Google Business Profile Optimisation: 12 Fixes

You search for your own business on Google and it shows up. Good. But the phone does not ring, and a competitor two streets away seems to get all the calls. If that sounds familiar, the problem is usually not your product. It is a Google Business Profile (the free listing that appears on Google Search and Maps) that is half-finished or quietly wrong.

This post is for shop owners, clinic and restaurant owners, service providers and founders who serve customers in a specific city. We have laid out 12 fixes in the order we would do them. None needs a developer or a budget.

We have an older complete guide to setting up Google Business Profile. This one is different: it assumes your profile exists and asks what to fix so it actually brings enquiries.

How Google decides who shows up

Google’s help documentation says local results are based mainly on three things: relevance, distance and prominence. Relevance is how well your profile matches what someone searched for. Distance is how far you are from the searcher. Prominence is how well known you are, which Google ties to things like links from other websites, reviews and ratings.

Think of it like asking a neighbour for the best tailor nearby. They suggest someone close, who clearly does the job, and who other people already talk about. Your profile has to make all three obvious. Google is also clear that you cannot request or pay for a better local ranking. So the 12 fixes below are all about giving Google accurate, complete information and giving customers reasons to trust you.

Fixes 1-4: Get the foundations right

1. Verify the profile and claim duplicates

Google recommends verifying your business so it recognises you as authorised to manage it. Search your business name and phone number. If an old duplicate listing exists (common after a shop moves or renames), claim or request removal of it. Two profiles split your reviews and confuse customers.

2. Use your real business name, nothing more

Google’s guidelines say the name should match your real-world name as used on your signboard, website and stationery. Do not add taglines, phone numbers, hours, locations or service descriptions. “Sharma Dental Clinic – Best Dentist in Ahmedabad” is exactly the kind of name that can get a profile suspended. Keep those words for your website and descriptions.

3. Choose a specific primary category

Google advises choosing the fewest categories that describe your core business, as specific as possible, and not using categories as keywords. Pick the one that completes “This business is a…” for example “Orthodontist” rather than just “Health”. Add secondary categories only if they are truly separate parts of what you do.

4. Make the address, area and hours exact

Include the address if customers visit you, your regular hours and special hours for festivals such as Diwali. Nothing frustrates a customer more than driving to a closed shop. Update hours the same day plans change.

Fixes 5-8: Fill in what customers look at

5. Add your services and products properly

List each service or product with a short, plain description. Write the way a customer asks: “Root canal treatment”, “Corporate GST filing”, “Wedding sarees”. This is where the language from your local keyword research belongs, written naturally and not repeated.

6. Write a clear business description

Say what you do, who for and where, in the first two lines. Google’s guidelines do not allow links, promotions or prices in the description, so keep it factual. Think of it as the 30-second answer you would give a new customer.

7. Upload real photos and short videos

Google suggests adding photos and videos to show what you offer. Use real ones: the shopfront (so people can find you), the inside, your team, your work. Stock images do not build trust. Add a few new ones regularly instead of one big upload and then nothing.

8. Fill in attributes and the contact options you can handle

Attributes such as parking, Wi-Fi or accessibility help people decide. Show a phone number that is answered and a website link that goes to the most relevant page, not always the homepage. Only switch on options you can respond to quickly.

Fixes 9-12: Build prominence and trust

9. Ask for reviews the honest way

Reviews feed prominence and also persuade the person reading them. Ask happy customers at the moment they are happiest, with a simple link or a WhatsApp message. Never offer rewards for reviews or write them yourself. Our post on customer testimonials and SEO covers how to use that proof across your site too.

10. Reply to every review, including bad ones

Google recommends responding to reviews to show you value feedback. Thank people by name where possible. For a negative one, stay calm, acknowledge the issue, and offer to fix it offline. Future customers read your reply more than the complaint.

11. Keep the website and the profile consistent

Your name, address and phone number should read the same on your website, your profile and other listings. Add the same details to your contact page and check that the site loads fast on mobile. Our technical SEO checklist for small businesses covers the website side.

12. Check the profile every month

Customers and others can suggest edits, so details can change without you noticing. Once a month, search your business from a phone, check hours, phone number, photos and new reviews, and fix what is off. Review your calls and direction requests in the profile’s performance reports and compare them with your actual enquiries.

Mistakes we would avoid

• Keywords in the business name. It is the most common reason for a profile being suspended.
• Too many categories. Broad or unrelated ones blur what you are known for.
• Fake or bought reviews. They damage trust and can be removed.
• Setting it up once and forgetting. Old hours and an old phone number cost you real customers.

How we approach this with clients

When we work with a healthcare practice or a local service business, we do not start with a long audit. We start with a conversation about which services bring the best customers, then check that the profile says exactly that: the right primary category, services in the customers’ own words, and honest photos. Then we look at how many enquiries come from the profile, not only how many people see it.

What to do this week

1. Search your business on your phone. Note anything wrong: name, hours, phone, address, duplicates.
2. Fix the name and primary category to match Google’s guidelines.
3. List your top five services with plain descriptions.
4. Upload ten real photos and send review requests to five recent happy customers.
5. Reply to every existing review, and put a monthly reminder in your calendar.

FAQ

Can I pay Google to rank higher on Maps?

Google’s documentation states there is no way to request or pay for a better local ranking. Ads are separate; the organic local results depend on relevance, distance and prominence.

Can I add keywords to my business name?

No. Google’s guidelines say the name should reflect your real-world name, and unnecessary information can lead to suspension.

How many categories should I choose?

As few as describe your core business, as specific as possible. Google adds broader categories automatically, so do not repeat them.

Do I need a website if I have a profile?

You can run on a profile alone, but a website gives customers detail and gives Google more to judge your business by. Prominence depends partly on links from other websites. For a wider plan, see our post on core pillars of local SEO.

Want to talk this through?

If you would like a second pair of eyes on your Google Business Profile, we are happy to look at it with you and tell you honestly what is worth fixing first. You can start a conversation with us or message us on WhatsApp at +91 99131 53530. The first conversation costs nothing, and there is no pressure.