Why your Google Business Profile isn't working and What to fix first

I was sitting with a client a few months ago, going through his marketing. He had a website. He was running some ads. He had a Facebook page. But when I pulled up his Google Business Profile, it told a different story entirely.

No description. Two photos, both blurry. A handful of reviews from two years ago. No posts. No services listed. And the business hours were wrong.

This is a bloke who does outstanding work. His clients love him. But if you searched for his trade in his area on Google, you would scroll right past him. And that is because Google did not have enough reason to show him to anyone.

The frustrating part is that fixing a Google Business Profile is not hard. It just requires attention. And most trade business owners either don't know what to do, or they set it up once and never touch it again.

Why your Google Business Profile actually matters

When someone in your area searches for a service you provide, Google does not just show a list of websites. It shows a map with three businesses on it. That is the local pack, and it is the single most valuable piece of real estate in local search.

Getting into that top three means your business shows up with your name, rating, phone number, and location before anyone even scrolls down to the organic results. For trade and service businesses, this is where a huge portion of enquiries come from.

But Google only puts businesses in that local pack if it trusts them. And it builds that trust based on what it can see on your profile.

The things that actually move the needle

I have spent a lot of time digging into what separates the profiles that rank from the ones that don't.

Here is what the data consistently shows.

Your primary category matters most. This is the single biggest ranking factor. If you are a landscape contractor, make sure your primary category says "Landscape Contractor" and not something vague like "Landscaper" or "Gardener." Be as specific as Google allows.

Review velocity beats review count. Having 100 reviews is great, but if they are all from two years ago, Google discounts them. What matters more is a steady stream of new reviews. Three to five per month is the sweet spot. Recent reviews carry full weight for about 30 days, then start to decay.

Responding to reviews matters. Businesses that respond to 75% or more of their reviews rank

noticeably higher than those that don't. Respond to every review, positive or negative, within 24 hours if you can. Keep your responses personal and genuine. You don't need to stuff keywords into them. Just acknowledge the customer and thank them.

Completeness counts. Every field Google gives you should be filled in. Your description (use all 750 characters). Your services, listed individually with descriptions. Your products if applicable. Your attributes. Your business hours, including special hours for public holidays. Businesses with fully completed profiles get significantly more views than incomplete ones.

Photos need to be fresh and plentiful. Aim for at least 20 photos on your profile, and add new ones regularly. Show your team, your work in progress, your completed jobs, your vehicle, your shopfront if you have one. Quality matters more than quantity, but you need both.

Google Posts keep your profile active. Think of these like social media updates, but on Google. Post at least once a week. Share a completed job, an offer, a seasonal tip, or a team update. It signals to Google that your business is active and engaged.

The things that don't matter (despite what you may have heard)

There is a lot of noise online about Google Business Profile optimisation, and some of it is outdated or just wrong.

Geotagging your photos does not help. Multiple independent studies have confirmed this, and Google themselves have said it is unnecessary. Google strips the location data from photos when you upload them anyway.

Stuffing keywords into your business description does not improve your ranking. Write your

description for potential customers, not for an algorithm. It should explain who you are, what you do, and why someone should choose you.

Expanding your service area settings does not boost your ranking either. It might help you show up in more searches, but it won't help you rank higher in any of them.

Where to start if your profile needs work

If you haven't touched your Google Business Profile in a while, here is a simple starting point.

First, log in and fill in every single field. Description, services, products, attributes, hours. Leave nothing blank.

Second, upload at least 10 new photos of recent work. Before and after shots are gold.

Third, start asking happy customers for reviews. Not in a pushy way. Just a simple "If you've been happy with the work, a Google review would really help us out." Make it easy by texting them the direct link.

Fourth, respond to every existing review you haven't replied to yet. Even the old ones.

Fifth, post something once a week. It does not have to be fancy. A photo of a job you just finished with a one-line caption is enough.

Do those five things consistently for 90 days and you will see a difference. Not just in your Google ranking, but in the number of enquiries coming through your profile.

Your Google Business Profile is the most powerful free marketing tool you have. Most tradies and trade businesses are leaving it half empty and wondering why the phone isn't ringing.

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f you want help getting yours into shape, or you want a full audit of where your online presence stands, I'd love to have a chat. You can also find out more here.