Google Business Profile Guide for UK Trades and Small Businesses

A Google Business Profile can place a business in Search and Maps when local customers look for relevant services. It is free to create, but incomplete or inconsistent profiles make it harder for customers to judge the business.

The profile should reflect the real organisation. Avoid stuffing the business name with services or towns. Use accurate information, current images and a clear route to the website or telephone.

Use the correct business information

Enter the name customers see on signs, invoices and the website. Keep the phone number and website current. If you move, update the profile and important directory listings rather than creating unnecessary duplicates.

Businesses that serve customers at their location can display the address. Service area businesses that travel to customers should configure the profile according to Google's current eligibility rules. Do not use virtual offices or addresses where the business does not operate.

Choose the primary category carefully

The primary category is one of the clearest signals describing the business. Choose the closest available category to the main service. Add secondary categories only where they represent meaningful parts of the operation.

A category is not a keyword list. Selecting every related option can make the profile less focused and may expose irrelevant features.

Add services customers recognise

Use plain service names and short explanations. Match the main services on the website so customers experience a consistent journey. Prices can be useful where they are clear and stable, but avoid publishing figures that will immediately become misleading.

Write a useful description

Explain who the business helps, the main services, genuine coverage and what makes the approach useful. Do not fill the description with repeated locations or sales claims. Contact details and links belong in the profile fields designed for them.

Use clear, current photographs

Add the logo, cover image, team, premises, vehicles, products and completed work where relevant. Photographs should help a customer recognise the business and assess its work. Remove images that no longer represent the service.

Customers may also add photographs. Monitor these and report only content that genuinely breaks Google's policies.

Build a responsible review process

Create a direct review link and send it after a genuine customer interaction. Ask consistently rather than selecting only customers you expect to be positive. Reply to reviews in a way that protects personal information and shows the business takes feedback seriously.

A negative review does not automatically damage trust. A calm, factual response can show how the business handles problems. Never argue publicly or disclose private job details.

Use posts when there is something useful to say

Posts can highlight a current service, useful guide, event or seasonal change. They are not a substitute for complete core information. Publish when the update helps customers rather than following an arbitrary schedule.

Maintain opening hours

Set normal and special hours accurately. Update bank holidays, planned closures and seasonal changes. If the business offers emergency support outside normal hours, explain the process clearly instead of marking the business open all day when calls are not always answered.

Connect the right website page

The main website link should usually point to a page that quickly explains the business and offers an obvious next step. Additional appointment or product links can use more specific destinations where Google provides the relevant field.

A strong profile cannot rescue a confusing website. Our guide to what a trades website should include covers the page experience after the click.

Track useful actions

Use appropriate campaign parameters on website links so analytics can identify visits from the profile. Review calls, website clicks, direction requests and messages, but do not treat every interaction as a sale.

Ask new customers how they found the business. Simple operational feedback often reveals value that platform reports cannot show alone.

Common mistakes

• Adding towns or services to the registered business name
• Choosing a broad or inaccurate primary category
• Using an ineligible address
• Creating duplicate profiles for one operation
• Letting hours, numbers or website links become outdated
• Buying reviews or rewarding positive ratings
• Ignoring customer questions and profile edits
• Sending every visitor to a weak homepage

The profile, website and reviews should tell one consistent story. For businesses around Tamworth, the guide to getting found on Google locally sets out the wider search plan. Veyron also provides Google Ads management when paid search is appropriate.