Why your Google Business Profile matters as much as your website

Search for “plumber near me” or “restaurant in Washington” and look at what comes up first. For a lot of local searches it isn’t a list of websites. It’s a map with a handful of businesses under it: their name, star rating, photos, opening hours and buttons to call or get directions.

That’s your Google Business Profile. For many customers, it’s the first impression of your business and sometimes the only one, because they call straight from it without ever visiting your website.

What a good profile looks like

• The right main category. This is the one most businesses get wrong, and it matters.
• Every service listed, with a short description of each.
• Hours that are actually right, including bank holidays.
• Real photos of your work, your premises and your team. Not stock images.
• Regular posts and new photos, so it’s clearly a business that’s open and active.
• Reviews, with a reply to every one, good or bad.

Make it match your website

Your business name, address, phone number and opening hours should be exactly the same on your Google profile, your website and anywhere else you’re listed. Small differences, like an old phone number or a different spelling of your street, make it harder for Google to be sure they’re all the same business.

Work from home? You can still have one

If customers don’t come to you, you can set up as a service-area business. Your address stays hidden and you list the towns you cover instead, whether that’s Washington, Sunderland, Gateshead or the whole of County Durham.

Be wary of promises

Nobody can honestly promise you the top spot on Google Maps. What you can do is make your profile complete, accurate and active, which gives you the best chance of being found by people nearby. Then make sure your website backs it up.

Not sure how yours looks? Call 07440 121487 or send us your business name and we’ll tell you honestly what your profile needs.