Optimising your Google Business Profile means completing every field, choosing the right category, building reviews, and staying active — so Google ranks you higher in local search and customers choose you over competitors.
more clicks for businesses with complete Google Business Profiles compared to businesses with incomplete listings, according to Google's own data.
Step 1: Complete every field
Start with the basics. An incomplete profile is an invisible profile. Fill out:
- Business name (exactly as it appears on your signage — no keyword stuffing)
- Primary and secondary categories
- Full address or service area
- Phone number and website URL
- Opening hours including special hours for holidays
- Business description (up to 750 characters)
- Products and services with descriptions and prices
- Attributes (e.g. "wheelchair accessible", "free Wi-Fi", "accepts card")
Step 2: Choose the right primary category
Your primary category is the single most important ranking factor in your GBP. Google uses it to decide which local searches to show you for.
Choose the most specific category that describes your main business. "Italian Restaurant" beats "Restaurant". "Emergency Plumber" beats "Plumber". The more specific, the less competition and the more relevant your traffic.
You can add up to 10 secondary categories for additional services, but your primary category should reflect your core offering.
Step 3: Write a compelling description
Your description doesn't directly affect ranking, but it influences whether customers choose you. Write 2–3 paragraphs that cover:
- 1
What you do and for whom
Lead with your main service and your ideal customer. Be specific — "We help Sydney restaurants rank #1 on Google Maps" beats "We help businesses."
- 2
Where you operate
Include your suburb, city and surrounding areas. This helps Google understand your service area.
- 3
What makes you different
Years in business, awards, specialisations, guarantees. Give customers a reason to choose you over the listing above and below.
Step 4: Add photos that convert
more direction requests and 35% more website clicks for businesses with photos vs businesses without, according to Google.
Upload at minimum:
- Cover photo — your best, most representative image
- Logo — clean, high resolution
- Exterior shots — so customers recognise you when they arrive
- Interior shots — so customers know what to expect
- Team photos — builds trust and humanises the business
- Product or service photos — show what you actually do
Add new photos regularly. Google favours profiles with recent, active photo uploads.
Step 5: Build Google reviews systematically
Reviews are the #1 local ranking factor and the #1 trust signal for new customers. A business with 50 reviews and 4.8 stars will consistently outrank a business with 5 reviews and 5.0 stars.
- 1
Ask every satisfied customer
The best time to ask is immediately after a positive interaction — when the experience is fresh. Create a shortlink to your GBP review page to make it frictionless.
- 2
Respond to every review
Respond to all reviews — positive and negative — within 24 hours. This signals to Google (and customers) that you're active and engaged.
- 3
Never buy fake reviews
Google's algorithm detects fake reviews and will penalise or suspend your listing. Only genuine reviews from real customers count.
Step 6: Post updates weekly
GBP posts appear in your listing and signal to Google that your business is active. Post at least once a week with:
- Current offers or promotions
- New products or services
- Events or news
- Tips or advice for your customers
Step 7: Answer Q&A proactively
Anyone can ask (and answer) questions in your GBP's Q&A section. Get ahead of this by adding the questions your customers most commonly ask — and answering them yourself. This content also appears in AI search results.
Frequently asked questions
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