Google Business Profile: The Free Listing That Can Beat Your Website for Local Leads

A Google Business Profile is the free listing that shows your business in Google Maps and in the map box on Google Search. For many local businesses it brings in more calls and visits than the website does. Google says customers are 70% more likely to visit, and 50% more likely to consider buying from, a business with a complete profile. Here’s how to set yours up and keep it working.

What is a Google Business Profile?

It’s a free listing managed through Google. It shows your name, location or service area, hours, phone number, photos, reviews and a link to your website. It appears when someone searches for your business by name, and when they search for what you do near them, such as “plumber Shailer Park”.

Google is where most of those searches happen. It handled 87.6% of Australian searches in October 2026, according to StatCounter.

Why can it beat your website for local leads?

For a “near me” search, the map results usually appear above the regular website results. Customers can call, get directions or read reviews without ever opening your site. If your profile is incomplete, a competitor’s complete one takes that spot.

Google’s own Business Profile help puts numbers on it. Customers are 2.7 times more likely to consider a business reputable if they find a complete profile on Search and Maps. They’re 70% more likely to visit and 50% more likely to consider buying.

How does Google decide who shows up?

Google says local results are based mainly on three things (Google):

• Relevance: how well your profile matches the search. Complete, detailed information helps.
• Distance: how far you are from the person searching, or from the place they searched for.
• Popularity: how well known you are, online and off. Reviews, links and articles all count.

You can’t move your premises, but you control relevance completely and popularity over time.

How do I set up and optimise my profile?

1. Claim or create the profile at google.com/business, using a Google account the business owns, not a staff member’s personal one.
2. Verify it. Google may verify by video, phone, email or post. Follow the prompts.
3. Pick the most specific primary category. “Emergency electrician” beats “electrician” if that’s your main work. Add a few secondary categories for other services.
4. Set your address or service area. If customers don’t come to you, hide your address and list the suburbs you serve.
5. Fill in every field. Hours, holiday hours, phone, website, services, products, and the attributes that apply.
6. Write a plain description of what you do and where, in the words customers use. Skip the keyword stuffing.
7. Add real photos. Your team, your work, your premises and your vehicles. Update them every few months.

How do reviews affect my listing?

Reviews feed the popularity signal, and they’re what customers read before they call. Aim for a steady flow of genuine reviews:

• Ask at the right moment, straight after a job goes well.
• Make it easy. Send the short review link from your profile by SMS or email.
• Reply to every review, good and bad, politely and quickly.
• Never buy or fake reviews. The ACCC treats fake reviews as misleading conduct, and Google removes them.

How should my profile and website work together?

Your profile sends people to your website, and your website confirms who you are. Keep the business name, address and phone number exactly the same on both. Add structured data (schema markup) to your website so search engines can read those details reliably. Our guide to schema markup for small business explains how.

Make sure the page you link to loads fast on a phone. Mobile made up 48.6% of Australian web traffic in October 2026 (StatCounter). A slow site wastes the click your profile earned. Our website speed and improvement work fixes that.

How often should I update it?

Little and often works best:

• Weekly: reply to new reviews and questions.
• Monthly: add a photo or a post about a recent job, offer or event.
• Before holidays: set special hours, so customers don’t arrive to a locked door.
• Whenever anything changes: phone, hours, services or address.

When is it time for a better website too?

A strong profile gets the click. Your website has to win the job. If your site looks dated, loads slowly or doesn’t explain your services clearly, it’s leaking the leads your profile brings in. Our guides on website design costs in Australia and custom websites vs templates will help you weigh it up.

For design and marketing work, Website Management Services is part of the Next Level Creative family, alongside 21 Designs. See design and marketing from the Next Level Creative family.

Your profile works best alongside a site that’s set up for local search. Our local SEO checklist and our guide to SEO for small business in Australia cover the website side.

Frequently asked questions

Is a Google Business Profile free?

Yes. Creating and managing a profile costs nothing. Be wary of anyone who calls claiming you must pay Google to keep your listing.

Is Google My Business the same thing?

Yes. Google My Business was renamed Google Business Profile in 2021. The listing works the same way.

Can I have a profile without a shopfront?

Yes. Service-area businesses, such as tradies and mobile services, can hide their address and list the areas they serve instead.

How do I get more Google reviews?

Ask happy customers straight after the job, and send them your profile’s review link. Reply to every review. Never pay for or fake reviews.

Why isn’t my business showing on Google Maps?

Common reasons are an unverified profile, a vague category, missing details or distance from the searcher. Complete every field and check verification first.

Sources

1. About Business Profiles, Google Business Profile Help
2. Tips to improve your local ranking on Google, Google Business Profile Help
3. Search engine market share Australia, StatCounter, October 2026
4. Desktop vs mobile vs tablet market share Australia, StatCounter, October 2026