If you run a local business, there’s a good chance people are already searching for the services you provide.
They might be looking for an electrician in Treorchy, a plumber near Merthyr Tydfil, an accountant in Caerphilly or a roofing company in Blaenau Gwent.
What do they see when they search?
Often, the first thing they notice isn’t your website. It’s your Google Business Profile.
This is the business panel that appears in Google Search and Google Maps. It can show your phone number, opening hours, location, website, photos, services and customer reviews.
It’s free to use, relatively straightforward to set up and one of the most useful quick wins for local businesses. Yet many businesses either haven’t claimed their profile, set it up years ago or have left it with very little information.
That could be an opportunity.
What is a Google Business Profile?
In simple terms, a Google Business Profile is the listing Google uses to show information about your business when somebody searches for you or for a service you provide.
For example, if somebody searches for “electrician near me”, Google may show a map with nearby businesses. Each business can have a profile containing:
Business name
Main category
Phone number
Website link
Opening hours
Service area
Photos
Customer reviews
Posts or updates
Directions and other contact options
Google describes it as a way to manage how your business appears on Search and Maps at no charge. It’s available to businesses that meet customers in person, including businesses that travel to customers.
That means it can be useful for a local shop, office-based service business or tradesperson who works at customers’ homes.
Why it matters for local businesses
Your Google Business Profile is often the first impression a potential customer gets.
They may see your listing before they visit your website. They may decide whether to call you based on your opening hours, reviews, photos or how professional the information looks.
A profile that is complete and up to date can make it easier for people to:
Find your business when searching locally
Call you directly
Visit your website
Ask for directions
Understand what you do
Decide whether they trust you
A profile that has the wrong phone number, old opening hours and no photographs can have the opposite effect.
One thing we often see is a business owner saying, “I’ve got a website, but people still say they can’t find me.” In some cases, the website may be fine, but the Google listing has been overlooked.
This is why a Google Business Profile is an important part of local SEO. It helps Google understand who you are, what you do and where you serve customers.
Is Google Business Profile really free?
Yes. Creating and managing a Google Business Profile is free.
You don’t need to pay Google to create a basic listing. You also don’t need to run adverts to have a profile.
That said, it still needs time and attention. The free listing only helps if the information is accurate and useful.
It’s also not a replacement for your website.
Your profile is a helpful introduction. Your website gives you more space to explain your services, show examples of your work, answer questions and encourage people to get in touch.
Think of the two working together:
Google Business Profile: helps people discover you and take quick action.
Website: helps people understand your business and decide to contact you.
If your business is not showing on Google, checking both areas is a sensible place to start.
Claim and verify your profile
The first step is to search for your business on Google and Google Maps.
You may find that:
No profile exists.
A profile exists but hasn’t been claimed.
You or somebody in your business already manages it.
Somebody else has claimed it.
If no listing exists, you can add your business through Google Business Profile.
If a listing exists, look for the option to claim or manage it. Google will then ask you to verify that you own or represent the business.
Verification methods vary. Google may offer verification by video, phone, email or another method depending on the business and its circumstances.
What if someone else has already claimed your profile?
Don’t create a second listing straight away. Google allows you to request ownership of an existing profile. You’ll usually need to follow the ownership request process and allow the current manager time to respond.
If a previous web designer, employee or marketing company set up your profile, it’s worth making sure your business has proper owner access. You shouldn’t be left dependent on somebody else to make basic changes to your own business details.
Get the basic information right
Once you have access, start with the basics.
Your business name should be the real name customers recognise. Don’t add extra phrases such as “Best Electrician in Merthyr Tydfil” unless that is genuinely part of your trading name.
Google’s guidelines specifically warn against adding unnecessary keywords to a business name. It can make the listing look unnatural and may cause problems with the profile.
Check the following details carefully:
Business name: Use your real-world business name.
Primary category: Choose the category that best describes what your business is.
Service area: List the towns or areas you genuinely serve.
Address: Show your real business address if customers visit you. If you travel to customers and work from home, you may need to hide your address.
Opening hours: Include your normal hours and update special or holiday hours.
Phone number: Use a number customers can reach.
Website: Link to the correct page on your website.
Description: Explain clearly what you do and who you help.
Choose your category carefully. A heating engineer, plumber and general builder may offer related services, but the primary category should reflect the main business.
You can add other relevant categories where appropriate, but more isn’t always better.
Add real photos of your work
Photos are one of the easiest ways to make your Google Business Profile more useful.
People want to know that your business is real, active and suitable for the job. Real photographs can help answer those questions quickly.
