Optimising your Google Business Profile means completing every section thoroughly, selecting accurate categories, uploading high-quality photos regularly, actively collecting and responding to reviews, posting weekly updates, and ensuring all information is accurate and current. Businesses that complete all profile sections appear in 70% more searches than those with incomplete profiles. The order of priority: complete NAP (name, address, phone), correct primary category, photos, business description, opening hours, services/products, and then ongoing weekly posting and review management.
Most UK businesses have claimed their Google Business Profile but leave significant sections incomplete. Every incomplete section is a missed ranking opportunity — Google uses the depth and completeness of your profile information as a relevance signal when matching your business to local search queries.
Google Business Profile optimisation checklist
- Select the most accurate primary category — this is the most important ranking factor in the profile; check what category top-ranking competitors use
- Add all relevant secondary categories to cover additional service types
- Write a keyword-rich business description (up to 750 characters) that naturally includes your primary services and location
- Upload at least 10 high-quality photos — exterior (all angles and times of day), interior, team photos, and work/product examples
- Add your products or services with descriptions and pricing where applicable
- Set accurate opening hours including special hours for bank holidays (incorrect hours generate one-star reviews)
- Enable messaging if your team can respond within a few hours
- Set up your booking link if your business takes appointments
- Add your website URL and verify it is the correct landing page
- Complete the 'From the business' attributes relevant to your category (e.g., 'women-owned', 'LGBTQ+ friendly', wheelchair access)
Google Business Profile posting strategy
Google Business Profile posts appear on your listing for 7 days before expiring. Regular weekly posting signals to Google that your business is active, and posts can drive direct enquiry. Effective post types include: timely offers (with expiry dates), educational tips relevant to your business category, event announcements, and behind-the-scenes content. Each post can include a photo, text (up to 1,500 characters, but 150–300 is more readable), and a call-to-action button (Book, Call, Learn More, Buy).
Aim for a minimum of 20–30 photos, updated and added to regularly. Businesses with 100+ photos receive significantly more Google Maps views than those with 10 or fewer. Photos should cover: exterior (at least 3, including at night if your business operates evenings), interior (5+), team photos, products or work in progress, and finished work or happy customers. Use your actual business and team, not stock photos — Google can now detect stock photography and may deprioritise it. Photo quality matters: well-lit, high-resolution images perform significantly better than blurry phone photos.
Attributes — specific characteristics of your business such as 'women-led', 'outdoor seating', 'free Wi-Fi', 'wheelchair accessible', 'accepts contactless' — contribute to relevance matching. Searchers can filter local results by attributes, so a missing attribute could exclude your business from relevant filtered searches. Complete all applicable attributes for your business category. Attributes are also displayed on your profile and can differentiate your listing in the Local Pack.