The Ultimate Guide to Your Google Business Profile Optimisation

22nd October 2024

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Updated October 2025

If you want more local enquiries from Google in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, Glasgow (and across the UK), your Google Business Profile (GBP) must be complete, current, and consistent. This guide gives you a practical optimisation plan that improves local 3-pack visibility, boosts clicks, and converts searches into calls without gimmicks.

What “optimised” really means

Google ranks local businesses using relevance, distance, and prominence. You can’t move your location, but you can maximise relevance and prominence with the right categories, services, reviews, photos, posts, attributes, and by aligning your website with your GBP. Do these well and you’ll earn more map visibility and a steadier pipeline of local leads.

Need hands-on help? Talk to a specialist about our Google Business Profile optimisation service to shortcut this setup and get a repeatable monthly rhythm.

Step-by-step optimisation checklist (quick wins first)

Primary category: pick the most specific, buyer-intent category (e.g., Roofing Contractor not Contractor).
Secondary categories: add 2–4 you genuinely fulfil; prune the rest.
Services: list your core services with 40–80 word descriptions (plus price/price range if suitable).
Opening hours: add regular + holiday hours; keep them current.
Photos & short videos: add authentic, recent visuals (team, projects, storefront).
Google Posts: publish weekly (tip/offer/case study) with a clear CTA.
Reviews: ask every happy customer; reply to all within 48 hours.
Attributes & Q&A: complete relevant attributes; seed & answer top questions.
Website field: link to your best local landing page (not just the homepage).
Insights: track calls, directions, website clicks; adjust monthly.

Category & Service Mapping (with examples for UK niches)

Choosing categories and naming services properly is half the battle in Google Business Profile optimisation. Use buyer-intent categories and mirror the language customers use.

Trades (example):

Primary: Roofing Contractor
Secondary: Roof Repair, Gutter Cleaning, Flat Roof Specialist
Services to add: Roof Repair, Flat Roof Installation, Emergency Roof Repair, Gutter Cleaning (40–80 words each)

Professional services (example):

Primary: Accountant
Secondary: Tax Consultant, Bookkeeping Service
Services to add: Year-End Accounts, VAT Returns, Payroll Management, CIS Returns

Hospitality (example):

Primary: Italian Restaurant
Secondary: Pizza Restaurant, Takeaway Restaurant
Services/Products: Lunch Menu, Early Evening Menu, Gluten-Free Pizza, Online Ordering

Keep names plain (the terms customers actually type), and mirror your website service names for consistency.

Related reading: our GBP overview on getting to the top of search for context and strategy.

Choose categories that match buyer intent

Your primary category is one of the strongest relevance signals. Choose the option customers actually search for, then add only relevant secondaries (usually 2–4). Too many secondaries blurs relevance. Revisit categories quarterly Google’s list (and your focus) changes.

Avoid this: switching the primary category for seasonal hunches. Instead, keep the best primary and use Posts + Services to cover seasonal offers.

Add services (and products if relevant)

The Services section tells Google (and customers) exactly what you do. Mirror your website’s services so both tell the same story.

How to write service entries (40–80 words):

What it is (plain language)
Who it’s for
1–2 benefits
Price/price range (if you can)

If you sell fixed offerings (audits, packages), add them under Products with a clear photo and CTA.

Improve your local 3-pack visibility with ongoing GBP management a steady cadence of posts, photos and review replies compounds results over time.

Perfect the Landing Page Your GBP Links To (Blueprint)

Point the GBP Website field to a page built to convert:

Clear H1: service + area (e.g., Google Business Profile Optimisation in Kilmarnock).
Proof above the fold: short value prop, review stars, client logos.
What we do: 3–5 benefit bullets tied to outcomes (more calls, more directions, more website clicks).
Packages/next step: simple “Book a consultation” CTA.
Local proof: mini case study or neighbourhoods served.
NAP block: match your GBP exactly; add hours if relevant.
Internal links: to this optimisation guide and your overview post.

Earn & respond to reviews (prominence + conversion)

Reviews are a major prominence signal and a huge conversion booster. Build a simple routine:

Ask immediately after a successful job via email/SMS (use your short GBP review link).
Aim for a few new reviews every month; consistency beats bursts.
Reply to every review within 48 hours: thank happy customers; handle negatives calmly and offer a solution. Use service + location naturally (never stuffed).