Depending on your business, you could add:
A photograph of your team
Your workshop, office or premises
Your vehicle, where relevant
Completed projects
Equipment or products
Before-and-after examples
You carrying out work
The entrance to your premises
For example, a landscaper could show finished gardens. A roofer could show completed roofing work. An accountant could show their welcoming office and team. A community organisation could show its building, activities or events.
You don’t need a professional photoshoot every month. Clear, honest photographs taken on a modern phone are often perfectly suitable.
Try to avoid relying only on stock images. Customers want to see your business, not a generic photograph that could belong to anyone.
Make reviews part of your normal routine
Google reviews matter because people use them when deciding who to contact.
A customer who has never heard of you may feel more comfortable making an enquiry when they can see genuine feedback from people you’ve helped.
If a customer is pleased with your work, it’s reasonable to ask whether they’d be willing to leave a review. You can send them a direct review link by email or message, or explain where they can find your profile.
Don’t offer money or gifts in exchange for reviews. The feedback should be genuine.
It’s also important to reply to all reviews, not only the positive ones.
A simple reply to a positive review can show appreciation. A calm, helpful response to a negative review can show future customers that you take concerns seriously.
Avoid arguing or sharing private details. If the issue needs more discussion, invite the customer to contact you directly.
You may not be able to change every unhappy customer’s opinion, but your response is visible to the people reading your reviews.
Keep the profile fresh
A Google Business Profile shouldn’t be a set-and-forget job.
Google allows businesses to share updates, offers, events and other posts. The exact options may vary by business type and Google’s current system, but the principle is simple: give people a reason to see that your business is active.
You could post about:
A recently completed project
A new service
Seasonal opening hours
A community event
A helpful customer tip
New products
A charity activity
A frequently asked question
You don’t need to post every day. An occasional useful update is better than creating lots of rushed content that says very little.
Fresh photos and review replies also help keep the profile accurate and useful.
Keep your details consistent across the web
Your business name, address and phone number should be consistent wherever they appear online.
Check your:
Website
Google Business Profile
Facebook page
Business directories
Trade association listings
Local chamber or community websites
For example, if your website shows one phone number but your Google Maps listing shows another, customers may be unsure which one to use.
Consistent information also helps Google connect the different references to your business. This is a small part of local SEO, but it’s worth getting right.
Common Google Business Profile mistakes
Many local businesses make the same avoidable mistakes:
Creating a profile but not verifying it
Using the wrong primary category
Adding keywords to the business name
Showing a home address when customers don’t visit there
Listing areas they don’t genuinely serve
Using old opening hours
Having no recent photographs
Ignoring customer reviews
Creating duplicate listings
Linking to an old or broken website
Never checking the profile after it has been set up
None of these issues necessarily mean your business needs a complete marketing overhaul.
Sometimes, a careful review of the basics can make the listing much clearer and more useful.
How your profile and website work together
Your Google Business Profile can help you appear in local search, but your website gives customers the detail they need before making contact.
A potential customer might discover you on Google Maps, read a few reviews and then click through to your website. They may want to see:
The services you offer
Areas you cover
Examples of your work
Your approach and experience
Answers to common questions
A clear way to request a quote
This is why local SEO South Wales businesses can benefit from treating the profile and website as connected parts of the same customer journey.
A profile can help you get found on Google. A clear, mobile-friendly website can help turn that visit into an enquiry.
Neither guarantees a particular position in Google’s results. Local search depends on several factors, including relevance, distance and how well-known or trusted a business appears to be.
The sensible approach is to make your information accurate, useful and easy for customers to act on.
A simple next-step checklist
If you haven’t checked your profile recently, set aside some time to:
Search for your business on Google and Maps.
Confirm that you have owner or manager access.
Check that your business name is correct.
Review your category and service area.
Update your phone number, website and opening hours.
Add a few genuine photographs.
Reply to recent reviews.
Ask suitable customers for honest feedback.
Check that your website and other listings show the same details.
Add a useful update if something has changed.
For a tradesperson in Rhondda Cynon Taf, a professional in Caerphilly or a family business in Merthyr Tydfil, this can be one of the simplest ways to improve your Google visibility.
If you’re not sure whether your Google Business Profile is set up properly, we’re happy to take a look and explain what might be worth reviewing. We provide friendly local support for businesses across South Wales, alongside bespoke websites, SEO support and ongoing advice.
No pressure. Just a useful conversation about helping your business appear in local search and generate more enquiries.
Contact us to arrange a chat.
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