How to Boost Google My Business

Your Google Business Profile is one of the most powerful free marketing tools you have, but simply existing on Google Maps isn't enough. To rise above your competitors and capture high-intent customers, you need to actively manage and optimize your listing. This guide provides an actionable playbook for turning your static profile into a dynamic, customer-attracting machine that boosts your visibility in local search and the map pack.

Get the Basics Flawlessly Right: Your Profile Foundation

Before you dive into a fancy content strategy, you have to get the fundamentals perfect. These core details are the bedrock of your local SEO efforts. Trivial mistakes or inconsistencies here can undo all your hard work elsewhere. Make it a one-time task to review every single field and lock it down.

1. Settle on Your Exact Business Name

This sounds simple, but it’s a common pitfall. Your Google Business Profile (GBP) name must be your actual, real-world business name - the one on your sign, on your business registration, and on your website. Do not add keywords or city names to it (e.g., "Mandy's Coffee House - Best Coffee & Lattes in Brooklyn"). This used to be a popular tactic, but Google now considers it spammy and may penalize or suspend your listing.

2. Lock Down Your NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number)

Consistency is everything. Your Name, Address, and Phone Number (NAP) must be identical across your website, your GBP, and every other directory or mention of your business online (like Yelp, Facebook, etc.).

• Does your address use "Street" or "St."?
• Does your phone number use hyphens or parentheses?

Pick one format and stick to it religiously. Inconsistent NAP information confuses Google and erodes the trust it has in your data, which can hurt your ranking.

3. Choose the Right Categories

Your primary category is the single most important ranking factor for GMB. It tells Google what your business is. Be as specific as possible. Don't choose "Restaurant" if you're a "Pizza Restaurant."

After you’ve set your primary category, add relevant secondary categories. These let you tell Google what your business has or does. A "Pizza Restaurant" might have secondary categories like "Italian Restaurant" or "Takeaway Restaurant."

4. Fill Out Every Single Attribute

In the "Info" section of your profile, Google gives you a long list of attributes to select from. These are the small but powerful details that can sway a customer, like:

• "Woman-led"
• "Free Wi-Fi"
• "Outdoor seating"
• "Wheelchair accessible entrance"

These attributes often appear directly in search results and can help you win business from users searching for specific features. Go through the entire list and check off every single one that applies to you.

Bring Your Business to Life with Photos and Videos

People shop with their eyes. A profile with just a generic Google Street View image feels dated and untrustworthy. A profile flush with high-quality, recent photos tells customers that you’re active, proud of your space, and have something worth showing off.

Aim for a steady stream of new photos in these key categories:

• Exterior Photos: Take several shots from different angles and times of day to help people find you easily.
• Interior Photos: Show off your ambiance, decor, and waiting areas. Help customers feel what it’s like to be there.
• Product/Service Photos: If you sell physical products, showcase them. If you provide a service, show your team in action (with their permission, of course).
• Team Photos: Show the real people behind your business. Authentic headshots or team activity photos build trust and a human connection.

Don't forget video! A 15-30 second walk-through of your shop, a clip of your team at work, or an introduction from the owner can dramatically increase engagement. Videos help your profile stand out and keep users on your listing longer - a positive signal to Google’s algorithm.

Pro Tip: Before uploading images, rename the file 'your-business-keyword-city.jpg' (e.g., modern-italian-restaurant-boulder.jpg). It’s a small detail that can add extra relevance in Google’s eyes.

Actively Manage Your Reputation with Customer Reviews

Reviews are the modern currency of trust. A strong collection of positive, recent reviews is one of the clearest signals to both Google and new customers that your business is a top contender. But getting reviews is only half the battle, managing them is where you really win.

How to Get More Reviews (The Right Way)

First, never incentivize reviews. Paying for them, or offering discounts in exchange for a review, violates Google's terms of service. Instead, make it easy for happy customers to leave feedback.

• Create and share a review link: In your GMB dashboard, you can get a direct link to your review page. Add this link to your email signature, receipts, or post-purchase thank you emails.
• Just ask: The easiest way to get reviews is to ask for them. When a customer pays you a compliment in person, simply say, "Thank you so much! It would mean the world to us if you shared that feedback on Google. It really helps a small business like ours."

Why You Must Respond to Every single Review

Responding to reviews shows that you are an engaged and caring business owner. It transforms your profile from a static directory listing into an active communication channel.

• For positive reviews: Thank the customer by name and mention the specific thing they enjoyed. This reinforces the positive experience and shows future customers that you value feedback.
• For negative reviews: This is your opportunity to demonstrate excellent customer service. Respond promptly, apologize for their bad experience (even if you feel you were right), keep it brief, and offer to take the conversation offline to resolve the issue. A thoughtful reply to a negative review can often build more trust than a dozen positive ones.

Keep Things Fresh with Google Posts

Google Posts are a massively underused feature that function like social media updates or mini blog posts for your Business Profile. They appear prominently in search and map results and are a direct way to communicate offers, events, and news to potential customers. More importantly, they signal to Google that your business is active and consistently provides fresh information.

Create a simple content calendar to publish at least one Google Post per week. Here are some ideas:

• Updates: Share news about a new product, a recent blog post you published, or showcase a team member of the week.
• Offers: Create special discounts with coupon codes and urgency (e.g., "15% off this weekend only"). This is great for driving immediate traffic.
• Events: Announce workshops, webinars, sales, or in-store events with a clear date, time, and link to register or learn more.

Every post should include a high-quality photo or simple video and a clear call-to-action (CTA) like "Learn More," "Call Now," or "Shop Online."

Own the Narrative with the Q&A Section

The "Questions & Answers" section on your profile can be a goldmine or a liability. Anyone can ask a question, and anyone can answer it. If you ignore this section, you risk having customers ask common questions that go unanswered, or worse, get answered incorrectly by a random user.

You can (and should) take control of this.

1. Brainstorm your top 5-10 FAQs. What do customers always ask? (e.g., "Do you have parking?", "Are you pet-friendly?", "Do you take reservations?").
2. Seed your Q&A. Ask these questions yourself using a personal Google account.
3. Answer them immediately. Log back in as the business owner and answer each question clearly and authoritatively.

By pre-populating this section with helpful information, you save your customers time and control the messaging around your business. Make sure to monitor this section regularly for new questions from potential customers.

Add Your Products and Services

Don't just say what you do in your description - showcase it. The Products and Services tabs let you create a detailed catalog right on your profile.

• For Products: Add a high-quality photo, a price (or price range), a compelling description, and a link to the product page on your website for each item you sell.
• For Services: Group related services together, add prices (if applicable), and write a short, clear description of what each service includes and who it’s for.

Filling this out helps Google understand the breadth of your offerings on a much deeper level. It also transforms your profile from an informational listing into a powerful shopping tool.

Final Thoughts

Boosting your Google Business Profile isn’t a one-and-done task, it’s an ongoing process of providing fresh information, engaging with your community, and signaling to Google that you are a relevant, active, and authoritative business in your local market. Committing just an hour or two a week to these strategies will put you leagues ahead of competitors who treat their profile as a set-it-and-forget-it listing.

Just as a consistent stream of Google Posts builds relevance, a steady content calendar on your social channels is vital for brand building. We designed Postbase to make that consistently easy. When you’re done creating a new offer for your GMB profile, you can use our platform to schedule it across all your social accounts - Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and more - in a single click. It's built for the way people actually use modern social media, with reliable scheduling and a beautiful visual calendar to keep everything organized.