How to Update Google My Business

Your Google Business Profile is your digital storefront, and keeping it fresh is one of the most effective ways to attract new local customers searching for what you offer. If your profile is out of date, you're not just providing bad information - you're telling Google and potential customers that you're not paying attention. This guide will walk you through exactly how to update your profile, covering everything from the foundational details to the engagement features that help you stand out from the competition.

Why Bother Updating Your Google Business Profile?

Dedicating time to your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business, or GMB) pays off in several important ways. It’s not just a static listing, it’s a living profile that acts as a direct line to your local audience. Keeping it updated is a powerful, zero-cost marketing activity.

Here's what a regularly updated profile does for you:

• Boosts Local SEO: Google's local search algorithm rewards active and accurate profiles. When you signal that your business information is current and you're actively engaging with features like Posts and Reviews, Google is more likely to show your profile to people searching a few blocks away.
• Builds Trust and Credibility: An empty or outdated profile raises red flags. Does this business still exist? Are these hours correct? A profile complete with recent photos, positive reviews, and current information makes customers feel confident choosing you.
• Improves Customer Experience: Nothing frustrates a potential customer more than driving to your store only to find it's closed, despite Google saying it's open. Accurate hours, a correct address, and a working phone number are the absolute bare minimum for a good customer experience.
• Drives Real-World Action: Your profile isn't just for looking at. It's designed to make things happen. An optimized profile leads directly to more clicks for directions, more phone calls, and more visits to your website, all from customers with high intent to buy.

The Absolute Essentials: Core Business Information

Before you dive into the more advanced features, you need to make sure your core information is 100% accurate. These are the non-negotiables that customers rely on every day.

Step-by-Step: Accessing and Editing Your Profile

Google has made updating your profile easier than ever. Forget logging into a separate, clunky dashboard. You can now manage everything directly from Google Search or Maps.

1. Make sure you’re logged into the Google account used to manage your profile.
2. Open Google and search for your exact business name, or simply search for "my business".
3. You’ll see a management panel appear at the top of the search results that only you can see. This is your command center.
4. From here, you’ll see buttons like "Edit profile," "Read reviews," "Add update," and "Add photo." It's that simple to get started.

Now, let's nail down that foundational info.

Updating Your NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number)

Your NAP is the golden trio of local SEO. Inconsistency in your business name, address, or phone number across the web can confuse both search engines and customers. Your Google Business Profile should be the single source of truth.

How to update it: In your management panel, click "Edit profile" and then select the "Contact" tab. Here you can correct your phone number, add your website, and precisely position your map pin for accurate directions. Make sure every single detail matches what’s on your website and other online directories.

Setting Your Business Hours and Holiday Closures

Incorrect hours are a major source of customer frustration and negative reviews. Keep your regular hours up to date and be proactive about special hours for holidays or events.

How to update it: Click "Edit profile" and select the "Hours" tab. Adjust your standard opening and closing times for each day. Pay special attention to the "Holiday hours" section. Google often prompts you to confirm your hours for upcoming holidays like Thanksgiving or Christmas - always take a moment to confirm them. It shows customers you’re on top of things.

Choosing the Right Categories

Categories tell Google what your business is. This is how Google decides which searches your profile is relevant for. Choosing the right ones is fundamental to getting found.

• Primary Category: This is the most important one. It should describe the main offering of your business in the most specific way possible (e.g., "Italian Restaurant" instead of just "Restaurant").
• Secondary Categories: These let you add more details about other things you offer. That Italian restaurant might add "Pizza Delivery," "Caterer," and "Bar" as secondary categories to capture a wider range of relevant searches.

How to update it: Go to "Edit profile" -> "Business information" -> "Category." You can change your primary category and add multiple secondary ones. Pro tip: Search for a few of your top-ranking local competitors and see what categories they use for inspiration.

Level Up Your Profile: Go Beyond the Basics

With the essentials locked in, it's time to add the rich details that make your profile compelling and help you outshine competitors.

Crafting a Compelling Business Description

Your business description is your opportunity to tell potential customers who you are and why they should choose you. You have 750 characters to make your case. Don't waste them.

A good description should:

• Clearly state what you do and who you serve.
• Highlight what makes your business unique (your story, your values, your special offers).
• Naturally include a few important keywords a customer might use to find you.

How to update it: Go to "Edit profile" -> "Business information." Scroll down to the "Description" field and craft your message. Remember to write for humans first, search engines second.

