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Your Google Business Profile: the 20-minute tune-up

3 min readBy Joel, Phat Digital

Your Google Business Profile is the little box that pops up on the right when someone searches your shop, with your map pin, hours, photos and reviews. It's free, and for a lot of local customers it's the very first thing they see. A half-empty one quietly loses you customers. The good news: a proper tidy takes about twenty minutes, and you rarely have to touch it again.

Claim it first

Search your shop's name on Google. If a profile shows up that you've never managed, look for "Own this business?" and follow the steps to claim and verify it. Once it's yours, you can control everything below. If there's no profile at all, create one, it's the most valuable free thing you can do for local.

The 20-minute checklist

Work down this list once and you'll be ahead of most shops in your area.

Tick these off

  • Every field filled. Name, address, phone, website, exactly as they appear elsewhere. No blanks.
  • The right category. Pick the closest main category (e.g. Florist) plus a couple of extras that fit.
  • Real photos. A dozen good shots of your shopfront, your work and inside. Profiles with photos get far more clicks.
  • Accurate hours. And set special hours for bank holidays and busy dates, so nobody turns up to a locked door.
  • A short, honest description. What you do and the area you serve, in plain words.
  • Reply to reviews and questions. Even a quick thank-you shows you're active and paying attention.

Keep it warm

You don't need to fuss over it daily, but a fresh photo or a quick post every few weeks tells Google you're open and active, which helps you show up. A profile that hasn't moved in two years looks a bit shut, even when you're thriving.

Rather have your local presence handled?

Your Google profile, your posts and your website, all kept sharp and pulling the same way. See a free sample made for your shop.

Get a free sample
Written by Phat Digital · phatdigital.uk