When someone searches "electrician near me" or "best barber in Liverpool", the first thing they see isn't a website. It's the map, with three business listings sat right underneath it. That block is called the "map pack", and for a local business it's the single most valuable piece of real estate on the entire internet.
Those three spots are pulled from Google Business Profiles, the free listings any business can claim. Get yours set up and optimised properly and you can appear there for the exact searches your customers are typing. Ignore it, and you're handing those customers to the competitor down the road who didn't.
Here's exactly how to optimise your Google Business Profile, step by step, including the part most people get wrong: reviews.
Why your Google Business Profile matters more than your website (for local search)
Your website is important, but for someone searching on their phone, ready to call, your Google Business Profile does the heavy lifting. It shows your hours, your location, your photos, your reviews, and a tap-to-call button, all without them ever leaving the search results.
It's also free, and it's one of the strongest local ranking signals Google has. A complete, active, well-reviewed profile will consistently out-perform a half-finished one, regardless of how nice either business's website is.
Step 1: Claim and verify your profile
You can't optimise what you don't control. Head to Google Business Profile and either claim your existing listing (Google may have already created a basic one) or create a new one. Google will then verify you own the business, usually by video, phone, or postcard.
One important tip: if you work from home, you don't have to display your home address. Set your listing as a service area business and you simply list the areas you cover, the Wirral, Liverpool, Merseyside, while your address stays private.
Step 2: Nail your categories and services
Your primary category is one of the biggest factors in what you rank for. Be specific. "Plumber" is better than "Contractor". "Hair salon" is better than "Beauty shop". Then add relevant secondary categories, and list out every service you offer individually, this is what Google matches against people's searches.
Step 3: Write a description around what people actually search
Your business description should read naturally, but be built around the words your customers use. Include what you do, where you do it, and who you help. Something like: "A friendly, professional electrician serving homes and businesses across the Wirral and Merseyside" tells Google exactly when to show you, and reassures the customer at the same time.
Step 4: Add photos, and keep adding them
Profiles with good photos get significantly more clicks and calls than those without. Add your logo, a cover photo, and a genuine gallery: your work, your team, your premises or van, before-and-afters. Fresh photos also signal to Google that the profile is active, which helps your ranking. Add a few every month.
Step 5: Use Google Posts
Google Posts are little updates that appear on your profile, an offer, a recent job, a seasonal reminder. Most businesses never touch them, which is exactly why using them helps you stand out. They keep your profile looking active and give customers another reason to get in touch.
Step 6: Get reviews that actually move the needle
This is the part that makes the biggest difference, and the part most businesses get wrong. Reviews aren't just about your star rating. Google actually reads the text of your reviews and uses it as a relevance signal. That means the words your customers use genuinely affect what you rank for.
So a review that just says "Great, thanks!" is nice, but a review that says "Brilliant boiler repair in Birkenhead, really professional, would highly recommend" is doing real work for you. It reinforces the service, the location, and the kind of language people search with.
The key is that this has to happen naturally and honestly. You can't write reviews yourself, you can't offer anything in exchange for them, and you can't hide the bad ones, all of that breaks Google's rules and can get your profile suspended. What you can do is gently guide happy customers. When you ask for a review, it's completely fair to prompt them with something like:
You're not putting words in their mouth or scripting a fake review, you're just reminding a genuinely happy customer of the details that make their review useful. Done honestly, this is the single most powerful thing a local business can do for its Google ranking.
How to actually get customers to leave reviews
The best time to ask is right after you've done great work, while the customer's still buzzing about it. Make it effortless, Google gives you a short review link you can text or email straight to them. The easier you make it, the more reviews you'll get. A steady trickle of recent, genuine reviews beats a burst of ten and then nothing.
Don't want to figure all this out yourself? I'll set up and fully optimise your Google Business Profile for a one-off £150, reviews strategy included.
See the GBP service →How long does it take to work?
Some of it is immediate, claiming, verifying and filling out your profile can be done in a day, and a complete profile can start appearing in local searches quickly. Reviews and ranking build over time. The businesses that win the map pack are the ones that set it up properly, then keep it active with fresh photos, the odd post, and a steady stream of honest reviews.
The bottom line
Your Google Business Profile is the most valuable free marketing tool a local business has, and most of your competitors are barely using theirs. Claim it, fill it out completely, keep it active, and build genuine reviews that mention the service, the location and a recommendation. Do that and you'll be showing up exactly where your customers are already looking.