Google Business Profile setup guide for UK local businesses

If you run a local business and you only do one thing for your online presence this year, make it this: set up and optimise your Google Business Profile. It's free, it takes an hour, and it's more valuable for local search visibility than almost any website change you could make.

Here's exactly how to do it.

What is Google Business Profile?

It's the panel that appears on the right side of Google when someone searches your business name, or the map listings that appear when someone searches "[service] near me" or "[service] [town]". Those listings come from Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business).

If you don't have one, you don't appear in the map pack. If your competitors do and you don't, they're getting the clicks that should be yours.

Step 1: Claim your profile

Go to google.com/business and sign in with a Google account. Search for your business name. If it already exists (Google sometimes creates profiles automatically from web data), claim it. If not, create a new one.

Step 2: Choose the right category

Your primary category is the single most important field in the entire profile. It directly determines which searches you appear for.

Pick the most specific category that matches your business:

• "Web Designer" not "Technology Company"
• "Dentist" not "Healthcare"
• "Hair Salon" not "Beauty Salon" (unless you're genuinely a beauty salon)
• "Plumber" not "Home Services"

You can add secondary categories (up to 9), but the primary category carries the most weight.

Step 3: Set your service area (or address)

If customers come to you (salon, restaurant, clinic): enter your full street address. This is what appears on the map pin.

If you go to customers or work remotely (plumber, web designer, mobile groomer): choose "service area business" and list the areas you serve. Your street address won't be shown publicly.

Step 4: Fill in every field

Google rewards completeness. Fill in:

• Business name: exactly as it appears on your signage and website. Don't stuff keywords ("Best Plumber London" will get you suspended).
• Phone number: must match your website exactly
• Website URL: your homepage
• Opening hours: including special hours for holidays
• Business description: up to 750 characters. Be specific about what you do, who you serve, and where.
• Services/products: list them with descriptions and prices where possible
• Attributes: (wheelchair accessible, free WiFi, etc.) -fill in whatever applies

Step 5: Add photos

Profiles with photos get significantly more engagement than those without. Add at minimum:

• Exterior of your premises (if applicable)
• Interior / workspace
• Team photos
• Examples of your work / products
• Your logo

Aim for 10-20 photos. They don't need to be professional -phone photos with good lighting are fine.

Step 6: Verify

Google will verify that you're the actual business owner. Methods vary:

• Postcard: Google sends a postcard with a PIN to your address (takes 5-14 days)
• Phone/SMS: instant verification via a call or text
• Email: verification link sent to your domain email
• Video: record a short video showing your business location

The method offered depends on your business type and history.

Step 7: Start collecting reviews

Reviews are the single strongest signal for local rankings after having a GBP at all. Ask every happy customer to leave a Google review. Make it easy:

1. Find your review link: search your business name on Google, click "Write a review", copy the URL 2. Send that link to customers after you've delivered your service 3. Respond to every review -good and bad

Aim for steady, regular reviews rather than a burst. Five reviews per month is better than 50 in one week (which looks suspicious to Google).

Step 8: Post regularly

Google Business Profile has a "Posts" feature -like a mini social media feed that appears in your listing. Use it to share:

• New services or products
• Seasonal offers
• Blog posts
• Events
• Behind-the-scenes updates

One post per week is plenty. It signals to Google that the business is active.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Keyword stuffing the business name (e.g., "TillerLabs - Best Web Design Surrey"). Google will suspend your listing.
• Using a virtual office or PO box when you're not actually there. If you're a service-area business, use the SAB option instead.
• Inconsistent information between your website and GBP. Name, address, and phone must match exactly.
• Ignoring reviews. Not responding to reviews (especially negative ones) signals that you don't care.
• Setting it up and forgetting it. An outdated profile is worse than no profile -wrong opening hours or a disconnected phone number actively drives customers away.

The TillerLabs connection

Every TillerLabs website includes LocalBusiness structured data (JSON-LD schema) that mirrors your Google Business Profile information. This consistency between your website and GBP strengthens both -Google sees matching signals from multiple sources and rewards them with better visibility.

If you want help setting up your GBP alongside a website build, or if you want to check that your existing GBP and website are properly aligned, get in touch.

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