You have a Google Business Profile.
You know this because you set it up at some point, probably when someone told you it was important, filled in the basics, maybe added a photo or two, and then moved on to the approximately one thousand other things on your to-do list.
It's been sitting there ever since, doing the bare minimum, and simply existing while your dream clients search for someone like you and find someone else first.
If that sounds familiar, you are in very good company. This is the situation for the majority of local service businesses I come across, and it is one of the most fixable things about your local SEO.
Because here's the thing about your Google Business Profile: it is one of the most powerful free tools available to a local service business, and most business owners are using about ten percent of what it's capable of.
Let's change that.
First things first, Google My Business is now officially called Google Business Profile, but most people still call it Google My Business, so we'll use both interchangeably here.
Your Google Business Profile is the listing that shows up when someone searches for your service in your area. It's the box on the right side of the screen with your business name, your star rating, your photos, your hours, your location, and your reviews.
It's also what populates the map pack, that section at the top of local search results showing three local businesses on a map before any website links appear.
If you've ever searched coffee shop near me or hair salon in Duluth, GA, and seen those three map results at the top, that's the map pack. Showing up there is one of the highest-visibility spots available to a local service business.
The difference between a fully optimized Google Business Profile and one that was set up once and never touched is genuinely significant. We're talking about the difference between showing up in that map pack and not showing up at all.
Here's everything you need to do to get yours working the way it should.
This sounds obvious, but you would be surprised how often basic information is wrong, outdated, or incomplete, and Google notices.
Go into your profile right now and check:
It should match exactly how your business is legally named or how it appears on your website. No keyword stuffing in the business name, Google doesn't like it, and it can get your profile suspended.
If you have a physical location, make sure the address is correct and matches what's on your website exactly. If you're a service-area business, meaning you go to your clients rather than having them come to you, you can hide your address and list the areas you serve instead.
Make sure it's current and that it matches what's on your website. Consistency matters to Google.
Double-check that this is linked correctly and going to the right page.
Are they accurate? Do they reflect any holiday closures or seasonal changes? An incorrect closed message when you're open is actively costing you clients.
This one matters more than most people realize. Your primary category should be as specific as possible, not just salon, but hair salon, nail salon, or beauty salon, depending on what you do. You can also add secondary categories for additional services.
Getting all of this right is the foundation on which everything else is built on.
Your Google Business Profile has a description field that allows up to 750 characters. Most business owners either leave it blank or fill it with something so generic it could belong to any business in any industry.
This is a missed opportunity.
Your description should tell someone exactly what you do, who you do it for, and what makes you different, in a warm and specific way. It should also naturally include some of the keywords your dream clients are searching for, because yes, Google reads this too.
Think of it like a mini version of your home page copy. Clear, specific, and written for the person who is deciding whether to call you or scroll past.
Here's the difference in practice:
Generic: We are a full-service salon dedicated to making every client look and feel their best. Our experienced team is passionate about beauty and committed to exceptional service.
Specific and strategic: Atelier Salon is a Duluth, GA hair salon specializing in lived-in color, curly hair cuts, and balayage for women who want low-maintenance, high-impact hair. We serve clients throughout Duluth, Suwanee, and the North Atlanta suburbs in a relaxed, judgment-free environment where you'll always leave feeling like yourself, just better.
The second one tells Google what the business does, where it's located, who it serves, and what makes it worth clicking on. Write yours with that same level of intention.
Your Google Business Profile photos are doing more work than you might think.
Profiles with photos receive significantly more clicks and direction requests than those without. And Google rewards active profiles, meaning profiles that are regularly updated with fresh content, with better local visibility.
Here's what to add:
This is the first thing people see. Make it high quality, on-brand, and representative of your actual business, not a stock photo or a blurry shot from 2019.
This shows up as your profile picture in search results.
If you have a physical location, show people what it looks like. This builds trust and helps people recognize your space when they arrive.
Before and after for a hair stylist or esthetician. Portfolio shots for a photographer or interior designer. The kind of photos that show what you do rather than just who you are.
People book people. A warm, professional photo of you and your team makes your profile feel human and approachable.
Add new photos regularly, not just when you first set up the profile. Google notices fresh activity and rewards it.
