How to Optimise Your Google Business Profile to Get More Calls

# How to Optimise Your Google Business Profile to Get More Calls

Your Google Business Profile (GBP) is probably the most valuable piece of free marketing real estate you own. When someone searches for "plumber near me" or "dog groomer Coventry", Google's algorithm decides who shows up at the top of that list. A properly optimised profile can be the difference between getting three calls a week and getting three calls a day.

The problem is, most small business owners treat their GBP like a set-and-forget directory listing. They fill in the basics, maybe add a photo or two, and then never touch it again. That's leaving money on the table.

I'm going to walk you through exactly what moves the needle on your GBP, and what's just noise.

Why Your Google Business Profile Actually Matters

When someone is searching for your service with buying intent—ready to call or book today—Google shows them your profile before they see your website. They see your opening hours, read your reviews, look at your photos, and check your contact details. That's your chance to convince them to pick up the phone.

Google also rewards profiles that are complete, regularly updated, and well-maintained with better visibility in local search results. A study by BrightLocal found that businesses with fully optimised profiles were 70% more likely to receive location visits. In practical terms, that means more foot traffic, more calls, and more enquiries.

So let's talk about what actually works.

The Non-Negotiable Foundations

Before you worry about bells and whistles, these basics need to be solid:

Accurate business information

Your business name, address, and phone number must be exactly the same everywhere—your website, your social media, your GBP, and any local directories you're listed on. Google takes consistency seriously. If your address says "123 High Street" on your GBP but "123 High St" on your website, Google gets confused, and so does your ranking.

If you've recently moved, update this immediately. If you work from home, you can still use your home address—you just need to tick the "serves area" option so you appear in searches across your service area, not just at your postcode.

Your actual opening hours

Get this wrong and you'll lose calls. Someone will ring at 2 p.m. on a Wednesday, get voicemail, and never call back. If you close for lunch or have shorter hours on certain days, put it in. If you're closed Mondays, say so. Google also gives a small ranking boost to businesses that keep their hours updated and accurate—it suggests you're actively managing your profile.

A working phone number

Make sure the number on your GBP is one you actually answer. It sounds obvious, but if you only use WhatsApp or email, you've probably buried your phone number somewhere hard to find. Add it, make it the primary contact, and answer it when it rings.

What Actually Moves the Needle

These three things have the biggest impact on calls and enquiries:

1. Photos (This One's Real)

Photos are the single most important thing you can do after the basics. They work because people want to know what you actually look like and what your work looks like.

Add a clear profile photo. For sole traders, use a professional headshot—not a blurry iPhone picture from 2015. For teams, use a clean business photo. This appears everywhere your profile shows up.

Add photos of your work. If you're a roofer, show a finished roof. If you're a beautician, show your salon. If you're a decorator, show before-and-afters. Add at least 5–10 photos; 20 is even better. Google gives more visibility to profiles with lots of fresh photos.

Add photos regularly. Every few weeks, add a new photo. This signals to Google that you're active and keeps your profile high in the rankings. It doesn't have to be a professional shoot—a phone photo of yesterday's job is fine.

Photos beat everything else because they're what converts browsers into callers. Someone browsing your profile will glance at the text, but they'll spend time looking at photos. If your photos look professional and relevant, they'll call.

2. Categories (Choose Them Carefully)

Your primary category is important—it tells Google what you do. Choose the most specific match. Don't say "business services" if you're a bookkeeper; say "bookkeeper". Google has hundreds of categories to choose from.

You can add up to 10 categories, but only do this if they're genuinely relevant. A plumber shouldn't also list themselves as a bathroom fitter unless they actually do both at the same standard. Multiple categories can actually confuse Google's algorithm and hurt your ranking.

Example: A decorator based in Bristol should list "painter" as primary, then "decorator" or "interior designer" as secondary if appropriate. Not "home services", "property maintenance", and six other vague options.

The High-Value Optional Extras

Once the basics are solid, these are worth your time:

3. Google Posts

These are short updates that appear on your profile. Think of them as mini-announcements.

Use them for:

• Seasonal promotions ("Spring offer: 20% off garden clearance, April only")
• New services ("Now offering commercial cleaning")
• Social proof ("Just completed 50 five-star reviews this month!")
• Answers to common questions ("Yes, we do emergency callouts")

Each post lives for seven days, then disappears. So this is genuinely low-effort: spend five minutes writing something useful, and you're done. Don't overthink it.

The impact is modest—they're not a game-changer—but they do show Google that you're actively managing your profile, which counts in your favour. And if someone's comparing you with a competitor, seeing that you posted last week and they posted six months ago matters.

4. Q&A Section

Google lets customers (and you) ask and answer questions on your profile. This is often ignored, but it's actually useful.

Go through your profile regularly and answer the questions you see. Common ones might be:

• Do you offer emergency services?
• What areas do you cover?
• Do you offer free quotes?
• What's your typical turnaround time?

If you notice you're getting the same question multiple times, that's a sign your profile description or FAQs need updating.

You can also proactively add questions yourself—go ahead and answer them immediately. This fills the section with useful information and gives you another chance to show up in search results.

5. Products and Services Section

If you offer multiple services or products, list them clearly. A hairdresser might list "haircuts", "colouring", "treatments", and "styling". A plumber might list "emergency repairs", "boiler servicing", "installations", and "maintenance plans".

Add a short description (one sentence) and a price if you want. This helps people know exactly what you offer before they ring, which means fewer vague enquiries and more qualified calls.

The Stuff That Doesn't Matter As Much

Messaging features: Google lets you enable messaging, so customers can text you through your profile. Nice if you want it, but most small businesses we work with don't use it. People still prefer to call.

Website link: Make sure you have one, but it doesn't move the ranking needle. Your profile content matters more than where it links to.

Attributes: Checkboxes like "wheelchair accessible" or "online booking available". Useful if they apply to you, but don't waste time ticking boxes that don't represent your actual business.

Review Responses: The Hidden Lever

Here's something most businesses miss: responding to reviews matters.

Every time you respond to a review, Google registers activity on your profile. This counts as a ranking signal. A business that responds to all its reviews will outrank an identical business that ignores them.

You don't need a long response. For positive reviews, a simple "Thanks, we appreciated your business!" is fine. For negative reviews, a short, professional apology and offer to fix the issue works.

This takes maybe 10 minutes a week and it genuinely affects your visibility. It's one of those things that feels optional but isn't.

What to Actually Do This Week

Pick one thing from this list and do it properly, rather than doing everything half-heartedly.

If you haven't uploaded photos yet, spend an hour this weekend taking 10–15 good photos of your work. Do this first.

If your photos are good, add a Google Post about your most popular service or a current offer.

Once those are done, spend 20 minutes making sure your categories, hours, and description are accurate and specific.

That's it. That's a solid month's work. Do that, and you'll see more calls. It's not complicated—it just requires actually doing it instead of thinking about doing it.

If you're not sure whether your profile is properly optimised, or you'd rather have someone else handle it, that's exactly the kind of thing BrightClick helps small businesses with. But honestly, if you follow what's in this article, you'll be ahead of 80% of your local competition.