How to Optimise Your Google Business Profile

If you run a local business in Australia, your Google Business Profile (GBP) is one of the most powerful tools you have for generating leads. When someone searches for a service like plumber near me, electrician Gold Coast, or concreter Sunshine Coast, your website often isn’t the first thing they see — your Google Business Profile is.

Yet many businesses set up their profile once and never touch it again. The result? Missed calls, fewer enquiries, and competitors outranking you in the local map results.

This guide explains exactly how to optimise your Google Business Profile so it works as a lead-generation asset, not just an online listing.

What Is Google Business Profile and Why It Matters

A Google Business Profile is a free listing that allows your business to appear in:

• Google Search
• Google Maps
• The local “map pack” results

It displays essential information such as:

• Business name
• Location or service area
• Phone number
• Website
• Opening hours
• Reviews
• Photos
• Services

For local service businesses, Google often shows GBP listings before organic websites, especially on mobile. If your profile is properly optimised, you can win enquiries even if your website isn’t ranking #1.

How Google Ranks Google Business Profiles

Before optimising, it helps to understand how Google decides which profiles appear at the top.

Google primarily looks at three factors:

Relevance

How closely your profile matches what the user is searching for.

Distance

How close your business is to the searcher (or the service area you’ve set).

Prominence

How well-known and trusted your business appears online, based on:

• Reviews
• Photos
• Activity
• Citations
• Engagement

Optimisation focuses heavily on relevance and prominence, as distance is often outside your control.

Claim and Verify Your Profile Correctly

The first step is claiming and verifying your Google Business Profile.

Ensure Details Match Exactly

Your business name, address, and phone number must match:

• Your website
• Your social profiles
• Online directories

Even small inconsistencies can weaken trust signals.

Choose the Correct Business Type

• Storefront businesses should list their physical address
• Service-area businesses (plumbers, electricians, tradies) should hide their address and define service areas instead

This is critical for compliance and ranking stability.

Choose the Right Primary and Secondary Categories

Your primary category is one of the strongest ranking factors.

Primary Category Tips

Choose the category that best describes your main service, not everything you offer.

Examples:

• Plumber
• Electrician
• Roofing contractor
• Pool builder
• Concrete contractor

Avoid generic or incorrect categories just because they sound broader.

Add Relevant Secondary Categories

Secondary categories support relevance but don’t carry the same weight as the primary one.

For example:

• Drainage service
• Gas fitter
• Hot water system supplier

Only add categories that genuinely reflect your services.

Write a High-Quality Business Description

Your business description allows up to 750 characters and should clearly explain:

• What you do
• Who you help
• Where you operate

Best Practice for Business Descriptions

• Use natural language
• Mention your main service once
• Mention your location or service area
• Avoid keyword stuffing
• Avoid promotional claims like “best” or “cheapest”

Example structure:

• Sentence 1: Core service
• Sentence 2: Who you serve and where
• Sentence 3: Experience, licences, or trust factors

This improves relevance and user confidence.

Add All Services Individually

One of the most underused optimisation features is the Services section.

Why Services Matter

Each service acts like a mini keyword signal. Adding them properly can help your profile appear for:

• “emergency plumber”
• “roof leak repairs”
• “pool renovations”

How to Optimise Services

• Add each service separately
• Use clear, plain language
• Avoid city-stuffing service names
• Add a short description if available

Example:

• Blocked drains
• Hot water system installation
• Roof leak repairs

This improves discoverability across a wider range of searches.

Upload High-Quality Photos Regularly

Profiles with frequent photo updates perform significantly better.

What Photos to Upload

• Completed work
• Before and after shots
• Your team
• Work vehicles with branding
• Job sites
• Office or workshop (if applicable)

Photo Optimisation Tips

• Upload new photos at least once a month
• Use clear, well-lit images
• Avoid stock photos
• Add captions where possible

Photos increase engagement, which signals prominence to Google.

Collect and Respond to Google Reviews Properly

Reviews are one of the strongest trust and ranking signals for Google Business Profiles.

How to Get More Reviews

• Ask customers immediately after completing work
• Use SMS or email links
• Add review links to invoices and signatures
• Display review QR codes on vehicles or business cards

How to Respond to Reviews

• Reply to every review (positive and negative)
• Mention the service performed naturally
• Thank the customer by name where possible
• Stay professional and calm with negative feedback

Consistent responses show Google that your business is active and trustworthy.

Use Google Business Profile Posts Weekly

GBP posts work like mini social updates and are heavily underutilised.

Types of Posts You Can Use

• Blog posts
• Project highlights
• Seasonal tips
• Promotions
• Announcements

Posting Best Practices

• Post at least once per week
• Keep content short and useful
• Include a call-to-action
• Avoid hard selling

Even simple updates help keep your profile active and relevant.

Set Accurate Opening Hours and Special Hours

Incorrect hours are one of the most common reasons for lost trust.

What to Check Regularly

• Public holidays
• Seasonal changes
• Emergency or after-hours availability

Google tracks user behaviour. If people repeatedly arrive when you’re closed, it can hurt engagement metrics.

Enable Messaging and Calls

Make it as easy as possible for customers to contact you.

Optimisation Tips

• Enable call tracking (where appropriate)
• Turn on messaging if you can respond promptly
• Add FAQs to pre-answer common questions

Fast responses increase conversions and improve engagement signals.

Add and Optimise the Q&A Section

Anyone can ask or answer questions on your profile — including competitors.

Best Practice

• Add common questions yourself
• Provide clear, helpful answers
• Monitor the section regularly

This reduces friction and prevents misinformation.

Track Performance Using GBP Insights

Google Business Profile provides valuable data such as:

• Searches used to find you
• Calls
• Website clicks
• Direction requests
• Photo views

Use this data to:

• Identify high-performing services
• Improve low-engagement areas
• Track growth month-to-month

Optimisation isn’t a one-off task — it’s ongoing.

Common Google Business Profile Mistakes to Avoid

Keyword Stuffing the Business Name

Adding locations or services to your business name can result in suspensions.

Using Fake Addresses

This is a fast way to lose your profile entirely.

Ignoring Reviews

Unanswered reviews damage trust.

Leaving the Profile Inactive

Google rewards activity and freshness.

How Often Should You Optimise Your Google Business Profile?

At a minimum:

• Weekly posts
• Monthly photo uploads
• Ongoing review responses
• Quarterly service audits

Businesses that treat GBP as an active marketing channel consistently outperform those that don’t.

Final Thoughts: Turn Your Google Business Profile Into a Lead Machine

Your Google Business Profile is often the first impression customers have of your business — and sometimes the only one they need.

By:

• Choosing the right categories
• Adding detailed services
• Posting regularly
• Managing reviews
• Uploading fresh photos

you dramatically increase your chances of appearing in local searches and converting clicks into enquiries.

If you rely on local customers, optimising your Google Business Profile isn’t optional — it’s essential.