When someone searches “plumber near me” or “best coffee shop in [your city],” Google shows a map with three local businesses. That is the Local Pack, and getting your business there is one of the most valuable things you can do for local visibility.

The foundation is your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business). This guide walks through setup, optimization, and ongoing management - what actually moves the needle versus what wastes your time.

TL;DR: What You Need to Know

Google Business Profile is free and essential for any local business
Setup takes 15-30 minutes; verification takes 3-14 days
Optimization matters more than just having a listing
Reviews are your most powerful ranking factor
Keep it updated or lose visibility to competitors who do

What Is Google Business Profile and Why It Matters

Google Business Profile (GBP) is your business listing on Google. It shows up in:

Google Maps searches
The Local Pack (map results at the top of search)
The knowledge panel when someone searches your business name
Google’s “near me” results

For local businesses, your GBP listing often gets more visibility than your actual website. When someone searches for what you do in your area, Google shows the map results first, before any website links.

The Numbers That Matter

46% of all Google searches have local intent
76% of people who search for something nearby visit a business within 24 hours
28% of those searches result in a purchase

If you serve customers in a physical location or geographic area, your Google Business Profile is not optional.

Setting Up Your Profile: Step by Step

Step 1: Check If You Already Have a Listing

Before creating a new profile, search for your business on Google Maps. Google often creates placeholder listings from public records, and you may need to claim an existing one rather than creating from scratch.

Search for your business name and address. If a listing exists:

Click on it
Look for “Own this business?” or “Claim this business”
Follow the prompts to claim it

If no listing exists, proceed to create one.

Step 2: Create Your Listing

Go to business.google.com and sign in with a Google account you will have long-term access to. If this is a business account, use a business email, not your personal Gmail.

You will enter:

Business name (exactly as it appears in real life)
Business category (primary)
Location (address or service area)
Contact information
Website URL

Important: Use your actual legal business name. Do not stuff keywords like “Best Plumber Portland | 24/7 Emergency Service | ABC Plumbing.” Google penalizes this.

Step 3: Choose Your Business Type

Google asks if customers visit your location. Your options:

Physical storefront: Customers come to you (restaurant, retail, office)

You will list your street address
Address shows publicly on your listing

Service area business: You go to customers (plumber, contractor, mobile service)

You define the areas you serve
Your address is hidden from public view

Hybrid: You have a location but also travel to customers

You can set both an address and service areas

Step 4: Verification

Google needs to confirm you actually control this business. Verification methods include:

Postcard (most common)

Google mails a card with a PIN to your business address
Takes 5-14 days to arrive
Enter the PIN online to verify

Phone

Automated call or text to your business number
Available for some businesses with established presence

Email

Verification link sent to business email
Typically available if you have existing Search Console verification

Video

Google may ask you to record a video showing your location and business signage
Used when other methods are not available

Instant verification

If you already verified your website in Search Console
Available for some businesses

Do not skip verification. Unverified listings have limited features and may not show up in search results.

Optimizing Your Profile for Visibility

Having a listing is step one. Optimization is what gets you into the Local Pack.

Complete Every Field

Google rewards complete profiles. Fill out:

Business description: 750 characters to describe what you do and who you serve. Include your primary service and location naturally, but write for humans first.
Categories: Choose a primary category that precisely matches your main service. Add secondary categories for other services you offer.
Hours: Keep these accurate. Update for holidays. Google tracks when you are actually open and can penalize inaccurate hours.
Phone number: Use a local number, not a toll-free number. Local numbers perform better in local search.
Website: Link to your homepage or a location-specific landing page.
Attributes: Select all relevant attributes (wheelchair accessible, free Wi-Fi, outdoor seating, etc.). These help with filtered searches.

Photos That Get Clicks

Businesses with photos get 42% more requests for directions and 35% more website clicks than those without.

What to upload:

Exterior photos: Help people recognize your location. Multiple angles, day and night if applicable.
Interior photos: Show the customer experience. Clean, well-lit, inviting.
Team photos: People connect with people. Candid shots of your team working are better than stiff headshots.
Product/service photos: Show what you actually deliver. Before/after for contractors, finished dishes for restaurants, completed work for any service business.

Photo quality matters:

Minimum 720px wide
Well-lit, in focus
No heavy filters or stock photos
Update seasonally or when you make changes

Services and Products

Add your specific services with descriptions and prices if applicable. This helps you appear in more specific searches.

Example: Instead of just “Plumber,” add:

Water heater installation
Drain cleaning
Sewer line repair
Emergency plumbing

Each service is a potential search match.

The Reviews Strategy

Reviews are the single most important factor in Local Pack rankings and customer decision-making. More reviews with higher ratings equals more visibility and more trust.

Why Reviews Matter

87% of consumers read online reviews for local businesses
Businesses in the top 3 Local Pack positions have an average of 47 reviews
Star rating directly affects click-through rates

How to Get More Reviews

The key is making it easy and asking at the right time.

