Google Business Profile (GBP) is free, powerful, and simple to use. However, optimizing it is what distinguishes a business from the crowd of competitors. This can be hard when you're just starting out with Google Business Profile.
The part 1 of this blog series covered how to create your profile from scratch. This article offers useful information on how to make it look compelling and covers:
Reviews
Photos & Videos
Products and services
Google Posts
Questions & answers
Implementing these tips can help improve clickthrough rates and user engagement.
Reviews
Think about the last time you searched for a restaurant, a salon, or a local plumber. Chances are, you checked the reviews before making a decision. That’s because customer reviews provide trust, credibility, and insight into a business’s quality.
For businesses, reviews aren’t just about reputation; they impact visibility on Google. The more positive reviews you have, the more likely your business is to appear in local searches.
Where reviews will be displayed
Google makes reviews highly visible. Here’s where they appear:
Google Business Profile (GBP): When someone searches for your business name, your profile appears with reviews front and center.
Google Maps: Reviews are displayed on your location’s listing, helping potential customers decide if they want to visit.
Search engine results pages (SERPs): If you have enough reviews, Google may show snippets directly in the search results.
Review highlights: Google summarizes common themes from reviews (for example, “great customer service” or “fast delivery”) under “People often mention.”
How Google showcases reviews
Imagine two coffee shops in your area: One has 500 reviews with a 4.7-star rating, while the other has 30 reviews and a 3.9-star rating. Which one are you more likely to visit? Most likely the first one. Google knows this too, which is why highly reviewed businesses tend to rank higher.
Star ratings: Businesses with multiple reviews get a visible star rating (1–5 stars), which influences clicks.
Review snippets: Google highlights relevant customer feedback based on search queries (for example, if someone searches for “best pizza,” reviews mentioning “best pizza” will appear).
Photo reviews: Google encourages users to upload photos with their reviews, making business listings even more engaging and informative.
Pre-generated questions: When leaving a review, Google may prompt users with questions like “What did you like about this place?” to encourage detailed feedback.
Place topics: This machine-learning feature identifies frequently mentioned words in reviews, helping potential customers get a quick overview.
Justifications: Google may pull a quote from a review and display it in search results when it matches a user’s search intent.
Managing and responding to reviews
By actively requesting, managing, and leveraging customer feedback, you can turn reviews into a competitive advantage.
Respond to all reviews (Good or bad): Google notifies reviewers when businesses reply, encouraging engagement.
For positive reviews: Thank the customer and personalize your response. Example: “Thanks, Sarah! We’re so happy you loved our coffee. Hope to see you again soon!”
For negative reviews: Stay professional. Acknowledge the issue, apologize if necessary, and offer a resolution. Example: “We’re sorry you had a bad experience, John. We’d love to make it right—please reach out to [contact info].”
Flag fake or inappropriate reviews: You can report policy-violating reviews on your business profile.
Regularly monitor review trends: Identifying patterns in feedback can help you refine your products and services.
How to ask for reviews
Do not follow any shortcuts like offering incentives for reviews, selectively asking only happy customers, or writing fake reviews—including reviewing your own business.
Ask via email: Send a personalized email after a successful transaction. Example: "Hi [Customer Name], thanks for choosing [Your Business]! We’d love to hear about your experience. It takes just a minute to leave us a review here: [Insert Review Link]. Your feedback helps us grow!"
Display a QR code in your store: Customers can scan it and leave a review instantly.
Add a review button to your website: Make it easy for visitors to leave feedback.
Ask in person: If you have a loyal customer in front of you, simply ask them to leave a review.
Leverage post-purchase thank-you notes: A simple “Thank you” card with a QR code linking to your review page can go a long way.
Photos and videos
In today's digital world, people are visual creatures. They're drawn to images and videos, and that holds true when searching for local businesses online. They're a major conversion factor, turning online searchers into real-world customers.
Google's getting smarter about how it understands images, too. They use AI, like their Vision AI, to analyze the photos you upload to your GBP and website. This helps them understand what your business is all about and can even impact your search rankings.
