Google Business Profile for local enquiries

How do you use Google Business Profile to get more local enquiries? Claim your listing, make every detail exact, add real photos, keep it fresh and reply to every review. Do those five things and people searching near you can find you, trust you and get in touch in one tap.

If you run a business in Poole or Bournemouth and the phone isn’t ringing as much as it should, your Google listing is a good place to look. It is free, it takes an afternoon to fix and it often gets seen before your website does. If you’d rather hand it over, my Google Business Profile service looks after it for you.

People search near you and you don’t show up

Picture this. You search for your own kind of business on your phone, and you find a gap. Maybe you are missing, or the hours are wrong, or the listing has no photos at all. A customer sees that too, and picks the next one down.

Your hours or address are wrong

A wrong opening time sends people to a closed door. They don’t come back, and they may leave a review that says so. It is the most common problem I see, and the quickest to fix.

Your listing has no photos and no reviews

An empty listing looks like a business that has stopped trading. Even a handful of real photos and a few honest reviews make it look alive.

Why your Google listing is often seen before your website

When someone searches for a business near them, Google often shows a map and a list of local listings at the top. That is your profile. From it, a customer can call you, get directions, read reviews or visit your website.

So for many local customers, your listing is the first thing they see. It does the job of a shop window. That is why it is worth getting right.

The quick answer in seven steps

1. Claim your profile and prove it is yours.
2. Fix the basics so customers aren’t put off.
3. Add real photos and short videos.
4. Say what you do and where in plain words.
5. Keep it fresh with posts and updates.
6. Get reviews and reply to them.
7. Check each month whether it is bringing enquiries.

In short:

• Claim it, make it accurate and add real photos.
• Keep it fresh and reply to reviews.
• Check each month that it is working.

1. Claim your profile and prove it is yours

Search for your business name on Google. If a listing already exists, you can claim it. If not, you can create one. Google then asks you to verify that the business is really yours.

Google decides which verification methods you are offered, and you can’t change them. Depending on your business, it might be a phone or text code, an email, a live video call or a postcard. Google says it can take up to five business days to review once you finish the steps, and some profiles are verified straight away. Google’s own help page on verifying your business has the latest steps.

2. Fix the basics so customers aren’t put off

Get these details exactly right first. Small mistakes here cost you calls.

Your business details

Your name, address and phone number should be identical everywhere online, on your website, your Facebook page and your Instagram. If one says Unit 3 and another says Suite 3, it confuses people and it confuses Google.

Opening hours and holiday hours

Update your hours before bank holidays and any time you close. This is the one that stops people turning up when you are shut.

Categories and services

Choose your main category carefully, because it affects which searches you show up for. Then add the services you offer, so people can see what you do.

Where you work from

If customers come to you, show your address. If you travel to customers, such as a plumber or a gardener, you can show the places you cover instead of a shop address. Check Google’s current rules for businesses that travel to customers, as they have conditions.

In short:

• Make every detail exact and identical everywhere.
• Update your hours for bank holidays.
• Pick your main category with care.

3. Add real photos and short videos

Show real photos of your premises, your team and your work. Skip the stock pictures, because customers can tell. Aim for a small habit, such as adding a few new photos each month.

You can use the same photos and clips you take for social media. My guide to Instagram for local business covers what to photograph and how to tell people where you are, and my Reels ideas for local businesses gives you short clips to add. If you are still choosing where to post, read Facebook or Instagram for a small business.

4. Say what you do and where in plain words

Write a short description in plain English. Say what you do, who for and where. Don’t stuff it with search words, because that reads badly and customers don’t trust it.

A good test is to read it aloud. If it sounds like you talking to a customer across the counter, it is about right.

5. Keep it fresh with posts and updates

You can add updates and offers to your listing, like a mini news feed. They show customers you are open and active. A realistic rhythm is a short update every week or two, matched to what you are posting elsewhere. My guide to the best social media platforms shows where your Google listing fits in.

6. Get reviews and reply to them

Ask happy customers for a review, face to face or in a message. Make it easy by sharing a link, and keep it natural and friendly. Google says you can share a review link or a QR code, but you can’t offer anything in return for a review, such as a discount or a free gift.

Reply to every review, good or bad. A thank you to a happy customer takes seconds. A calm, polite reply to a bad one shows the next person how you handle problems. Google’s help pages on getting more reviews and its rules on prohibited content explain what is allowed.

7. Check each month whether it is bringing enquiries

Once a month, look at the numbers Google shows you for your profile, such as calls, directions and website visits. You are looking for a trend, not a single number. Are more people getting in touch than three months ago?

If the numbers aren’t moving, go back to steps 2 to 6 and look for what is missing. It is usually the hours, the photos or the reviews.

What is different in Poole and Bournemouth

Your town changes who is searching and when. In Poole, harbour and quay businesses often get people looking for somewhere near the water, and trades get “near me” searches from homeowners. In Bournemouth, visitors and students often check opening times and reviews on their phones before they walk in. See my pages on social media in Poole and social media in Bournemouth.

These are the mistakes I see most often:

• Wrong opening hours
• Duplicate listings for the same business
• No photos
• Reviews with no reply
• The wrong main category

No time for this? What I can take off your plate

If you’d rather not do this yourself, I can look after it. I check your details, add photos, keep your hours right and watch for reviews, and nothing changes without your yes. It runs month to month, with 30 days notice to stop. Have a look at my Google Business Profile service.

Questions about Google Business Profile

Is Google Business Profile free?

Yes, setting up and looking after your own profile costs nothing. If you pay someone to manage it for you, that is their fee.

How much do you charge to manage it?

My packages start from £250 a month. See my pricing page.

How long does verification take?

It depends on the method Google gives you. Google says a review after you finish the steps can take up to five business days, and some profiles are verified straight away.

How much time does it need each month?

A short, regular check. Once your profile is right, a few minutes a month to add photos, reply to reviews and check your hours is usually enough.

Will I still see changes first if you manage it?

Yes. Nothing changes without your yes.

Is there a long contract for managing it?

No. It runs month to month, with 30 days notice to stop.

Will it bring me more enquiries?

I can’t promise that. A complete, accurate listing makes it easier for people to choose you.

Does this work for a trade with no shop?

Yes. You can show the places you cover instead of a shop address. Check Google’s current rules for businesses that travel to customers.

Want me to look at your listing

Tell me which business it is, and I will have a look and tell you what I would fix first. There is no pressure and no sales pitch.

Book a free call See the service

Sources: Google Business Profile Help on verifying your business, getting more reviews and prohibited and restricted content. Checked in November 2026.