Your Google Business Profile is either your best salesperson or dead weight. For most small businesses, it’s the second one, and they have no idea.
BrightLocal’s 2024 Local Consumer Review Survey found that 98% of people used the internet to find local businesses, and Google Business Profile (GBP) listings are the first thing they see. If yours is incomplete, stale, or riddled with wrong hours, you are handing customers to the business two blocks over.
Here is what actually matters on your GBP, and what most business owners miss.
Your Primary Category Is a Ranking Signal, Not a Label
Most owners pick a category once during setup and never think about it again. That’s a mistake. Your primary category tells Google what searches to put you in front of. A plumber in O’Fallon who picks “Plumber” instead of “Emergency Plumber” or “Water Heater Repair Service” is invisible for the searches with buying intent.
Log into your Google Business Profile. Click Edit Profile. Check your primary category against what your customers actually type when they need you. Secondary categories matter too. You can add up to 10. Add every relevant one.
Photos Drive Clicks, and Clicks Drive Rank
Profiles with photos receive 42% more requests for driving directions and 35% more website clicks than profiles without them, according to Google’s own data. That number alone should end the debate about whether photos matter.
Upload photos weekly if you can. At minimum: your exterior (so customers recognize you), your interior, your team, and your work. Name the files before you upload them. “ofallon-hvac-tech-repair.jpg” tells Google more than “IMG_4872.jpg.”
The Attributes Section Is Free Ad Copy
Scroll down past your hours and you’ll find Attributes. Most business owners skip right past this section. It’s where you tell Google and customers things like “Veteran-owned,” “Free Wi-Fi,” “Wheelchair accessible,” “Women-led,” and “Accepts credit cards.”
Every attribute you check is a filter someone may use to narrow their search. If you have the attribute and didn’t check it, you are invisible to that filter. Takes 3 minutes to fill out completely.
What to Fix This Week
1. Confirm your primary category matches your most profitable service 2. Add at least 5 photos if you have fewer than 10 total 3. Fill out every applicable attribute 4. Make sure your hours are current, including holiday hours 5. Post an update or offer at least once per week
GBP is not a set-and-forget listing. It’s a live ranking surface. The businesses in the Google Local Pack in your market are actively managing theirs.
Ready to see exactly where your GBP stands compared to competitors in O’Fallon, Yorktown, or Florence? SVG Digital does a free GBP audit with every initial consultation. No pitch, no jargon, just a clear picture of what’s working and what isn’t.
