Google Business Profile: The Free Tool Most Local Businesses Are Ignoring
Google Business Profile is free, takes an afternoon to set up, and can put your business in front of local customers right now. Here is how to do it properly, with help from Claude.
This is the written companion to Episode 8 of our video series, How to Use Claude to Grow Your Business.
If you have a local business and you have not claimed your Google Business Profile, you are leaving money on the table
It is free. It takes an afternoon to set up properly. And it can put your business in front of people searching in your area right now.
Google Business Profile is the listing that appears on Google Maps and in local search results when someone searches for a type of business near them. When someone types plumber in Sheffield or florist near me, the results that appear in the map section at the top of the page are Google Business Profiles.
If yours is incomplete, unclaimed, or simply not there, you are invisible to those searches.
How to claim your listing
Go to business.google.com and search for your business name. If it already exists, you can claim it. If it does not, you can create it. Google will ask you to verify that you actually own the business, usually by sending a postcard to your address or letting you verify by phone or email.
Once verified, you have full control of the listing.
What to fill in (and why most businesses leave it half empty)
Here is what Google gives you to work with:
- Business name — Use your actual trading name, not a keyword-stuffed version.
- Category — Choose the most accurate primary category. This is one of the most important factors in local search rankings.
- Address or service area — If you work from a premises, add your address. If you visit customers, set a service area instead.
- Phone number and website — Both should be correct and consistent with what is on your website.
- Opening hours — Keep these accurate and update them for bank holidays.
- Business description — You have 750 characters. Use them. This is where Claude can help.
Most businesses leave half of this blank. Filling it in properly takes an afternoon and can make a significant difference to how often you appear in local searches.
Photos: Google actively rewards them
Listings with photos get more views and more clicks than listings without. Add photos of your premises, your team, your products, your work. Update them regularly. They do not need to be professional photography. Clear, honest photos taken on a phone are fine.
Reviews: how to ask without feeling awkward
Reviews are one of the most important factors in local search rankings. A business with 40 reviews will almost always outrank a similar business with 4, assuming the reviews are positive.
The simplest way to get more reviews is to ask happy customers directly. Most people are glad to help if you make it easy for them. Claude can help you write a short, friendly message to send to customers asking them to leave a review. Something that does not feel pushy, explains why it helps, and includes a direct link to your review page.
Posts: the feature almost nobody uses
You can publish posts directly to your Google Business Profile. They appear on your listing and can include offers, updates, events or general information. Most businesses never use this feature. Google shows active listings more often than inactive ones, so posting regularly gives you a small but genuine advantage.
Claude can help you write these in a few minutes. Describe what you want to say and ask it to write a short Google Business post in a friendly, natural tone.
Something to try right now
Search for your own business name on Google. What comes up? Is the information accurate and complete? If your description is blank or thin, copy and paste this into Claude:
I run a business called [name]. We offer [services]. Our customers are mainly [describe them]. We are based in [location]. Please write a compelling Google Business Profile description in 750 characters or fewer. Keep it friendly and clear, and focus on what makes us a good choice.
What to do next
Episode 9 covers LinkedIn Company Pages, which matter more than most business owners realise, especially if you work with other businesses.
If you would prefer to learn in person with a small group, we run hands-on AI workshops for business owners across the south of England.
Book a place on one of our in-person AI workshops, or watch for Episode 9 dropping very soon.