How to Optimize Your Google Business Profile for Local SEO

If you’re looking for a local business, one of the first places you may turn is Google. Typing in “coffee near me,” for example, brings up a listing and map of coffee shops close to your location. Each of these entries of local products and services is a Google Business Profile.

When a user types in a local query, a list of Google Business Profiles will appear. This local results pack provides an opportunity for local businesses to compete for visibility against the broader internet. These results help customers discover your business, read reviews, and find contact information.

If you’re a local business yourself, and you’re wondering how to improve your local SEO, creating (or actually maintaining) a Google Business Profile is a must-do. Read on to learn how to optimize your profile.

The Basics of the Google Business Profile

Google rewards businesses that provide complete, accurate information. At a minimum, make sure your profile includes:

• Business name
• Primary business category
• Address or service area
• Phone number
• Website
• Business hours
• Holiday hours, when applicable

Pro tip: If you’re a home-based service provider or a mobile business that travels to your customers, you can skip providing a physical address and just add a service area. This way, customers understand your service area, but they won’t show up at your house!

Make sure this information matches your website and any other online listings. “NAP” (name, address, phone) consistency across the web is a key factor in search engine optimization.

How to Write an Informative Business Description

Google gives you up to 750 characters to describe your business. No one wants to read a sales pitch here. Instead, write a description that will help your potential customers better understand who you are and how you solve their problem. Consider questions like:

• What do you do?
• Who do you help?
• What makes your business different?
• What services do you offer?
• Where do you work?

Think of it like introducing yourself to someone who’s never heard of your business before. Rather than simply saying: “We are a trusted company dedicated to customer satisfaction.”

Consider something more specific: “We provide residential and commercial plumbing services throughout Monroe County, including water heater installation, drain cleaning, leak detection, and emergency plumbing repairs. Our goal is to provide honest service, quality workmanship, and fast response times.”

The more clearly you describe your services, the easier it is for potential customers—and Google—to understand your business. Like your high school English teacher used to say about composition writing, “Show; don’t tell.”

Choose Your Categories

In this section, you want to choose the category that best represents your primary service. For example, if you’re a photographer, you might choose:

• Photographer
• Wedding Photographer
• Portrait Studio
• Commercial Photographer

Add Every Service You Offer

Here, take advantage of Google’s Services section by adding every service you provide. This helps customers quickly understand your offerings, while also giving Google additional context about your business. Think beyond broad categories. Instead of adding only “landscaping,” consider including “lawn maintenance, mulching, landscape design, retaining walls, etc.” The more complete your profile, the better.

Add High-Quality Photos

Photos are an easy way to make your profile stand out. Especially if your business is very visually oriented like a restaurant or clothing boutique, it is incredibly valuable to show your customers what your delicious food looks like! Consider uploading:

• Your logo
• A cover photo
• Interior photos
• Exterior photos
• Team photos
• Owner headshots
• Photos of employees working
• Before-and-after projects
• Finished products
• Service vehicles
• Equipment
• Happy customers (with permission)

If you’re a service business, show yourself in action. People like doing business with friendly faces, and including pictures of yourself and your employees begins that familiarization process. Google recommends photos that are:

• JPEG or PNG
• At least 720 × 720 pixels
• Between 10 KB and 5 MB
• Well-lit and in-focus

Remember that customers can also upload photos to your profile, so it’s important to regularly monitor what’s being added.

Add Videos

Videos are still somewhat underutilized by many businesses, which makes them a prime opportunity to stand out. Consider uploading short videos that show:

• Your team working
• A completed project
• Behind-the-scenes footage
• Product demonstrations
• Your office or storefront
• Equipment in use

Even simple smartphone videos can help build familiarity and trust. It’s okay to get fun and creative, particularly if that tone represents your brand. This is an opportunity to show your customers who you are as a business.

Add Business Attributes

Google allows businesses to add attributes that help customers quickly understand what to expect. Depending on your business, these might include:

• Wheelchair accessible
• Women-owned
• Veteran-owned
• Free Wi-Fi
• Family-friendly
• Appointment required
• Languages spoken
• Outdoor seating

You can select every attribute that accurately applies to your business.

Frequently Asked Questions

Unfortunately, as of the end of 2025, the FAQ section is no longer one that business owners can manually edit. Google has replaced it with an AI tools that will generate answers to customer questions based on data from your profile or website. This is yet another reason why it is so important to keep your entire web presence—your Google Business Profile, website, social media, citations, other review sites, etc.—accurate and up-to-date to ensure Google isn’t providing inaccurate AI-generated answers here or in search results.

Build Reviews—and Make Sure to Respond!

Reviews are one of the biggest factors influencing both local rankings and customer trust. Create a simple process for requesting reviews after completing a project or serving a customer.

Equally important is responding to every review. Whether the review is positive or negative:

• Thank the customer.
• Personalize your response.
• Stay professional.
• Show appreciation for their feedback.

Both your customers and Google like active profiles, and thoughtful responses demonstrate that you value customers’ opinions, good or bad.

Post Regular Business Updates

Many business owners don’t realize Google Business Profiles function kind of like a social media platform. You can regularly post:

• Recent projects
• New products
• Seasonal promotions
• Company news
• Events
• Helpful tips
• Before-and-after photos

These updates help show that your business is active and engaged. Posting even just once or twice a month is better than leaving your profile untouched for a long time.

Monitor Your Performance

Google provides valuable insights into how customers are finding your business. Inside your dashboard, you can see metrics like:

• How many people found you through Google Search
• How many people found you through Google Maps
• Phone calls
• Website clicks
• Direction requests
• Messages
• Bookings

Monitoring this information helps you understand what’s working and can identify opportunities for improvement.

Conclusion

Many businesses create a Google Business Profile and never touch it again, but local SEO isn’t a one-time task—it’s an ongoing process. Regularly updating your profile with new photos, responding to reviews, adding business updates, expanding your services, and keeping your information current all send positive signals to Google that your business is active and engaged.

If you’re investing time into your website, keep that Google Business Profile in mind too. It’s often the first impression potential customers have of your business, and it’s one of the most powerful tools you have for improving local visibility. If you’d like to learn more about improving your business’ SEO, we’re here to help.