How to make sure your Google My Business profile is fully optimized

Nowadays, when everyone is going digital, it is of utmost importance for businesses to have a strong online presence. Local businesses that depend on foot traffic and community recognition need it most. Google My Business is one of the most effective platform that help you to improve your online visibility.

In 2025, GMB continues to be the foundation of local SEO, and an optimized profile can bring you higher rankings, more customer trust, and increased sales. Nevertheless, Google is always changing its algorithms and adding new features, so it is necessary to be up-to-date with the latest best practices.

Below are the steps to follow to make your Google My Business profile fully optimized for 2025

1. Claim and Verify Your GMB Listing

Before going into the process of optimization, you should make sure that your Google My Business profile has been claimed and verified. Without this, you won’t be able to update or change any information about your business that is listed online.

To claim your profile:

• ● Go to Google Business Profile

• ● If your business is in the listing, then select “Claim this business” and proceed to verify your identity

• ● If it is not there, then click on “Add your business” and start a new listing.

Google likes full profiles. That means each and every section needs to be completely filled out.

• ● Business Name (as it appears in real life)

• ● Address & Service Area

• ● Local Phone Number (preferably not a call center)

• ● Business Hours, including holidays

• ● Website URL

• ● Short & Long Business Description (include local keywords naturally)

• ● Categories (Primary + Secondary)

• ● Services & Products with prices if possible

You should also verify your business after it is claimed. Typically, Google provides a few options, such as phone, email, or postcard. These are the most important steps since an unverified ID listing will not show up in local searches or Google Maps.

2. Complete Every Section of Your Profile

Google is very fond of thorough profiles, and so are your potential customers. The more details you give, the higher your chances of ranking better and appearing in relevant local searches.

One of the things to do is:

Business Name: Ensure that your business name is the same on all online platforms (website, social media, directories). Do not use different names for the same business. Avoid here adding extra keywords as this might cause you to be penalized

Business Category: Select the category that best fits your business. This informs Google about the type of business that it should carry out your business to when it receives a query. E.g., if you run a bakery, choose “Bakery” as your primary category. Secondary categories can be used to narrow down your listing.

Address: Your business address must be correct and should be the same on your website as well as in other local directories.

Phone Number: Preferably, use a phone number with a local area code. Customers and Google will trust you more if you use local numbers.

Business Hours: It is highly necessary that your business hours are the most recent ones, and you have mentioned the holiday hours and any promotions that have extended hours.

The more truthful and detailed your profile is, the more likely it is that your profile will get the prominent Local Pack space and be shown on Google Maps.

3. Add High-Quality Photos and Videos

Visual content is a customer-attraction tool that is beyond the limit when it comes to capturing the attention of the customers. In a survey conducted by Google, it was found out that businesses that have photos get 42% more requests for directions and 35% more click-throughs to their websites.

Here is what you need to do in order to fully optimize your GMB profile:

Cover Photo: It should be a picture that corresponds to the business you have in the best possible way. If it's a restaurant, for example, a picture of your most popular dish would be perfect.

Profile Photo: Go for a logo that people instantly associate with you or a picture of your business from the outside. This will not only reassure customers, but it will also help you to create brand awareness

Additional Photos: Upload images of your products, services, co-workers, and the interior of your store. Videos also provide an excellent way to deepen the connection with the audience. A video tour of your business or a behind-the-scenes look can make your listing stand out.

Make sure all images are high-quality and properly sized for Google’s guidelines. Uploading new pictures periodically indicates to Google that the business is still active which is good.

4. Encourage and Respond to Customer Reviews

Customer reviews have an indirect impact on your Google My Business ranking and can greatly influence those who are thinking of buying from you. The 92% of consumers who read online reviews before making a purchasing decision, is a number that cannot be ignored. Here’s how to leverage them.

Ask for Reviews: It is a good practice to ask customers to write a review about your business after a purchase or service. Make it simple by providing a direct link to them.

Respond to Reviews: In any case, reply to the reviews. This illustrates that you are open to customer feedback and trust is created. As for the negative reviews, be polite all the time, accept the fault, and offer a solution.

Maintain Consistency: Your business is interpreted as active and engaged by Google if you regularly check and answer to the reviews.

Pro Tip: A business with a larger number of positive recent reviews has a higher possibility to be ranked at the top of the Local Pack.

5. Leverage Posts and Updates

Google My Business posts in 2025 are more crucial than before. These posts are directly on your GMB profile and they also show up in the search results, so they’re an amazing tool to engage customers, inform them, and give offers.

Types of posts to consider:

Updates: You can tell your customers about new products, services, or business hours that have changed.

Events: Talk about your events coming up like workshops, sales, or community activities.

Offers: Repeatedly tell your customers what is going to be on sale and if there are any exclusive offers.

Products: Tell people what you have in your stock and give them the links to the shopping carts.

Also, try to add a Call to Action (CTA), for instance, "Call now" or "Learn more," thus potential customers will be more likely to perform the desired action.

6. Use Messaging to Engage Customers

Google My Business has a feature called Messaging which allows customers to send a message directly to your business from your GMB profile. It’s a great way to have a conversation with customers in real time and give them quick, personalized answers.

Ways of maximizing messaging:

• ● Turn on the messaging option in your GMB dashboard.

• ● Make sure that you or your colleagues give the answer immediately, and the best time is within 24 hours

• ● Throughout the conversation, keep the language clear, short, and respectful

In this way, the accessibility of your business is increased, and at the same time, you show your customers the level of customer service that you provide.

7. Track Insights and Analytics

Google is a powerhouse when it comes to data on customers' interaction with your GMB profile. You can monitor the following:

• ● Search Queries: What phrases are people using to search for your business.

• ● Customer Actions: In what ways are customers interacting with your profile (clicks, calls, directions requests).

• ● Photo Views: The number of times your photos are being viewed compared to similar businesses.

Today, consumers also use smart assistants to make voice searches or snap pictures to find similar products. AI supports businesses in the optimisation of their content and product catalogues so that they can appear in these newer forms of search.

You can change your plan accordingly and even go deeper in optimizing your profile if you continue to look at these insights regularly.

9. Add FAQs and Services with Keywords

Many business owners skip this—but in 2025, it’s pure SEO gold.

One quick win is to add common FAQs your customers ask. Then add your city/area in the answer.

Also, list your services along with the description of each service. For example, “Emergency Plumbing in Austin, TX.”

These sections broaden your keyword footprint and boost your visibility in long-tail searches.

Final Thoughts

Optimizing a Google My Business profile remains a continuous procedure. In 2025, it is necessary for businesses to keep themselves informed of the recent trends and tools for them to be visible locally. An effort to make sure that your profile is complete, appealing, and current will not only increase your visibility online but also enable you to gain customer trust and drive more business

Do not forget that an efficiently optimized GMB profile is not just a one-time affair. It involves nurturing the relationship with the local community and always providing the best experience for your customers, whether it is online or offline.