Google Business Profile- How your business can better optimise your Google Business profile
Google Business Profile- How your business can better optimise your Google Business profile
Blog Article
Grab a coffee and let me tell you why your Google Business Profile (GBP) might be the cheapest, quickest win your marketing budget will ever buy—mainly because it’s free.
“But I already have a website, Ryan!”
Sure, and that’s great. But when my mum wants directions to the new vegan bakery in Cardiff, she doesn’t open Chrome and type the URL; she shouts, “Hey Google, where’s that vegan place everyone keeps Instagramming?” If your GBP isn’t ship-shape, Google shows someone else—probably the place with drool-worthy cupcake photos and a dozen five-star reviews.
The magic of three little letters: N-A-P
NAP stands for Name, Address, Phone. Think of it like your business’s copyright. One typo (“St.” vs “Street”) and you’re in the naughty queue. When we helped a local wedding-dress boutique move from one arcade to another, we changed the shop sign, updated the website… and totally forgot the GBP. Brides-to-be spent a week wandering the wrong arcade clutching stilettos and looking panicked. Lesson learned: update the profile before you unplug the card machine.
Photos—or it didn’t happen
People are visual creatures. When I added a single shot of our office dog, Baxter, cuddled up next to a laptop, our profile views spiked 18 % in a fortnight. Snap your storefront, your team mid-high-five, that latte art you’re secretly proud of. Upload. Repeat whenever something changes—new paint job, fancy window display, staff Christmas jumpers, whatever.
Reviews: the social proof goldmine
Let’s get one thing straight: never, ever buy reviews. Google’s spam-sniffing AI is like a Labrador in a sausage factory—it will find the fake stuff and you’ll wake up profile-less. Instead, ask real customers while the good vibes are flowing. We hand diners a tiny card that says, “Loved your meal? Tell Google and make our chef blush.” Works a treat. And reply to everything. A heartfelt “Sorry the soup was salty—next one’s on us” shows prospects you care and keeps the algorithm happy.
Backlinks: friends in high places
Remember show-and-tell at school? When BBC Wales links to your law firm’s blog piece on rental reforms, Google’s algorithm is the wide-eyed kid in the back going, “Woah, they’re important.” Aim for mentions in reputable news sites, trade journals and local bloggers. Mix of do-follow and no-follow is fine; what matters is quality. Skip the 5,000-directory-links-for-£30 offers. They’re the SEO equivalent of a dodgy timeshare.
The optimisation hit-list
Verify your profile—you can’t play the game if you don’t own the ball.
Double-check NAP everywhere (website footers, LinkedIn, Yelp, the lot).
Write a punchy description that says what you do, where you do it and why you’re special—no keyword stuffing.
Load up the photos—think storefront, interior, staff, products.
Set real opening hours and holiday tweaks (nothing annoys folks faster than turning up to a “closed” sign).
Turn on chat if you can answer in minutes, not days.
Post weekly—a lunch special, a new blog post, behind-the-scenes snaps.
Ask for reviews—politely, consistently, without bribes.
Respond to every review—friends, foes and the mildly confused.
Watch Insights—it’s like Google Analytics Lite for bricks-and-mortar.
So… what can you expect?
Most of our clients see a bump in calls and map clicks inside three months. One Cardiff coffee shop jumped from 20 to 90 direction requests a week after we fixed their duplicate listings and posted latte art every Friday. Real humans, walking through real doors—nice change from vanity metrics, right?
Need a hand?
If wrangling profiles, citations and backlinks sounds about as fun as watching paint dry, give me a ring. We’re taking on a few more Welsh businesses this quarter, and I’d love to help you turn that lonely pin on Google Maps into a customer magnet.