Best practices for photos and videos on your GBP
Quality over quantity (but aim for both!)
It's not just about having any photos; it's about having good photos. Avoid blurry, poorly lit, or outdated images. Invest the time and effort into creating high-quality visuals that accurately represent your business.
Instead of using a generic stock photo of a person holding a gift, hire a photographer to take photos of your actual gift shop staff helping customers find the perfect gift in your store.
Showcase your business's identity
Use photos to tell your business's story and highlight what makes you unique. Think about the different types of photos you can add.
Identity: Your logo and cover photo are prime real estate. Make sure they're eye-catching and represent your brand well.
Team: Show off your amazing team! Photos of your staff in action, around the office, or even just smiling for the camera can help build trust and create a personal connection.
Exterior: Help customers find you! Post photos of your storefront, signage, and parking area.
Interior: Give customers a glimpse inside your business. Show off your reception area, waiting room, or any other interesting features of your space.
Anything that showcases your business: Get creative! Post photos of your products, services, special events, or anything else that makes your business stand out.
Google's photo and video guidelines
Photo guidelines:
Format: JPG or PNG
Size: Between 10 KB and 5 MB
Recommended resolution: 720 px tall, 720 px wide
Minimum resolution: 250 px tall, 250 px wide
Quality: In focus, well-lit, and no excessive filters
Video guidelines:
Duration: Up to 30 seconds long
File size: Up to 75 MB
Resolution: 720p or higher
Optimize, don't spam
While geotagging and keyword stuffing your photo's EXIF data might seem like a good idea, there's no evidence that it actually helps your rankings. Focus on creating high-quality, relevant photos and let Google's AI do its thing.
Encourage customer photos
Google encourages user-generated content, including photos from your customers. These photos can provide valuable social proof and show potential customers what it's like to experience your business firsthand.
A restaurant could benefit from customers posting photos of their delicious meals, creating a mouth-watering visual feast for potential diners.
Monitor and manage your photos
Keep an eye on the photos that are being uploaded to your GBP, both by you and by your customers. If you see any photos that are inappropriate, inaccurate, or violate Google's policies, you need to request the removal of those photos.
Videos are the real deal
Videos can be a super-engaging way to connect with potential customers. Since Google recommends short videos (up to 30 seconds), here are some ideas:
A quick welcome video from the owner
A tour of your business
Customer testimonials
A video showcasing your daily operations
Regularly update your photos
Don't just set it and forget it! Keep your GBP fresh by regularly uploading new photos and videos. Aim to add new content at least once or twice a week.
Showcase your business
Highlight your projects, team, or products to appeal to potential customers.
A car mechanic could showcase photos of completed repair projects, highlighting their expertise and quality of work, such as before-and-after shots of restored vehicles or detailed images of complex repairs.
Google Business Profile image types
Cover: The prominent image shown in a Google search.
Logo: The image shown next to the business name in a Google search.
Interior: Photos of your business’s interior.
Exterior: Building, parking lot, or other photos that showcase the storefront or customer accessible areas located outside the building.
At work: On-the-job photos, such as job sites or case studies.
Team: Photos of an employee or group photos.
360: Virtual photos taken by a verified photographer that show a 360-degree view of the business.
Learn more about the tips for business-specific photos on your business profile.
Think about it this way: If you're searching for "gym near me," and one listing has dimly lit, blurry photos of dusty equipment, while another has bright, vibrant photos of state-of-the-art machines and energetic group classes, which one are you more likely to click on? The one that shows you what you’re looking for, right?
These are the first steps to create a Google Business Profile that attracts customers and has a great chance at ranking better. Taking these steps makes a big difference. A well-optimized GBP boosts visibility, attracts more customers, and builds trust in your brand.
Products and services
Products and services help businesses showcase what they offer. These features enhance your profile’s appeal, improve search visibility, and can influence potential customers’ decisions.
