When a potential customer searches for a service you offer, your Google Business Profile (GBP) might be the first thing they see. And if it’s optimized, it might be the only thing they need to make a decision—whether that’s visiting your website, calling your store, or walking through your door.
In today’s search-first world, your GBP plays a huge role in shaping your online presence. A bare-bones listing won’t cut it—you need to build it out thoughtfully, keep it up to date, and use it to actively connect with your audience.
Here, we show you how to transform your GBP into one of your greatest assets.
What is Google Business Profile, and why does it matter?
A Google Business Profile, formerly known as Google My Business (GMB), is a free business listing on the world’s most used search engine. It lets you post business photos, collect reviews, and share key details like your business address, service area, contact information, and website link.
Your profile serves as your digital front door—the first impression people get when they search for you or your offerings. And it’s often the deciding factor in whether they reach out or move on.
Instead of being tucked away on a static webpage or buried in a directory, your profile shows up in Google Maps and search results, helping you tap into the massive audience that uses Google daily.
3 benefits of an optimized Google Business Profile
Taking the time to optimize your brand’s Google Business Profile may seem like a chore, but it’s worth it. You’ll need to fill out all the necessary details and keep your profile updated regularly to reflect the most current information.
Here are a few practical benefits you can enjoy from an optimized listing:
1. Boost brand visibility
With 72% of U.S. consumers using Google Search to find local businesses—and 51% relying on Google Maps—an optimized GBP is more important than ever. GBPs often appear as the top results in searches, allowing you to showcase your brand to hundreds or even thousands of potential customers in your area.
Plus, an optimized GBP can significantly impact your local search engine optimization (SEO) efforts. By improving your profile, you increase the likelihood of appearing in Google’s local pack—the top three results on Google—making your brand more discoverable to users.
2. Build trust
Every day, billions of people trust Google for accurate answers and recommendations. Showing up in the top results often signals a high-quality GBP, which can really enhance how your target audience sees you.
A well-crafted GBP—complete with your latest business details, appealing images, and positive customer reviews—helps build trust and conveys a sense of professionalism.
3. Gain better insights
When paired with Google Analytics, your Google Business Profile can reveal how customers find your business—whether that’s through Google Maps or regular searches. You’ll also learn which keywords they use and how they engage with your profile—valuable information that can guide your future marketing strategies.
For example, if you discover that most potential customers click through to your website rather than calling you directly, you can focus on website enhancements. In this case, you could consider adding chatbots for quick responses, improving navigation, and including clear call-to-action (CTA) buttons on your landing page.
How to create a Google Business Profile
Signing up for a Google Business Profile isn’t just free—it’s also pretty straightforward. Here’s how to get started:
- Log in to your business’s Google Account.
- Head to create a profile.
- Enter your business name or select it from the list of suggestions.
- Choose your business category and click Next.
- Let Google know if customers can visit your location. Choose Yes if you have a physical location with set business hours. Choose No if you offer services remotely or don’t have a public location.
Once you’ve done that, you’re ready to add your business information.
Add business information
Start by entering your service areas—Google lets you add up to 20 if you’re a multi-location business. Then, fill in the basics—phone number, email address, website URL, business description, physical address, and operating hours.
Here are a few best practices to keep in mind:
- Stick to service areas within a two-hour drive: This keeps your profile relevant in local searches.
- Confirm your contact details: Make sure your phone number, email, and website URL are accurate so potential customers can easily reach you.
- Add a unique phone number and store page for each location: This helps improve your relevance for local searchers—especially if you’re managing multiple storefronts.
Select your business category
Google offers over 4,000 business categories. Choose one that best represents your core service as your primary category, then add a few secondary categories if needed.
While you can add up to nine secondary categories, Google recommends keeping it focused. Stick to the fewest it takes to describe your business accurately.
For example, if you manage a fast-casual restaurant that offers takeout, you might select “Fast Food Restaurant” as your primary category and add “Takeout Restaurant” as a secondary. But you’d skip options like “Fine Dining Restaurant” or “Vegan Restaurant” unless they specifically reflect your core offering.
Keeping your categories aligned helps your profile show up in the most relevant searches.
Verify your listing
Once your profile is set up, Google will prompt you to verify your business. Depending on your business type and location, you’ll see different verification options—phone, text, email, live video call, video recording, or even old-school mail.
Each method has its own steps. For example, if you choose a live video call, you may need to show your physical location and proof of ownership during the call. If you opt for mail, Google will send you a postcard with a verification code to enter in your profile.
After you’ve submitted your verification, Google will typically review and confirm your profile within five business days—and just like that, you’re officially live.
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Get Started for FREEGoogle Business Profile optimization checklist
Setting up your GBP is just the beginning. To really stand out, you need to optimize your profile to boost credibility, visibility, and engagement. Here’s how to make your listing work harder for your business.
Ensure your info section is completely filled out
Go beyond the basics. Google only prompts you to enter core details during setup, but adding extra information can make your profile more helpful—and more appealing—to potential customers.
You might also include:
- An online booking form to streamline appointment scheduling
- Menu details so people know what to expect before they visit your restaurant
- Answers to frequently asked questions to save searchers time
- Attributes like free Wi-Fi or wheelchair accessibility to highlight what makes your business more convenient or inclusive
Add high-quality images
Photos don’t just make your profile look better—they help it perform better, too. High-quality visuals can entice more clicks, showcase your products or services, and even drive conversions. And when you include relevant keywords in image descriptions, you boost your visibility in search results.