A Review System That Runs Itself (templates)

Email request (copy/paste):
Subject: Quick favour about your recent [service]
Body: Hi [First name], thanks for choosing us for [service] in [town]. Would you mind leaving a quick Google review? It really helps local customers find us.
➡️ [Insert your short GBP review link]
Thanks so much, Steve, Steve Welsh Marketing

SMS (≤160 chars):
Thanks for using us for [service] in [town]. A quick Google review really helps: [short GBP link] — Steve

Reply framework (for negatives):
Thank, apologise, resolve. Example: “Thanks for the feedback, [Name]. Sorry this missed the mark. I’ve messaged you to fix it today. We aim to resolve within 24h and will update here.”

Deep dive: How to generate fantastic GBP customer reviews

Photos & short videos (real beats stock)

Show people at work, recent results, storefront, vehicles, before/after. Add 10–20s vertical clips when you can. You don’t need EXIF geotagging give photos clear captions and ensure nearby text mentions the service and area (e.g., “Flat roof repair in Glasgow”).

Tip: add 3–5 new photos monthly; refresh your cover photo if it looks dated.

Google Posts cadence (light but consistent)

Weekly Update: a tip, mini case study, or news.
Monthly Offer: time-boxed promo with CTA.
Quarterly Highlight: longer story or testimonial.

Every post should link to a relevant page ideally your local landing page or a focused service URL.

Simple 30-Minute Monthly Maintenance Plan

Week 1 (10 min): Publish one Update post (tip or mini case study) with a CTA.
Week 2 (10 min): Add 3–5 photos or a 10–20s vertical clip.
Week 3 (5 min): Request reviews from that month’s happy customers; reply to all reviews.
Week 4 (5 min): Check Insights (Calls, Directions, Website clicks, top queries) and adjust next month’s post/photo accordingly.
Quarterly: sanity-check categories, services, hours, and attributes.

Attributes, Q&A, and messaging

Complete all relevant Attributes (appointment required, wheelchair access, women-led, etc.) to match searcher filters. Seed Q&A with the three questions you get most and answer succinctly. Enable Messaging if you can respond quickly fast answers win jobs.

Connect the dots with your website (signals that support GBP)

Your GBP doesn’t rank in isolation. Support it with a high-converting landing page:

Clear H1: service + location (e.g., SEO Services in Glasgow).
Proof above the fold: review stars, logos/testimonials, quick value prop.
Packages/benefits: with a simple Book Consultation CTA.
Local proof: short case study or recent project examples.
NAP block: matching GBP exactly (and opening hours if relevant).
Internal links: to this guide and related posts.

Use these helpful guides:

Track what matters (and improve monthly)

In GBP Insights, review:

Calls, Directions, Website clicks (lead indicators)
Top search queries (what people actually type)
Photo views vs competitors (are your visuals working?)

Adjust monthly: double down on what drives actions; refresh what’s stale. Use light automation (e.g., reminders to request reviews, post weekly, export Insights).

Citations & NAP: UK Essentials

Consistent Name, Address, Phone (NAP) across trusted directories strengthens trust and discoverability. Prioritise:

Google Business Profile, Bing Places, Apple Business Connect
Yell, Thomson Local, Scoot, 192.com
Facebook Page, LinkedIn Company Page, Yelp UK
Tips: keep the exact same business name, phone, and homepage URL everywhere; reuse a shortened GBP description; upload your logo and 3–5 real photos. If your hours change, update GBP first, then mirror it across listings.

Common pitfalls to avoid

Wrong/bloated categories → pick one precise primary; prune weak secondaries.
Inconsistent NAP → lock one Name–Phone–URL format and reuse it everywhere (website, GBP, Bing, Apple, Yell, Scoot, Facebook, LinkedIn).
Duplicate listings → merge or remove; duplicates split ranking signals.
Suspensions → review eligibility/address rules; appeal with evidence.
Weak landing page → the page your GBP links to must convert (proof + CTA).

Mini Case Study (Kilmarnock example)

A local service business in Kilmarnock had a sparse profile and few photos. We set the right primary category, added service descriptions, started a weekly Posts rhythm, and implemented a review routine (3–4/month). Within eight weeks they went from no 3-pack presence to showing for “[service] Kilmarnock,” with clear lifts in calls and direction requests. The lesson: consistency and completeness beat one-off sprints.

Conclusion

Optimisation is about clarity and consistency: the right categories and services, authentic visuals, steady reviews, useful posts, and a strong landing page. Nail these and you’ll earn more map visibility, calls, and consultations across Kilmarnock, Ayrshire and Glasgow.

Want the easy route?
Get a free mini-audit of your Google Business Profile. We’ll highlight your 3 quickest wins and set a simple monthly plan.

Book your free consultation →

FAQs

What is Google Business Profile optimisation?

Improving categories, services, reviews, photos, posts and attributes so your profile is more relevant and prominent—leading to higher visibility and more calls.