Show, Don't Tell: Adding Photos and Videos

Photos and videos are the fastest way to convey the atmosphere and reality of your business. Profiles with more images get more clicks, more calls, and more direction requests. People want to see what they’re getting into before they visit.

Upload a variety of high-quality images:

• Logo & Cover Photo: These are your brand identifiers.
• Exterior: Help people recognize your location from the street.
• Interior: Show off your space, decor, and ambiance.
• Products/Services: Show your work in action or display your best-selling items.
• Team Photos: Put a friendly face to your business and build a personal connection.

Small, regular photo uploads signal to Google that your business is active. You don't need a professional photographer, great photos can be taken with a modern smartphone as long as the lighting is good.

Listing Your Products and Services

The "Products" and "Services" sections are powerful but often underutilized. By adding what you sell directly to your profile, you create a catalog that can show up in search results for highly specific queries.

• For service-based businesses (plumbers, marketing agencies, salons), use the Services editor to list everything you do, with optional descriptions and pricing.
• For businesses that sell physical goods (retail stores, bakeries, artists), use the Products editor to build a browsable catalog complete with photos, a price, and a link to buy online.

Adding these gives Google way more keywords to associate with your business, increasing your visibility for people searching for exactly what you offer.

Harnessing "Attributes" to Detail Your Business

Attributes are specific tags that quickly communicate key pieces of information. They often appear as small icons on your profile and help you show up in filtered searches (e.g., "restaurants with outdoor seating").

Examples include:

• From the business: "Woman-owned," "Black-owned," "Veteran-led."
• Accessibility: "Wheelchair-accessible entrance," "Accessible restroom."
• Offerings: "Free Wi-Fi," "Outdoor seating," "Happy hour."

How to update them: Click "Edit profile" and look under the "More" section to find the available attributes for your business category. Review these periodically, as Google adds new ones all the time.

The Ongoing Strategy: Keeping Your Profile Active and Engaging

A great Google Business Profile is never truly "finished." The final piece of the puzzle is using its interactive features to continuously signal to Google that your business is active and engaged.

Posting Updates Like a Pro

Google Posts are like mini-social media updates that appear directly on your profile. They’re perfect for promotions, announcements, and sharing news. Even better, they only last for a short time, which creates a fantastic reason to log in weekly and keep your content fresh.

Use the three main post types:

• Updates: Share general news or highlight a product or service.
• Offers: Create a promotion with a start and end date, coupon code, and a link to redeem.
• Events: Promote upcoming happenings with a title, date, time, and link to register.

Strive to publish at least one post a week. Always include a high-quality photo or simple video and a clear call-to-action button like "Learn More," "Call Now," or "Shop."

The Power of Q&A

The Questions & Answers section on your profile can be a goldmine of information for new customers. The catch? Anyone can ask a question, and *anyone* can answer it. This means you need to stay on top of it to manage the conversation and prevent inaccurate information from being shared.

A smart strategy is to proactively populate this section yourself. Think about the top 5-10 frequently asked questions your customers have, post them to your profile, and then immediately answer them yourself. This transforms your Q&A section into a helpful, pre-made FAQ visible to everyone.

Managing and Responding to Reviews

Reviews are arguably the most influential part of your profile. They are powerful social proof that directly impacts both search rankings and customer decisions. Managing them is not optional.

Follow these best practices:

• Respond to Every Review: Make it a habit to reply to all reviews, both positive and negative. It shows you're listening and you care about customer feedback.
• Thank Positive Reviewers: A simple "Thanks so much for the kind words!" goes a long way. Mention the specifics of their review to show you read it.
• Handle Negative Reviews Professionally: Do not get defensive. Acknowledge their experience, sympathize, and offer to take the conversation offline to resolve it ("Please call us at... so we can make this right."). How you handle public criticism speaks volumes about your business.

Finally, make it easy for your best customers to leave feedback by sharing your direct review link through email, on receipts, or in-person.

Final Thoughts

Maintaining your Google Business Profile isn’t a one-time task, it's an ongoing commitment to providing accurate information, sharing rich content, and engaging with your local community. A well-managed profile is one of the most powerful and cost-effective marketing tools at your disposal, capable of driving real-world results day after day.

While your Google profile is a crucial channel, we know it’s just one piece of your broader marketing puzzle. Juggling it with Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and LinkedIn can easily feel overwhelming. Knowing this, we built Postbase to bring all your social media management into one clean, visual calendar. This lets you plan, schedule, and analyze your content across all platforms from a single dashboard, giving you back the time to focus on what matters most - running your business.