For a local business, the website is only one part of the online presence.
Google Search and Google Maps can also become important discovery points, especially when people are looking for a nearby service or business.
Google says a verified Business Profile can help eligible businesses appear on Search and Maps, maintain business information, interact with customers and direct customers to websites, bookings and other actions.
Here is how to make better use of it.
First: make sure your business is eligible
Google Business Profiles are designed for businesses that make in-person contact with customers.
Google states that eligible businesses generally have a storefront customers can visit or provide services by visiting customers. Online-only businesses that do not meet those conditions are not eligible for a Business Profile.
That matters because creating a profile for an ineligible business can create problems later.
Claim and verify the profile
If your business is eligible and a profile does not exist, Google provides a process to add and verify it.
Verification tells Google that you are authorised to represent the business.
Once verified, you can manage important information displayed to customers.
Complete the information properly
Google recommends keeping business information accurate and up to date.
Depending on the type of business, useful information includes:
- Business category
- Address or service area
- Opening hours
- Phone number
- Website
- Services
- Business attributes
Google notes that complete and accurate information can help businesses appear for relevant local searches.
This is one reason local SEO begins with basic accuracy.
A customer should not see yesterday’s opening time, an old phone number or an outdated service list.
Choose the category carefully
Your primary Business Profile category tells Google what your business does.
Google explains that categories help connect businesses with customers searching for particular products or services and that selected categories can affect local ranking.
Choose the most specific category that accurately describes the core business.
Don’t treat categories as a list of every service you offer.
Use photos and videos
A local business profile should look alive.
Google explicitly recommends adding photos and videos to show customers what the business offers and what the location or service looks like.
For a restaurant, that might be the space, food and team.
For a service business, it could be the team, equipment, finished work and branded vehicles.
For a retail business, it could be the storefront, products and interior.
The goal is not to upload random images. It is to help someone decide:
“This looks like the business I was searching for.”
Reviews are part of the experience
Google says businesses can interact with customers by collecting and responding to reviews. Its local-ranking guidance also notes that reviews and positive ratings can contribute to prominence.
That does not mean businesses should chase fake reviews or pressure customers into misleading feedback.
A better process is:
Deliver a good experience → invite genuine feedback → respond professionally → learn from repeated issues
Reviews can become useful business intelligence as well as social proof.
Don't expect reviews alone to solve local SEO
Google explains that local results are mainly based on relevance, distance and prominence.
That means a perfect review score does not guarantee the top result for every search.
A business profile still needs accurate information and relevance to the query.
And location matters. A business that is farther away may not outrank a nearer, more relevant result simply because it has more marketing copy.
Add action links where appropriate
Google allows eligible Business Profiles to include links that can help customers take actions such as booking, making reservations, placing orders or viewing services, depending on business type and available features.
This creates an opportunity to connect local discovery directly to the business website.
The goal is to reduce friction between:
Search → Decision → Action
Connect the profile and website
Your Business Profile should not be isolated from the rest of your digital presence.
The business name, phone number, website, services and location information should be consistent.
The website should then continue the promise made in Search.
If someone finds:
“Emergency AC repair”
on Google, the landing page should make emergency AC repair easy to find.
The local listing and website should feel like one experience.
Measure what matters
The objective is not simply to have a profile.
It is to understand whether local discovery is helping the business.
Depending on the business and available measurement, useful outcomes may include:
- Website visits
- Calls
- Direction requests
- Booking actions
- Enquiries
- Product or service discovery
The specific metric should follow the business model.
A simple local-search checklist
Before considering the profile “done,” check:
Is the business eligible?
Is the profile verified?
Is the category accurate?
Are contact details and hours current?
Does the profile contain useful photos?
Are genuine reviews being managed?
Does the website match the information shown?
Can visitors take the next step easily?
Our view at Fortsrex
Local SEO is not about tricking Google into showing a business where it does not belong.
It is about making it easier for Google and customers to understand:
who you are, what you do, where you operate and how someone can contact you.
That foundation supports the rest of a local acquisition strategy.
Final takeaway
A well-managed Google Business Profile will not magically make every business rank first.
But for an eligible local business, it can make the business easier to find, easier to understand and easier to contact.
That is a useful place to start.
Sources
- Google Business Profile — Get started: https://support.google.com/business/answer/7039811
- Google Business Profile — Local ranking tips: https://support.google.com/business/answer/7091
- Google Business Profile — Add or claim your profile: https://support.google.com/business/answer/2911778
- Google Business Profile — Business categories: https://support.google.com/business/answer/7249669
- Google Business Profile — Local business links: https://support.google.com/business/answer/6218037
Sources
This article references the following documentation.
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