Google Business Profile
A Google Business Profile is the free business listing in Google Search and Google Maps, with your address, opening hours, services, photos and reviews. It used to be called Google My Business.
- 3 min read
What is a Google Business Profile?
A Google Business Profile is the listing of your business that appears in Google Maps and on the right or at the top of the search results. It contains your name, address or service area, phone number, website, opening hours, photos and reviews.
You manage the profile yourself, for free. Google uses the data to decide for which searches your business appears on the map. That block of three businesses is called the local pack, and it is where most clicks and calls happen for local searches.
The profile is therefore the basis of local SEO. Without a properly completed profile you barely appear locally, however good your website is.
Why it matters for your business
For many tradespeople, the Business Profile is where first contact happens. Someone searches “loodgieter Arnhem”, sees your profile with reviews and photos and calls straight away. Sometimes the website is not even visited.
That makes the profile a full sales channel. Your reviews, your photos and your response to questions decide whether someone chooses you or the competitor next to you. A profile with recent project photos and dozens of good reviews builds more trust than a bare profile with a logo.
AI assistants use this data too. Anyone who asks ChatGPT or Google for a reliable roofer nearby gets answers that are partly based on reviews and business details. A strong profile increases the chance that you are mentioned.
How a Google Business Profile works
Google determines the order on the map based on relevance, distance and prominence. The categories you choose, the services you fill in and the words in your reviews determine relevance. Distance depends on where the searcher is. Prominence grows with reviews, mentions on other sites and the strength of your website.
An example. Say a contractor in Ede mainly does extensions and bathroom renovations. The profile is set to the category “Contractor”, with no services, and eight photos of the company premises. For “aanbouw laten bouwen Ede” the company does not appear on the map.
After setup, “Contractor” is the primary category, with secondary categories that fit bathrooms and renovations. Each service is listed separately with a short description. Photos of completed extensions are added, with before and after. Every week a short update about a project appears, and after every handover the customer is asked for a review. Within a few months the profile appears on the map for several searches.
Through the insights in the profile you see how many people call, request directions or click through to your website. These are direct signals of interest.
Common mistakes
A wrong primary category is the biggest mistake. It carries the most weight. Choose the category that best fits the work you most want to do, not the most generic one.
Also common is a business name with keywords in it, such as “Jansen Dakdekker Arnhem Goedkoop”. That goes against Google’s guidelines and can lead to your profile being suspended. Use your real business name.
Furthermore, many business owners leave the profile alone after creating it. No new photos, no updates, no replies to questions. An active profile does better than a forgotten one.
Finally: details that differ from your website. A different phone number or an old address causes confusion for Google and for customers. See also NAP details.
How to approach it
Claim or verify your profile and fill in everything Google asks for. Choose a precise primary category and relevant secondary categories. Add your services, each with a short description and, where possible, the places where you work.
Upload real photos of your work, your team and your vans. Phone-shot project photos are better than stock images. Post a short update about a recent job every week.
Make reviews a fixed process. Ask for a review after every handover, with a direct link. If you are in doubt, do not reply to the content yourself, but do make sure questions in the profile are answered quickly.
Link the profile to a website with a page for each service, so visitors find what they were looking for straight after a click. And measure calls and enquiries from the profile, so you know what it delivers. We set it up as part of Google Business Profile and local visibility.
Frequently asked questions
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Is a Google Business Profile free?
Yes, creating and managing a Google Business Profile is free. You only need a Google account and have to get your business verified. Advertising in Google Maps is possible separately, but is not needed for a listing.
Can I hide my address if I work at customers’ premises?
Yes. If you work on location at customers’ premises and have no shop or showroom, you can hide your address and set a service area. Google then shows the regions where you operate instead of your address.
How often should I update my Business Profile?
Ideally, post an update or new photos of recent work every week. Also check a few times a year that opening hours, services and contact details are still correct. An active profile shows that your business is up and running.
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