For a business with a storefront or a service area, Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is often the cheapest source of customers there is. It is what shows up in Google Maps and in the local pack. It is free, and most profiles are half done.

How Google decides who to show

Local results are ranked on relevance, distance and prominence (reviews and web mentions are signals). You control the first and the last.

The checklist

  1. Primary category. The strongest relevance factor. Pick the most specific one that fits, then add a few true secondary categories. Check what top-ranking competitors use.
  2. Name: the real one. No keywords. It violates the guidelines and invites suspension.
  3. Complete, consistent basics. Exact address or service area, a phone someone answers (with WhatsApp if you sell there), real hours plus special hours for holidays, website and booking link. Name, address and phone identical everywhere.
  4. Services, products and description. Each service listed separately; the description (up to 750 characters) says what you do, for whom and where. Fill in the attributes Google offers.
  5. Your own photos, refreshed: storefront, interior, team, product or finished work.
  6. Reviews. Ask every happy customer with the direct review link; never offer incentives or ask only satisfied customers, both against the guidelines. Reply to every review, especially the bad ones.
  7. Posts and updates, every week or two. Modest ranking effect, but a visibly active business.
  8. Measure. The profile dashboard shows searches, calls, direction requests and website clicks. Add UTM parameters to the website link so profile traffic is distinguishable in GA4.

Mistakes that cost rankings

Keywords in the name, a generic primary category, stale hours, unanswered reviews, duplicate profiles, and changing name or address repeatedly, which can trigger re-verification.

Then, paid

With the profile in order, Google Ads location assets connect to it and show address and distance in ads. See Google Ads for local businesses and small business digital marketing: where to start.