Your GBP lets you upload several types of images to your profile:
- Logo: Your official brand mark—usually a business icon or wordmark.
- Cover photo: The main image that appears alongside your GBP in search engine results pages (SERPs).
- Additional photos: Any other images that help potential customers get a feel for your business.
To get the most out of your visuals, keep the following tips in mind:
- Choose images that reflect your business and offerings. For example, a hotel might feature guest rooms, the lobby, and amenities. A restaurant might showcase the dining area and plated dishes—particularly menu favorites.
- Make sure every image is high-resolution and well-lit. Blurry photos that look like they were taken with a ‘90s-era disposable camera don’t exactly scream “professionalism.”
- Add descriptive, keyword-rich file names. Instead of uploading “IMG_4738.jpg” go with something like “Heated rooftop pool at [Hotel Name].”
Create (or claim) listings for other business locations
If you’re managing a multi-location business, it’s best to create individual Google Business Profiles for each location rather than lumping them all into one. This allows you to share accurate, location-specific information—like addresses, phone numbers, and hours of operation—instead of relying on generic details.
Multiple profiles also give your local SEO a boost. By tailoring each listing with relevant keywords—like “hotel in Downtown San Diego” or “restaurant in Upper East Side Manhattan”—you increase your chances of showing up in “near me” searches for each area you serve.
Engage with your audience
Your Google Business Profile isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it kind of tool. To really make it work for your brand, you need to actively engage with your audience. Meaningful interaction fosters trust, strengthens relationships, and can drive both repeat business and new inquiries.
Two of the most effective ways to connect with your audience on GBP are direct messaging and responding to reviews.
Direct messaging
Google now lets businesses chat directly with customers via WhatsApp or SMS—giving them an easy way to reach out with questions or requests in real time.
To enable this feature:
- Log into your profile.
- Tap Edit profile.
- Go to the Contact tab and scroll to the Chat section.
- Tap the icon to select your preferred method (Text Messaging or WhatsApp).
- Enter your phone number.
Once it's set up, customers can message you right from your profile.
Reviews
Google reviews are one of the most powerful forms of social proof—they help potential customers feel confident choosing your business. They’re also a key ranking factor for GBPs, so the more high-quality reviews you have, the better your visibility.
Encourage customers to leave reviews on your GBP after experiencing your products or services. Small incentives like discounts can help—just be careful not to influence the review’s content. Google may penalize your Google Business Profile listing for biased or inauthentic reviews, which can hurt your local rankings.
Once reviews start rolling in, it’s important to respond—whether they’re glowing or critical. Thank happy customers for their positive reviews, and approach negative reviews with empathy and professionalism. A thoughtful response can go a long way toward building credibility and showing your commitment to improvement.
If keeping up with reviews feels like a lot, especially across locations or alongside social media, tools like Sked can help. Sked’s Centralized Inbox lets you manage customer reviews in one place, with built-in AI suggestions and internal tagging for faster, easier, and consistently on-brand responses.
Publish regular updates
Google Business Profile lets you share updates with your audience just like any other social platform. Staying active signals to Google (and potential customers) that your business is engaged and current, which can help boost visibility.
You can post about:
- New products or services
- Limited-time offers or deals
- Event announcements
- Industry tips or updates
- Behind-the-scenes content
Sked makes it easy to manage your Google Business Profile by streamlining the posting process. To schedule or post content to GBP with our platform:
- Connect your Google Business Profile account to Sked.
- Schedule posts to your added location(s). If you’re managing multiple brands or locations, use account groups for easier organization.
- In the Create a Post interface, select a topic type (Google’s post format)—each one comes with different features.
- Add your copy or media.
- Choose your publish time.
- Preview your post on the upcoming posts page to see how it’ll look once live.
Think about your Google Business Profile as another social media channel
A Google Business Profile is just as important as any other social media platform. Like the rest, it needs regular attention—a consistent posting schedule and engaging content that resonates with your audience. When maintained and optimized, your profile can:
- Boost visibility in Google Search and Maps
- Drive engagement through reviews and Q&As
- Improve local search rankings
- Build credibility and trust
- Encourage action—calls, bookings, website visits, or texts
Optimizing your GBP alongside your other social media accounts is especially valuable if:
- You have a physical location or serve local customers
- Your audience searches for business recommendations on Google
- Online reviews influence your customers’ purchasing decisions
- Local SEO is a priority for your business
It may be less of a focus if your business is fully online, your customers rely on other platforms like Instagram or TikTok, or you’re a niche B2B brand with minimal local search demand. Still, it’s essential to optimize wherever your audience spends time.
Need help staying consistent? Sked simplifies managing your GBP alongside the social platforms you already use. From scheduling and inbox centralization to AI-powered replies and content creation, Sked helps you stay active and responsive—minus the stress.
Explore how Sked’s Google Business Profile tool helps you stay active and visible without the extra work.
Simplify Google Business Profile management with Sked Social
A well-optimized Google Business Profile is a valuable marketing asset for any business, helping you boost visibility, build trust, and drive customer action. But to get those results, you need to keep it accurate, engaging, and up to date.
With Sked, you can do all this and more. As an all-in-one social media management platform, Sked lets you schedule posts, respond to reviews and messages, and track performance across your GBP and other social platforms—all from one place. With unlimited seats and smart workflows, your whole team can stay in sync and on top of every update and interaction.
Book a demo today to see how Sked can help you keep your Google Business Profile—and every other channel—working smarter.