Here’s a comprehensive guide on what these features are, why you should use them, and how to add and manage them effectively.
What are GBP products and why use them?
Businesses can showcase their products with images, descriptions, and categories directly on their GBP. This feature is especially useful for retail, ecommerce, and businesses with tangible inventory.
Visibility: Products are shown prominently on both mobile and desktop versions of your business profile. On desktops, they appear near the top of the profile, often just below events.
Customer interaction: Each product can link to a specific page on your website, encouraging direct traffic and potential sales.
Who can use it: Access depends on your primary business category. Some categories like hotels, alcohol, guns, cannabis, gambling, and adult entertainment are excluded. If you don’t see the option but competitors do, it could be a bug or category mismatch.
How to add products in GBP
Access the Edit Products tab in your GBP dashboard on the desktop or mobile app.
Click Add product and fill in the required details.
Image: Recommended size 1,200 x 900 pixels (GIFs are allowed and can be eye-catching).
Product name: Up to 58 characters.
Category: Choose an existing category or create a new one.
Description: Up to 1,000 characters, use engaging copy to encourage clicks.
Link: Add a URL to the product page on your website.
Organize products into categories based on your preference.
Save and publish your products by clicking Publish.
Tip: Plan your product listings in advance, keep them updated, and focus on “evergreen” products that don’t frequently go out of stock or change URLs.
Managing and measuring products
Product order is based on the most recently added or updated items; editing a product can move it to the top of the list.
GBP Insights shows website visits but does not specify which part of the profile generated the click. Use UTM parameters on product URLs and monitor Google Analytics campaigns to track traffic and conversions from your GBP products.
What are Services and why should you use them?
Services allow businesses to list the specific services they provide with descriptions, organized under relevant categories. This helps potential customers understand exactly what you offer when they find your business on Google Search or Maps.
Visibility: Services primarily appear on mobile devices under a dedicated Services tab in your business profile. They can also contribute to “justifications” in local search results, where Google highlights relevant services to show why your business matches a search query.
Business entity signal: Adding your services feeds Google detailed, structured information about your business, helping it understand your offerings and potentially boosting your local SEO.
Who can use it: Not all businesses have access to the Services feature; it depends on your business category and Google’s interface updates. You’ll find the Services option in your GBP dashboard if it's available.
How to add services
Log in to Google Business Profile Manager on your desktop.
Navigate to the Services section, usually found under the Info tab or directly in the menu.
Services may be grouped by Google’s predefined categories or in custom sections depending on your dashboard version.
Add your services by selecting a category and entering a clear, concise description.
Review and remove any auto-populated or irrelevant services Google may have added from your website.
Click Save to save your changes.
Tip: Regularly check and update your services to ensure accuracy, as Google sometimes auto-populates this section with outdated or incorrect information.
Limitations and considerations for services
Services do not currently appear on desktop search profiles.
You cannot add links to your website in service descriptions.
Measuring the direct impact of services is difficult since GBP Insights does not provide specific data on service views or clicks.
For businesses with many locations, services can be managed via the Google Business Profile API, allowing bulk updates.
Comparing products and services
Feature | Products | Services |
Visibility | Mobile and desktop | Mobile only |
Website links | Yes, direct links to product pages | No links available |
Categories | Customizable categories | Often predefined by Google |
Impact measurement | Trackable via UTM parameters and Google Analytics | Limited; no direct measurement tools |
Best for | Retail, ecommerce, businesses selling tangible items | Service-based businesses (e.g., salons, plumbers) |
Why use both?
If your business offers both products and services, adding both to your GBP maximizes your visibility and appeal. Products tend to have stronger direct conversion potential due to clickable links, while services help Google better understand your business and can enhance local search relevance.
Adding and optimizing your GBP’s Products and Services features is a straightforward yet impactful way to stand out in local search results and attract more customers. Whether you run a small local shop or a multi-location service business, these tools offer valuable opportunities to showcase what makes your business unique.
