Google Business Profile
Set Up & Optimised For £49
A Google Business Profile is how local customers find you on Google Search and Maps, and it is completely free to have. The hard part is setting it up properly so it actually ranks. I create, verify and fully optimise yours for a one-off £49. Trusted by small businesses across Stoke on Trent and Staffordshire.
What is a Google Business Profile?
In plain English, with no jargon. If you've ever searched for a business near you on Google, you've already used one.
A Google Business Profile (you might remember it as Google My Business) is the free listing that represents your business on Google Search and Google Maps. It's the panel that pops up with your name, photos, star rating, opening hours, phone number, directions and a button straight to your website.
For a local business it is often the very first thing a customer sees, before your website, before your social media, before anything else. People use it to decide in seconds whether to call you, visit you or scroll on to a competitor. A complete, polished profile builds instant trust. A thin or missing one quietly sends that customer somewhere else.
The best part? It's 100% free to have. The catch is that setting it up correctly, getting it verified and optimising it so Google actually shows it to the right people takes time and a fair bit of know-how, which is exactly where I come in.
Why a profile is absolutely vital.
For a local business, this is the single most important free tool Google gives you. Here's why it's not optional any more.
It's where customers look first
Searches like plumber near me or hairdresser Stoke on Trent happen thousands of times a day. Your profile is what decides whether you show up in that moment, or your competitor does.
It builds instant trust
Real photos, genuine reviews, opening hours and a tidy listing tell a customer you're established and reliable, before they've even clicked through to your website.
It drives free, local enquiries
Calls, direction requests and website clicks all come straight from your profile, with no ad spend. It quietly works for you 24 hours a day.
It powers the Map Pack
Those three businesses Google shows on a map at the top of local results? They're all pulled from optimised profiles. No profile means no chance of being there.
It levels the playing field
You don't need the biggest budget to win locally. A well-optimised profile can outrank far larger competitors who've left theirs half-finished.
It collects your reviews
Your Google reviews live here, and they're the social proof that tips an undecided customer into a paying one. A profile gives them somewhere to leave that gold.
How to set one up yourself.
Happy to have a go on your own? Here's the honest, step-by-step version, nothing held back.
Sign in and find your business
Go to google.com/business and sign in with a Google account. Search for your business name in case a profile already exists, if it does, claim it rather than creating a duplicate.
Add your core details
Enter your business name exactly as it appears on your signage, plus your address (or service area), phone number and website. Keep this consistent with how you appear everywhere else online.
Choose the right categories
Pick the most accurate primary category, then add relevant secondary ones. This is one of the biggest ranking factors and the easiest to get wrong, so choose carefully.
Verify your business
Google needs to confirm you're real, usually by post, phone, email or video. This step can take a few days and nothing goes live until it's done. Don't skip it.
Fill in every section
Add your opening hours, services, a keyword-rich description, attributes and plenty of good photos. A complete profile is rewarded by Google, an empty one is buried.
Keep it active
Post updates, reply to every review and keep your details accurate. Google favours profiles that are clearly looked after, so a little ongoing attention goes a long way.
It's free to do, but easy to get wrong
The wrong category, an inconsistent address or a half-filled listing can quietly hold you back for months without you ever knowing why. If you'd rather it was done right first time, I'll set yours up and fully optimise it for a one-off £49.
Getting into the Map Pack.
When someone searches for a local service, Google shows a small map with three businesses pinned beneath it, this is the Map Pack (or local pack). It sits right at the top of the results, above the normal website listings, and it's where the lion's share of clicks and calls go.
Ranking in those three spots can transform a local business. The businesses that get there almost always have one thing in common: a complete, carefully optimised Google Business Profile backed by genuine reviews and consistent details across the web.
- Accurate categories and a keyword-rich description
- Consistent name, address and phone number everywhere
- A steady stream of real, recent reviews
- Quality photos and regular profile activity
What a great profile does for you.
Set up and looked after properly, your profile quietly works harder than almost any other marketing you own.
More visibility. You appear when nearby customers are searching for exactly what you offer, at the precise moment they're ready to buy.
More trust. Reviews, photos and a complete listing make you look established and safe to choose.
More enquiries. One-tap calls, directions and website clicks turn searches into real, paying customers.
More insight. Google shows you how people found you and what they did next, so you learn what's working.
More competitive edge. A polished profile can lift a small local business above far bigger names who've neglected theirs.
And because the profile itself is free, every one of those benefits comes with no ongoing cost, once it's set up and optimised properly.
I'll set yours up & optimise it fully.
Skip the guesswork and the half-finished listing. I'll create or claim your Google Business Profile, get it verified and optimise every part of it so it's ready to rank, all for one simple, one-off fee. No subscriptions, no surprises.
- Profile created or claimed, and fully verified
- Best primary & secondary categories chosen
- Keyword-rich description, services & opening hours
- Photos uploaded, named & optimised correctly
- Messaging & review tools switched on
- Simple tips to keep it ranking afterwards
Google Business Profile questions.
The things small businesses ask most before getting their profile sorted. Still unsure? Just drop me a message.
A Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is the free business listing that shows up on Google Search and Google Maps. It is the box that appears on the right of the search results with your name, photos, opening hours, reviews, phone number and a button to your website. It is how most local customers find and judge a business before they ever visit your site.
Yes, the profile itself is completely free to create and Google never charges you to keep it. What costs time and know-how is setting it up correctly, verifying it, choosing the right categories and optimising it so it actually ranks in the local results. That is the bit I handle for a one-off fee of £49.
The Map Pack (also called the local pack) is the group of three businesses Google shows on a small map at the top of local search results, for example when someone searches plumber near me or hairdresser Stoke on Trent. Appearing in those three spots is one of the most valuable positions in local search because it sits above the normal website listings.
No, you can have a profile without a website, but the two work far better together. A profile gets you found, and a well-built website turns those visitors into enquiries and bookings. If you do not have a site yet, I can build one and link it to your profile so everything points in the same direction.
Creating the profile takes a short while, but Google verification can take a few days as they confirm your business is real, sometimes by post. Once verified, I optimise everything, categories, services, description, photos and posts, in one go. Most profiles are fully set up and optimised within a week or two of verification.
I create or claim your profile, verify it, choose the best primary and secondary categories, write a keyword-rich description, add your services and opening hours, upload and name your photos correctly, set up the messaging and review tools, and give you simple tips to keep it ranking. It is a one-off £49 with no ongoing cost.
Let's get your
website live.
Fill in the form and I'll get back to you usually within the hour. No sales pitch, just a straightforward conversation about what your business needs.
Send a message
Fill in what you can, even a rough idea of what you need is enough to start.