Google Business Profile Optimisation Checklist for UK Firms

Short answer: Google Business Profile optimisation means filling in your profile completely and accurately, within Google's rules, so it can show up when local customers search. Google says local results are mainly based on relevance, distance and popularity, that you can't pay for a better local ranking, and that businesses with complete, accurate info are more likely to show up.

If you're trying to optimise a Google My Business profile, it's the same thing under its current name: Google announced the rename in November 2021. Managing a profile costs nothing, and Google says only businesses that make face-to-face contact with customers are eligible, so online-only firms can't have one.

How does Google rank local results?

Google names three factors in its tips to improve your local ranking:

Relevance: how well your profile matches what someone is searching for. Google's advice is to "provide complete and detailed business info".
Distance: how far each business is from the person searching.
Prominence: how well-known a business is, partly based on how many websites link to your business and how many reviews you have. (Google's summary sentence now calls this "popularity".)

Google also says "the categories that you select affect your local ranking". It keeps "the search algorithm details confidential", so be wary of anyone quoting ranking percentages. Links from other websites feed into prominence, which is where wider SEO for your website comes in.

The Google Business Profile optimisation checklist, step by step

Work through this Google Business Profile checklist in order. Verify first: photos, review replies and performance data all need a verified profile.

Verify your profile. Google picks the method, such as phone, email, video or postcard.
Google's rule: Verifying "tells Google that you're authorised to represent the business, so it's more likely to show up in search results" (Google).
Use your real-world business name, exactly as on your shopfront, website and stationery.
Google's rule: No taglines, location or service info, phone numbers or URLs. Unnecessary info "could result in the suspension of your Business Profile" (guidelines).
Pick one specific primary category, then extras only for real departments or services.
Google's rule: Up to nine more. Choose categories that complete "This business IS a", not "this business HAS a" (guidelines).
Set your address or service area. Show your address only if customers visit you there.
Google's rule: Service-area businesses should hide their address. Up to 20 service areas by city, postcode or other area, but not a radius.
Add regular and special hours, including bank holidays.
Google's rule: Special hours cover closures of up to six days in a row. For seven or more days in a row, mark the business temporarily closed.
Write your description: what you offer, what makes you special, how long you've traded.
Google's rule: Up to 750 characters. No links of any type. Focus on the business, not promotions, prices or sales (guidelines).
Check your phone number and links, and add your social profiles.
Google's rule: A number under your direct control, never a premium number (guidelines). Action links must go to a dedicated page for your business. One social link per platform, in select regions only.
Add services and attributes that apply.
Google's rule: No prices or phone numbers in custom service names. Prices can go in the service details.
Upload photos, including your logo, cover photo and shopfront.
Google's rule: JPG or PNG, between 10 KB and 5 MB, 720 x 720 px recommended. In focus, well lit, and representing reality.
Publish posts for updates, offers and events.
Google's rule: Posts older than six months are archived unless a date range is set.
Ask for reviews and reply to them.
Google's rule: No incentives, and no asking only the customers you think are happy (Maps content policy).
Measure results in Performance and Google Analytics.
Google's rule: Performance data is available only for verified profiles.

Our local SEO service works through this list alongside your citations, listings and reviews.

Which address, link and attribute rules catch people out?

Address. If customers don't come to you (say you're a plumber working from home), Google's service area guidance says to remove your address from your profile. Under Google's guidelines for representing your business, PO boxes aren't acceptable, virtual offices aren't eligible, and a co-working office only counts if it has clear signage, receives customers and is staffed by your own staff during opening hours.

Links. Under Google's business links policy, booking and other action links can't be social media sites, messaging links, app store links or link shorteners, and must return a "200 OK" status code or a similar successful code. Test yours.

Attributes. Skip the "Small business" attribute. Google defines it in US terms ("A small business makes less than $10 million a year"), so it wasn't written for UK firms.

How to get more Google reviews without breaking the rules

Ask every customer the same way, with the link or QR code from your profile. Google's steps: open your Business Profile, select Read reviews, then Get more reviews, and copy the link. QR codes can only be generated in a browser on a computer, not on mobile devices.

