products with short descriptions.
3. Upload real photos of your premises, team and work regularly.
4. Set accurate hours, including special hours on holidays.

Build engagement and trust

1. Ask happy customers for reviews and make it easy with a short review link.
2. Reply to every review politely, including negative ones.
3. Publish Google posts about offers, updates and events.
4. Answer questions in the Q&A section before others do.

Connect your profile to your website

Link to a fast, mobile-friendly website with a dedicated page for each service and location. Embed a Google Map on your contact page and add LocalBusiness schema markup so search engines clearly understand your business details.

Track your results

Review profile insights regularly to see how people find you, how many call or request directions, and which photos get the most views. Use this data to keep improving.

Short on time? We can set up and optimise your profile for you. Get a free profile review.

Mistakes that can get your profile suspended

• Adding keywords or locations to your business name that are not part of your real name
• Listing a virtual office or co-working address where you do not serve customers
• Creating duplicate profiles for the same location
• Buying reviews or offering rewards in exchange for positive reviews
• Changing key details too often without a reason

Google’s guide to improving your local ranking explains that results are based on relevance, distance and prominence, so focus on genuine signals rather than shortcuts.

A monthly Google Business Profile optimisation routine

1. Add five to ten new photos of your work, team or premises
2. Publish at least two posts about offers, projects or updates
3. Reply to every new review within a day or two
4. Check that your hours, phone number and services are still correct
5. Answer any new questions from customers
6. Review calls, website clicks and direction requests, and compare them with last month

Turning profile views into enquiries

Visibility is only half the job. Make sure the website linked from your profile loads quickly on mobile, shows your services clearly and has obvious call, WhatsApp and enquiry buttons. Use a dedicated landing page for each main service or location, so the click from Maps lands somewhere relevant.

Frequently asked questions