Google Posts
Google Posts lets you communicate directly with people searching for your business on Google Search and Maps. Think of them as mini ads or updates that appear right in the search results when someone looks up your business.
You can share news, promote offers, announce events, and generally give potential customers a reason to choose you.
Where do Google Posts show up?
Desktop: In the Knowledge Panel (the information box that appears on the right side of the search results), Google Maps, and the Local Finder.
Mobile: In the Knowledge Panel under the "Updates" heading and within the "($$Business Name) on Google" section of the search results.
Google Maps app: In the "Updates" section of the navigation menu. Keep an eye out for a little red dot that indicates there's something new.
Why Google Posts are important
In short, Google Posts are a powerful tool in your digital marketing arsenal because they offer increased visibility, direct communication, and the ability to highlight what makes your business special right when people are searching for you.
Types of Google Posts
Updates
Updates help you share general business information, announcements, or news. You can include a photo or video, a description, and an action button. This is a great way to keep customers informed about changes or improvements. For example, a gym might post about new fitness classes being added to the schedule.
Offers
Offers are great for promoting discounts or special deals. These posts require a title, start and end dates, and times. A "View offer" button is automatically included, making it easy for customers to take advantage of the deal. You can also add a photo, video, description, coupon code, link, and terms and conditions. For example, a spa could promote a 20% discount on massages for a limited time. Offer posts appear at the top of your Business Profile on Google Search and Maps, as well as in the "Updates" tab.
Events
Events let you promote special happenings at your business. These posts require a title, start and end dates, and a time. If you don’t specify a time, Google will default the event to 24 hours on the posting date. You can also include a photo, video, description, and an action button. For example, a coffee shop could post about an open mic night to encourage local artists to perform.
Key things to know about Google Posts
Photos & videos: Always include a visual! For photos, a good starting point is 1,200 x 900 px (test different dimensions to see what works for you). Videos can be up to 30 seconds long, 75MB in size, and should have a resolution of 720p or higher.
Text: You have up to 1,500 characters, but the first 75–100 characters are the most important, as they're what people will see in the preview. Make those first few sentences count!
Timeframe: Posts expire after seven days, unless you set them up as an "Event" with a specific date range. In that case, they'll expire on the event's end date.
Call-to-Action (CTA): Add a CTA button to encourage engagement. Options include "Book," "Order online," "Buy," "Sign up," "Get offer," "Learn More," and "Call."
Strategies and tips
Use UTM parameters: Add UTM parameters to the URLs in your posts to track where your traffic is coming from. This helps you measure the effectiveness of your posts. Here's an example: https://www.YOURDOMAIN.com/?utm_source=gbp&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=gpost
Skip the hashtags: Hashtags don't work the same way they do on social media, so save your characters.
Embrace emojis: Add emojis to make your posts more visually appealing.
Multiple photos: You can add multiple photos or videos to "What's New," "Event," and "Offer" posts.
Content policies: Be aware of Google's content policies. Avoid spammy language, inappropriate images, and "phone stuffing" (adding your phone number to the post content when you should be using the "Call now" button).
How to utilize Google Posts
Local restaurant:
Post type: Offer
Content: "Enjoy 20% off all pizzas this Tuesday! Use code TUESDAY20 at checkout."
Why it works: Creates a sense of urgency and provides a clear incentive to order.
Hair salon:
Post type: What's New
Content: "We're excited to announce that Erica has joined our team! She specializes in color corrections. Book your appointment today!"
Why it works: Showcases new talent and encourages bookings.
Bookstore:
Post type: Event
Content: "Join us for a book signing with local author Margeret Watts on Saturday at 2 PM!"
Why it works: Promotes an event and drives foot traffic to the store.
The power of post justifications
All post types can potentially show up as "Post Justifications" (mentions) in the Local Pack, Local Finder, and Maps results. This is where Google pulls a snippet from your post that's relevant to the user's search query and displays it alongside your listing.
