A Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is the free business listing that appears in Google Maps and local search results when someone searches for a service in a specific region. How complete and active this profile is largely determines whether your business shows up at the top of the Google Maps ranking.
What determines your position in local results?
Google uses three main factors for local SEO ranking:
- Relevance, does your profile match what someone is searching for?
- Distance, how far are you from the person searching?
- Prominence, how much trust does Google have in your business?
You can't influence distance. Relevance and prominence, you can. That's where the following steps come in.
Step 1: Choose the right primary category
The primary category is the strongest signal you give Google about what you do. Choose as specifically as possible.
Example for a flooring contractor:
| Option | Advice | |---|---| | Contractor | Too broad, avoid as primary | | Flooring contractor | Accurate and specific | | Parquet installer | Use as a secondary category if applicable |
Add additional categories for every service you provide, but keep it to a maximum of four or five. More categories dilute the signal.
Step 2: Fill in every profile field completely
Google rewards completeness. Don't leave any field blank that you can fill in.
Required fields:
- Business name (exactly as registered, no keywords added)
- Address or service area
- Phone number
- Website URL
- Business hours
Recommended fields:
- Service area (indicate the municipalities where you operate)
- Description (250 to 750 characters, describe what you do and for whom)
- Services with price indications
- Attributes such as "Free quote" or "By appointment"
Note: don't add keywords to your business name. Google may interpret this as spam and temporarily suspend your profile.
Step 3: Photos that build trust with Google and visitors
Profiles with photos receive, on average, more clicks than profiles without. Quality matters more than quantity.
What works:
- Photos of completed projects (before/after works well)
- Photos of the company vehicle or workshop with a recognizable logo
- Photos of the owner or team
- Upload at least one new photo per month
What has little effect:
- Stock photos
- Images with a lot of text on them
- Photos that don't say anything about the craftsmanship
Use real file names with relevant terms (for example: parquet-floor-installed-eindhoven.jpg) before uploading. Google reads the metadata.
Step 4: Reviews are the strongest trust signal
Reviews influence both the Google Maps ranking and the click-through rate. A profile with 40 reviews and a 4.7 rating almost always beats a profile with 8 reviews and a 5.0.
What Google takes into account:
- Number of reviews
- Average rating
- Recency (reviews older than 12 months carry less weight)
- Keywords in the text of reviews
Practical advice:
- Actively ask for reviews after every project using a direct link (found in the dashboard under "Get more customers")
- Respond to every review, including negative ones, this shows activity
- Ask customers to describe what you did and where: "Beautiful herringbone floor installed in Tilburg" is more valuable for ranking than "Good service"
Purchased or fake reviews violate the terms of service and can lead to removal or suspension of your profile.
Step 5: Q&A, an underrated feature
In the Q&A section, visitors can ask questions. What many businesses don't know: you can post questions yourself and answer them through a separate Google account.
Proactively fill in the most frequently asked questions:
- "Do you also work in [municipality]?"
- "What are your rates?"
- "How long does a quote take?"
Unanswered questions from visitors remain visible to everyone. Monitor this section regularly.
Step 6: Google Posts as an activity signal
Google Posts are short updates that appear on your profile. They disappear after seven days (offers expire on the set end date).
Why this matters: Google uses activity as a signal. A profile that regularly posts updates is seen as active and relevant.
Effective posts for trade businesses:
- Completed project with a photo and short description
- Seasonal offer ("Get your floors done before the holidays")
- Reminder of a service you provide
One post per week or every two weeks is enough.
What Google hides or doesn't show directly
A few things that are often unclear:
- Hidden reviews: Google sometimes automatically filters out legitimate reviews if they show a suspicious pattern (for example, five reviews in one day). There's no direct control over this.
- Search terms in Insights: the dashboard no longer shows which specific search terms led to impressions.
- Description doesn't count as a ranking factor: the business description is for visitors, not for the algorithm. So write it for the reader.
- Duplicates hurt your profile: multiple profiles at the same address confuse Google. Remove or merge duplicates through support.
Summary: the five levers
- Choose a specific primary category
- Fill in every profile field completely
- Post new project photos every month
- Actively collect reviews and respond to them
- Stay active through posts and Q&A
A well-built Google Business Profile isn't a one-time job. It requires ongoing maintenance, but when kept up consistently, it's one of the most effective free channels for local visibility.