Last Updated on April 8, 2026
Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is a free tool from Google that lets you manage how your business appears in Google Search and Google Maps. When someone searches for a local business, the results often include a map with three business listings underneath. That section is called the “map pack” or “local pack,” and your Google Business Profile is what gets you into it.
Your profile shows your business name, address, phone number, opening hours, website link, photos, reviews, and other details. For any UK business that serves customers in a physical location or a defined service area, this is one of the most important free marketing tools available.
Why it matters for UK businesses
Nearly half of all Google searches have local intent. When someone types “dentist near me,” “electrician in Liverpool,” or “best Italian restaurant Manchester,” Google uses their location and your Google Business Profile to decide what to show. If you do not have a profile, or if yours is incomplete, you are invisible in these results.
For many local businesses, the Google Business Profile generates more enquiries than the website. People see your listing, check your reviews, look at your photos, and either call you directly from the listing or click through to your site. It is often the first impression a potential customer has of your business.
How to set up your profile
Go to google.com/business and either claim your existing listing or create a new one. Google will verify that you are the legitimate owner, usually by sending a postcard to your business address with a verification code, though phone and email verification is sometimes available.
Once verified, fill in every section completely. Businesses with complete profiles are significantly more likely to attract clicks, calls, and direction requests than those with sparse information.
How to optimise your profile
Choose the right categories. Your primary category is the single most important ranking factor for local search. If you are a plumber, your primary category should be “Plumber,” not “Home improvement” or “Contractor.” You can add secondary categories for other services.
Write a strong business description. You have 750 characters. Use them to explain what you do, who you serve, and what makes you different. Include your location and key services naturally. Do not stuff it with keywords.
Add photos regularly. Businesses with photos receive 42% more requests for directions and 35% more click-throughs to their websites than those without. Upload photos of your premises, your team, your work, and your products. Real photos, not stock images.
Keep your hours accurate. Update them for bank holidays, seasonal changes, and any temporary closures. Nothing frustrates a potential customer more than driving to a business that Google says is open but is actually closed.
Use the posts feature. Google lets you publish short posts directly on your profile. Use them to share offers, announce events, or highlight services. They appear directly in your listing and give searchers another reason to click.
The power of reviews
Reviews are the biggest trust signal in local search. Most UK consumers check Google reviews before choosing a local business. The number of reviews, the average rating, and how recently they were left all influence both your ranking and whether someone chooses you over a competitor.
Ask satisfied customers to leave a review. Make it easy by sending them a direct link. Respond to every review, positive and negative. A thoughtful response to a negative review can actually build trust, because it shows you take feedback seriously.
UK business example
A mobile car valeting service in Milton Keynes had been running for three years but relied entirely on word of mouth and leaflet drops. They had a basic website but no Google Business Profile.
After setting up their profile, adding photos of before-and-after valeting results, listing their service area covering Milton Keynes and surrounding villages, and asking their first 20 regular customers to leave reviews, they saw results within weeks. They appeared in the map pack for “car valet Milton Keynes” and “mobile car cleaning near me.”
Within four months, they had 38 reviews with a 4.9-star average. Phone calls from Google alone accounted for 15 to 20 new bookings per month. The owner stopped leaflet drops entirely because Google was generating more work than they could handle. Total cost: nothing, beyond the time to set it up and ask for reviews.
Common mistakes
Not claiming your profile at all, so it either does not exist or contains outdated information. Using a PO Box or virtual office address, which violates Google’s guidelines and can get your listing suspended. Ignoring negative reviews instead of responding professionally. Not adding photos, leaving your listing looking sparse and untrustworthy. Setting your business hours once and never updating them.
Where Google Business Profile sits in the Whito framework
This is a Start stage essential. If you serve local customers and do not have an optimised Google Business Profile, it should be one of the first things you set up. It costs nothing, takes less than an hour, and can become your single biggest source of new enquiries.
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