Example: If someone searches for "best Italian restaurant near me," Google might pull a snippet from your "What's New" post that says, "We use only the freshest, locally-sourced ingredients in our homemade pasta." It increases your listing's visibility and click-through rate. It also means that the words you use in your posts really matter!
Questions & answers
The Q&A feature is one of the most interactive and visible ways to engage with potential customers. It’s a public forum where anyone can ask questions about your business and anyone (including you, your staff, or even random Google users) can answer.
What it is
Q&A is a user-generated space that allows people to ask questions about your business directly on your Google listing. When someone clicks “Ask a question,” Google even tries to match their query with existing reviews or previous questions to provide instant answers. If the question hasn’t already been answered, it gets posted publicly for anyone to see and respond to.
The Q&A section appears on your profile in Google Search and Google Maps, both on desktop and mobile. If you have more than two questions, and one of them has at least three upvotes, that question may be featured directly in your profile’s Knowledge Panel, making it highly visible to searchers.
Even if your profile has no questions yet, the Q&A panel will still be visible, prompting users to “be the first to ask a question.” This means your Q&A section is always open for business, ready to collect information that can help potential customers.
Who can ask and answer questions?
Anyone can ask questions; customers, potential customers, or even the business itself can post questions.
Anyone can answer questions; you, your staff, or any Google user can reply. If you answer while logged in as the business manager, your response will be labeled as “owner,” which builds trust.
Why should you care?
First impressions: The Q&A section is prominent and can influence a customer’s decision to choose your business.
Lead generation: Many questions are from potential customers ready to buy; don’t leave them hanging!
Control the conversation: By proactively asking and answering FAQs, you can highlight your strengths and reduce confusion or misinformation.
Reputation management: Unanswered or poorly answered questions can harm your reputation, while timely, helpful answers build trust.
How to utilize Q&A
Seed your own FAQs
Think about the questions you get most often (parking, pricing, hours, booking, policies, and the like). Post these questions yourself and provide clear, helpful answers. This not only helps customers but also saves your staff time answering the same questions repeatedly.
Keep answers up to date
Review your Q&A regularly, especially if your business details or policies change. Outdated answers (e.g., old prices, changed hours) can mislead customers and cause frustration.
Respond quickly and professionally
Enable email notifications for new questions in your GBP settings so you never miss a customer inquiry.
Encourage engagement
The more “likes” a question or answer gets, the higher it appears in your Q&A section. Consider asking loyal customers to upvote the most helpful questions and answers.
How to answer questions
Directly from the email: If you have notifications enabled, click Answer Now in the email alert.
Via GBP dashboard: Log in, find the Q&A section, scroll to the latest question, and reply.
Sign-off answers: If multiple managers respond, sign off with a name for accountability and future edits.
Quick examples
Q: What are your hours of operation?
A: We’re open Monday through Saturday, 9 AM to 7 PM. Closed on Sundays.
Q: Do I need an appointment, or do you accept walk-ins?
A: Walk-ins are welcome, but we recommend booking an appointment to avoid wait times.
Q: Are you wheelchair accessible?
A: Yes, our location is fully wheelchair accessible, including restrooms and entrances.
Q: Is there free Wi-Fi?
A: Yes, we offer complimentary Wi-Fi to all our customers.
Removing inappropriate content
Google has strict guidelines for Q&A content. You can report questions or answers that are:
Spam or advertising
Off-topic
Contain personal/confidential information
Offensive, illegal, or violate Google’s content policies
If you spot anything inappropriate, use the “Report” option next to the content.
Best practices for Q&A management
Be proactive: Don’t wait for questions; seed your own FAQs.
Be accurate: Update answers as your business changes.
Be responsive: Timely answers show you care.
Be vigilant: Monitor for spam or incorrect answers from the public.
Be strategic: Use Q&A to highlight what makes your business special.
The Q&A section is an opportunity to educate, reassure, and win over potential customers before they contact you directly. By being proactive, responsive, and organized, you can turn this feature into a powerful asset for your business.
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