Google Business Profile (formerly "Google My Business") is the listing that appears on the right of the search results when someone searches for your business name, and in the map with the three featured businesses when they search for a service nearby. It is free, and it is probably the tool with the best ratio of time invested to customers gained for any local business — rentals, beauty centers, tours, hotels.
The basic information, done well
It seems obvious, but it is where the most ground is lost: a precisely chosen business category (not "Business" but "Boat rental" or "Beauty salon", with any secondary categories), always up-to-date hours — including holiday and seasonal ones — the exact address and a phone number that really answers. Every missing or wrong piece of information is a customer who picks the competitor below because your listing looked less reliable or less complete.
Photos matter more than they seem
Businesses with recent, quality photos receive, on average, far more direction requests and website visits than those with few or old photos. Some practical tips:
- Upload real photos of your business, not just stock images — customers recognize the difference and trust you more.
- Update photos regularly: Google and users notice when a listing is "alive".
- If you offer a service with several variants (for example, several types of rental boats or beauty treatments), show each one with a dedicated photo.
- Add photos of the team: they increase trust, especially for personal services like wellness or beauty.
Reviews: the factor that weighs the most
The number, recency and replies to reviews are among the strongest signals for ranking in the local map, besides being the first thing a potential customer looks at before deciding. A few practices that work well:
- Ask for the review right after the experience, when satisfaction is highest — via a follow-up email or message, with a direct link to the listing.
- Reply to every review, including negative ones: a professional reply to a negative review often reassures more than ten positive reviews with no reply.
- Do not buy or incentivize fake reviews: Google detects them more and more often, and the risk of a penalty or removal of the listing is not worth the short-term benefit.
- Use natural keywords in your replies (e.g. "Thank you for choosing our boat rental"), it also helps local rankings.
A business with 40 reviews at 4.8 stars almost always beats a competitor with 3 reviews, even with a nicer website.
Posts, questions and messages: the underused features
Few people know it, but Google Business Profile lets you publish small updates (like mini social posts), answer public questions from users and enable direct messaging from the listing. Using these tools with minimal consistency — one update a month, quick replies to questions — signals to Google that the listing is active and managed, another factor that helps rankings.
Connecting the listing to your website and online booking
The "Book" button or website link in the Google listing should lead directly to the booking page, not to a generic home page where the customer has to work out what to do. Every extra step between "I found your business on Google" and "I booked" is a missed opportunity. If you are still handling requests only through WhatsApp or phone, it is worth reading our comparison of WhatsApp Business and online booking.
Optimization checklist
- Correct and specific primary and secondary categories
- Up-to-date hours, including seasonal exceptions
- Business description with natural keywords (service + area)
- At least 10 recent, real photos, updated periodically
- Direct link to the booking page, not the home page
- A reply to every review within 48 hours
- A post or update published at least once a month
Want a Google listing and a website that work together?
We set up your local presence — Google listing, website, online booking — so every search turns into a booking.
For the full picture on local visibility, also read our local SEO guide.