Google Business Profile: strategies and tips for businesses

Having a strong, visible online presence is essential for modern businesses, and one of the most effective ways to do it is to make the most of your Google Business Profile. A complete Google Business Profile improves your visibility in search results and lets you interact with customers in a more direct, professional way. Here's how to make the most of your Google Business Profile to attract more customers.

Create and verify your Google Business Profile

The first step is to make sure you have a Google Business Profile (GBP), a free tool provided by Google that lets businesses manage their online presence. If you haven't created your profile yet, it's essential to do so straight away. Once created, the profile must be verified to confirm your business is legitimate. Verification can be done by post, phone or email.

• Benefits of verification: a verified profile is more trustworthy in the eyes of consumers and is more likely to appear in local search results, on Google Maps and in organic results.
• Starting optimisation: once verified, make sure all the information is up to date and correct: business name, address, opening hours, phone number and website.

Optimise your profile information

One of the most important steps to make the most of your Google profile is making sure all the information is complete and optimised. This improves the experience for people searching and increases your visibility in results.

• Accurate, up-to-date information: always keep your opening hours current, especially during holidays or special events. Nothing puts a customer off more than finding a business closed when Google shows it as open.
• Precise categories: choose your primary category and secondary categories carefully to describe your business. Categories help Google classify your business correctly and show it to customers searching for similar services.
• Business description: use the dedicated description field to explain clearly who you are, what you do and what your strengths are. Use relevant keywords to improve local SEO, but don't overdo it — keep the text natural and readable.

Use photos and videos to boost engagement

Images and videos are essential for creating an emotional connection with your customers. A business profile with appealing photos is far more likely to be viewed and clicked than a profile with no images.

• High-quality photos: upload professional images of the outside and inside of your business, your products and your team. Make sure the photos are well lit and representative of your business.
• Short videos: add videos showing your space, or your products or services in action. A short video telling your company's story or introducing the team can help create a more personal connection with customers.
• Update regularly: change your photos and videos periodically to showcase new offers, special events or business updates. Google rewards active, up-to-date profiles with greater visibility.

Encourage and respond to customer reviews

Online reviews play a crucial role in a customer's decision to buy a product or service. Having positive reviews can significantly improve your reputation and online visibility.

• Encourage reviews: after completing a service or sale, kindly ask customers to leave a review on Google. The more genuine, positive reviews you have, the better your profile will be perceived by users and by Google itself.
• Respond to reviews: whether positive or negative, responding to reviews shows that your business takes customer feedback into account. For positive reviews, thank the customer for their feedback. For negative ones, try to respond professionally and constructively, offering a solution to the problem or apologising for the negative experience. Responding to reviews can improve how your brand is perceived and help resolve potential issues.

Make the most of Google Business Profile posts

Google Business Profile lets you publish posts on your profile, much as you would on a social network. You can use them to share news, special offers, events or business updates.

• Promotions and offers: publish updates about discounts, promotions or new arrivals. Make sure your posts have a clear call to action (CTA), such as "Shop now" or "Find out more".
• Events and news: if your business is running events or launching new products, use posts to share this with your customers. This will help keep your profile active and keep you top of mind for customers.
• Regular updates: publishing posts regularly helps keep your profile fresh and active. Google Business Profile posts can also appear in search results, further increasing your visibility.

Optimise your profile for local search

Google favours local results for searches that include a geographic location. This means that if your profile is well optimised for local SEO, it will appear in local search results when users search for similar businesses in your area.

• Local keywords: in your business description and posts, use keywords relevant to your geographic area, such as the name of your town or neighbourhood. For example, "pizzeria in central Lugano" or "law firm in Zurich".
• Google Maps: make sure your business location is shown correctly on Google Maps. The easier it is to find your business on Google Maps, the greater the traffic to your website and physical shop.
• Questions and answers: your profile also lets customers ask public questions, which you can answer. Use this feature to clear up common doubts and provide useful information. Frequently asked questions can also help you understand what information is missing from your business description.

Monitor and analyse your profile's performance

Google Business Profile provides an insights tool that lets you monitor how users interact with your profile. This data is essential for optimising your strategy and understanding what works best.

• View data: monitor how many people have viewed your profile, both in Google Search and on Maps. This gives you an idea of the traffic volume and visibility of your profile.
• User interactions: keep track of how many people click your phone number, request directions or visit your website through your profile. This data helps you understand the most common user actions.
• Performance feedback: use this data to make changes and further optimise your profile. For example, if you notice that many people request directions, you might want to put more emphasis on how accessible your premises are

Conclusion

Properly managing your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is a fundamental step towards increasing online visibility, improving your local reputation and attracting qualified customers. A complete, optimised profile lets you stand out in geolocalised searches, show up-to-date information, gather reviews and interact directly with people looking for your business.

Managing your profile effectively doesn't stop at initial setup: it requires ongoing updates, responses to reviews, and regular photos and posts to keep engagement high and strengthen public trust.

If you'd like support setting up, optimising or ongoing managing your Google Business Profile, get in touch: we can set up the profile, keep it up to date and keep an eye on reviews.

Remember that, like any marketing tool, your profile needs ongoing attention and updates. Optimise, analyse and interact regularly to get the maximum return on your investment in your Google Business Profile.