Your Google Business Profile: the free listing that helps local customers find you first

1 November 2026 · 5 min read · By Annieth Woollery

Think about the last time you needed a plumber, a hairdresser or a takeaway near home. You probably typed it into your phone, looked at the map, and rang one of the first few names you saw. Your customers do exactly the same.

That box on Google, with the business name, opening hours, phone number, photos and reviews, is called a Google Business Profile. It is free, it belongs to you, and for many small local businesses it brings in more enquiries than a website does. If you have never touched yours, it may already exist with out-of-date details, or it may not exist at all.

Why it matters

When someone searches for "florist near me" or "tailor in Walthamstow", Google shows a map and a short list of local businesses before anything else. A complete, up-to-date profile gives you a fair chance of being on that list, and it lets people ring you, get directions or visit your website in one tap.

It also answers the simple questions people have before they contact you. Are you open on Saturdays? Do you come to the house? Is there parking? Every question your profile answers is one less reason for a customer to move on to someone else.

Step one: check whether you already have a profile

Search Google for your business name and your area. If a box appears on the right (or at the top on a phone), your business is already listed. Look for a link that says something like "Own this business?" or "Claim this business". If nothing appears, you can create a new profile.

Before you start, have these ready:

Your business name, exactly as it appears on your sign or invoices
Your address, or the areas you cover if you visit customers
Your phone number and website, if you have one
Your opening hours
A Google account (a Gmail address works) that you will keep using for the business

Step two: claim and verify it

Go to google.com/business and follow the steps to add or claim your business. Choose the category that best describes what you do, such as "Florist" or "Tailor". You can add a couple of extra categories later.

Google will then ask you to prove the business is yours. Depending on your business, this might be a phone call, a text, an email, a short video of your premises, or occasionally a postcard sent to your address. Follow whatever it offers. Until you are verified, your changes may not show to the public, so it is worth finishing this step.

If you work from home and visit customers, you can hide your home address and show the areas you serve instead.

Step three: fill in the details customers look for

A half-finished profile looks like a business that might have closed. Take twenty minutes to fill in:

Opening hours, including any regular days off. Add special hours for bank holidays and Christmas when the time comes.
A short description in plain words: what you do, who you help and where. Two or three sentences is plenty.
Services or products, with simple descriptions. Only add prices if you are happy for them to be public and keep them current.
How people can contact you: phone, website, and a booking link if you take appointments online.

Step four: add real photos

Photos help people decide. You do not need a photographer. Your phone is enough, as long as the picture is clear and well lit.

Start with your shopfront or van, so people recognise you when they arrive, then the inside of your premises and a few examples of your work. Add a new photo now and then, for instance when you have a seasonal display or finish a job you are proud of.

Step five: keep it alive

A profile is not something you set up once and forget. A few small habits keep it working:

Reply to reviews, good and bad, politely and briefly. Thank people by name and, for a complaint, offer to sort it out by phone.
Answer questions people leave on your profile, or add common ones yourself.
Check your details every few months, especially if your hours, number or address change.
Look at your messages and notifications from Google, so you do not miss an enquiry.

Set a reminder once a month to spend ten minutes on it. That is usually enough.

A free listing worth getting right

Your Google Business Profile is often the very first thing a new customer sees, before your website, your Facebook page or your shop window. Getting it right costs nothing but a little time, and it keeps working for you while you get on with your day.

If you would like a hand claiming your profile, writing your description or tidying up your photos, I am happy to help. You can book a free discovery call and we can go through it together.