Your Google reviews are one of the most significant local ranking signals you have. The number of reviews, the recency of them, and the quality of what they say all factor into how Google ranks your profile in local search results.
This is not about gaming the system or asking for fake reviews. It's about making it easy for genuinely happy clients to share their experience, consistently, over time.
Here's what that looks like in practice:
Inside your Google Business Profile dashboard, there's a link specifically for leaving reviews. Copy it and save it somewhere accessible.
The best time to ask for a review is right after a positive experience, after a great appointment, a project wraps up, or a client tells you how happy they are. That's when the feeling is fresh, and the motivation is high.
Send the link directly. Don't make someone go searching for where to leave a review. The fewer steps, the more likely they are to do it.
Yes, every single one, positive and negative. Responding to reviews signals to Google that your profile is active and engaged. It also shows potential clients that you care about the people you work with.
Ten reviews all at once, followed by six months of nothing, doesn't build the same authority as one or two new reviews coming in consistently every month. Make asking a regular part of your process, not a one-time push.
Most people have no idea that Google Business Profile has a posts feature, and it is so underused that it almost hurts.
Google Posts let you share updates, promotions, announcements, and content directly on your profile. They show up in your listing, and they tell Google that your profile is active and current.
You don't need to post every day. Even once or twice a month makes a meaningful difference compared to a profile that has never posted anything.
Some ideas for what to post:
Keep them conversational, specific, and genuine. The same voice you use everywhere else.
Your Google Business Profile has a Q&A section where anyone can ask questions about your business, and anyone can answer them, including you.
Most business owners don't even know this section exists, which means questions sometimes sit there unanswered, or worse, get answered incorrectly by someone who doesn't know your business.
Go check your Q&A section right now. If there are unanswered questions, answer them. If there aren't any yet, add some yourself.
Seriously, you can ask and answer your own questions. It's a really smart thing to do because those questions and answers can show up in search results and help you rank for additional searches!
Think about the questions your clients ask most often before booking.
Things like:
Answer them clearly and specifically in your own Q&A section. You're essentially creating a mini FAQ that Google can surface in search results.
This one is less obvious but really important.
Google looks for consistency between your Google Business Profile and your website. Your business name, address, phone number, and service area should match exactly across both.
This consistency, sometimes called NAP consistency (Name, Address, Phone), is a local ranking signal. Inconsistencies between your profile and your website create confusion for Google and can hurt your local visibility.
If you recently moved, changed your phone number, rebranded, or updated your services, make sure both your website and your Google Business Profile reflect those changes at the same time.
Let me paint a really concrete picture of what happens when all of this is in place.
Someone in your area searches for a curly hair specialist near me on a Saturday afternoon.
Your Google Business Profile shows up in the map pack, complete with great photos, a specific description that immediately speaks to curly hair clients, a strong star rating with recent reviews, and a post from last week showing a gorgeous curly cut you just did.
She clicks on your profile. Then, she reads your description and thinks, yes, this is exactly who I've been looking for. She clicks through to your website and books an appointment.
That whole journey started with a Google search and ended with a booking, and your website didn't even have to do all the work. Your Google Business Profile did a significant portion of it.
That's what a fully optimized profile is capable of, and it's available to you right now, completely free, just waiting to be built properly.
Your Google Business Profile and your website work together; neither one alone is as powerful as both working in tandem.
Your Google Business Profile captures local search visibility and gets people to click. Your website is what converts those clicks into actual inquiries and bookings.
Which means if your website copy isn't as strong as your Google Business Profile, you're doing a lot of work to get people to your door and then losing them when they get there.
The most effective local SEO strategy has both working at the same level. A fully optimized Google Business Profile driving local traffic to a website with clear, specific, conversion-focused copy.
If your website copy needs to catch up to the work your Google Business Profile is doing, or if you need consistent blog content to keep building your local authority month after month, both of those are things I can help with.
My blog retainer handles the ongoing content strategy that keeps your local SEO growing, strategic blog posts built on keyword research, published consistently every month, so your website keeps getting found by more of the right people over time.
Fill out my inquiry form to chat! I would love to help your local service business show up exactly where your dream clients are already searching!
Your writing bestie and the person who’s way too invested in helping you sound like the pro you already are.
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It’s more than just content creation and another thing to do for your marketing.
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