Google's Maps content policy bans offering incentives such as payment, discounts or free goods for reviews. It also says merchants may not "discourage or prohibit negative reviews, or selectively solicit positive reviews from customers", or pressure people to review while they're on the premises. Break the fake engagement rules and Google might stop new reviews or unpublish existing ones for a set period, or show customers a warning that fake reviews were removed.

UK law covers this too. Since 6 April 2025, the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 lists submitting or commissioning a fake consumer review, or one that hides that it was incentivised, as a banned practice. The CMA says that under the new regime it can fine a company up to 10% of its global turnover for breaking consumer protection law. Its fake reviews guidance says simply emailing customers generally to ask if they'd like to leave a review, without predetermining what they say, isn't prohibited. This is general information, not legal advice.

Replying. Google says replying "shows that you value their feedback". Keep it short and professional, apologise if needed, and never share a reviewer's private information. You don't need to thank every reviewer publicly; reply when you've got something new or relevant to add.

Google Business Profile suspended? How to avoid it and what to do

Google may suspend or disable profiles that don't follow its guidelines. Check for these first:

extra keywords, locations or taglines in your business name
an ineligible address, such as a PO box or virtual office
more than one profile for the same business (Google says "there should only be one profile per business")

If you're suspended, don't create a new profile for the same business. Gather evidence such as your business registration, business licence, tax certificates or a utility bill for the business, and check the name and address match the profile. Then appeal, carefully: Google says "appeals can only be submitted once". If your whole Google Account is restricted, appeal that first. Google says appeal reviews and decisions can take up to five working days.

How do you know if your optimisation is working?

Google's performance guide covers views, the search terms people used to find you, and actions such as calls, website clicks, directions, messages and bookings, from both organic results and Google Ads. Search terms update at the start of each month and can take up to five days to show.

Then link your profile to Google Analytics 4: in GA4 Admin, under Product links, choose Google Business Profile links. You'll need Editor or Administrator access in GA4 and Owner or Manager access on the profile. Our SEO analytics service can set this reporting up for you.

What's changed: chat and Q&A

Google ended Business Profile chat and call history on 31 July 2024. If you see a Chat option, you can add WhatsApp or text messaging instead; Google says it's only in select regions. Q&A is changing too: Google switched off its Q&A API on 3 November 2025. Google says Q&A is now available only for select business categories and regions, so if your profile still shows it, answer any questions that are waiting.

FAQ

Why has my Google Business Profile been suspended?

Google may suspend or disable profiles that don't follow its guidelines, for example a name with extra keywords or an ineligible address. Don't create a new profile for the same business. Appeal with documents such as your business registration or a utility bill, and check them first, because appeals can only be submitted once. Google says appeal decisions can take up to five working days.

How do I get more Google reviews?

Ask every customer, using the review link or QR code from your profile (Read reviews, then Get more reviews), on receipts, thank-you emails or a printed sign. Never offer discounts, free goods or other incentives: Google treats that as fake engagement and strictly prohibits it.

How long does Google Business Profile verification take?

It depends on the method. Google says most postcard codes arrive within 14 days and expire after 30 days, and verification reviews take up to five working days, or longer on rare occasions. Some profiles are verified instantly. While waiting for a postcard, don't edit your name, address or category, and don't request a new code.

Can I put keywords in my Google Business Profile name?

No. Google says your name should reflect your real-world name, as used on your shopfront, website and stationery. Unnecessary information isn't permitted and could result in the suspension of your Business Profile.

How often should I post on my Google Business Profile?

Google doesn't set a posting frequency. Posts older than six months are archived unless a date range is set, so post when you have a real update, offer or event.

Want a free consultation on your Google Business Profile?

Book a free consultation through our contact form and we'll go through your profile and wider local SEO against this checklist. We won't promise rankings, because Google doesn't sell them, but we'll show you what to fix first.

Sources: Google Business Profile Help, Google Maps contribution policy, Google Analytics Help, Google Search Central, Google Business Profile APIs, legislation.gov.uk and the CMA on GOV.UK, all checked 20 October 2026.

Google Business Profile optimisation checklist for UK small businesses