Create a direct review link:

Go to your Google Business Profile
Click “Ask for reviews”
Copy your unique review link
Shorten it with a service like bit.ly for easier sharing

When to ask:

Immediately after a successful service or purchase
When a customer expresses satisfaction unprompted
After resolving a problem successfully
Never when the customer seems frustrated

How to ask:

In person: “We really appreciate your business. If you have a minute, a Google review helps other customers find us.”

Follow-up email:

Hi [Name],

Thanks for choosing [Business Name]. We hope everything went well.

If you have 30 seconds, a quick Google review helps other customers find us:
[Review Link]

Thanks,
[Your Name]

Systems that work:

QR code at checkout/reception linking to your review page
Automated follow-up emails 1-2 days after service
Review request cards handed out with receipts
Thank you texts with the review link

Responding to Reviews

Respond to every review - good and bad.

For positive reviews:

Thank them specifically
Mention something about their experience if possible
Keep it brief and genuine

For negative reviews:

Respond quickly (within 24 hours)
Acknowledge their frustration
Take the conversation offline (“Please call us at…”)
Do not argue publicly
Do not offer compensation publicly (invites fake bad reviews)

What Not to Do

Google penalizes fake or incentivized reviews:

Do not offer discounts for reviews
Do not pay for reviews
Do not create fake reviews
Do not have employees post reviews
Do not review-gate (only asking happy customers)

If Google detects manipulation, they can suspend your profile.

Common Problems and Fixes

Duplicate Listings

If you have multiple listings for the same location, request to merge them or mark duplicates as closed. Duplicate listings confuse Google and dilute your review count.

Wrong Address or Location Pin

Edit your listing and update the address. If the map pin is in the wrong place, drag it to the correct location.

Suspended Account

Common causes:

Keyword-stuffed business name
Using a virtual office or P.O. box
Too many edits in a short time
User reports flagging your business

Recovery: Follow Google’s reinstatement process through the support portal. Be prepared to verify your business legitimacy.

Categories Not Showing Up

Google limits categories based on what it knows about your business type. If a category is not available:

Make sure your website clearly describes that service
Check if the category exists in Google’s system
Try related categories

Competitor Edits

Anyone can “suggest an edit” to your listing. Monitor weekly and reject false suggestions immediately. Set up alerts through the GBP app.

Connecting Your Website and GBP

Your website and Google Business Profile should reinforce each other.

NAP Consistency

NAP stands for Name, Address, Phone. These must match exactly across:

Your website
Your Google Business Profile
All directory listings (Yelp, Facebook, Yellow Pages, etc.)

Inconsistencies confuse Google and hurt rankings. “123 Main St” and “123 Main Street” are technically different.

Local Schema Markup

Add LocalBusiness schema to your website’s code. This structured data helps Google understand your business information. Your web developer can implement this in 30 minutes.

Embed Google Maps

Add an embedded Google Map to your contact page. This creates another connection between your website and your GBP listing.

Ongoing Management

Your GBP is not set-and-forget.

Weekly

Check for and respond to new reviews
Monitor for suggested edits
Check messages if enabled

Monthly

Add new photos
Post an update (event, offer, news)
Review analytics for insights

Quarterly

Audit all information for accuracy
Update services if your offerings changed
Check competitor listings for comparison

When Things Change

Update immediately when:

Hours change (especially holidays)
Phone number or address changes
You add or remove services
You temporarily close

Frequently Asked Questions

How long until I show up on Google Maps?

After verification, your listing usually appears within a few days. Ranking well in the Local Pack takes longer - typically 3-6 months of consistent optimization and review building.

Can I have multiple locations?

Yes. Create a separate listing for each physical location. Each needs its own verification and optimization.

What if I work from home?

If customers do not come to you, set up as a service area business. Your home address stays private while you define the areas you serve.

Do I need a physical address?

For service area businesses, no. You need an address for verification, but it will not display publicly. For storefront businesses, yes - customers need to know where to go.

Do Google posts help rankings?

Marginally. Posts help with engagement and can show up in some searches, but they are not a major ranking factor. Prioritize reviews and complete profile information first.

What This Means for Your Business

Your Google Business Profile is often the first impression customers have of your business. It shows up before your website in many searches, and for “near me” searches, it may be the only thing they see before deciding to call.

The businesses that dominate local search are not necessarily bigger or better - they are more consistent about optimizing and maintaining their profiles.

Setup takes a few hours. Verification takes a week or two. But the ongoing work - getting reviews, updating photos, keeping information accurate - is what separates businesses that get found from those that do not.

Next Steps

If your Google Business Profile is not set up, start there. If it exists but is not optimized, work through the checklist above.

If you want help getting it right, I include Google Business Profile setup and optimization with every local business website project. Whether we work together or not, this is foundational work that every local business needs.

Let’s talk about your local visibility

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