Why Your Google Business Profile is Your Most Important Marketing Tool
If a customer searches for your business online, what's the very first thing they see?
It’s not your website.
It’s your Google Business Profile (GBP). That rich, detailed panel that appears on the right-hand side of a Google search, complete with your photos, reviews, map location, and opening hours.
For years, this was known as "Google My Business," and many treated it as a simple map listing to set up once and then forget. Today, that is a huge mistake. Your Google Business Profile has evolved into the digital front door for your business, and it is arguably your single most important marketing asset.
It’s Your New Homepage
Think about it: your GBP listing gives a potential customer almost everything they need to make a decision without ever needing to click through to your website. They can: * Judge your credibility from your star rating and reviews. * See your work through the photos you've uploaded. * Get answers to common questions in the Q&A section. * Contact you directly via the call or messaging buttons.
Because of this, many customers will decide whether to contact you based on your profile alone. A neglected, empty profile is like a shop with a dusty, uninviting window display.
It’s a Powerful Trust Signal
A well-managed Google Business Profile is a massive trust signal. A profile that is complete, packed with high-quality photos, and has a steady stream of recent, positive reviews tells a customer that you are a legitimate, professional, and active business that cares about its reputation.
Conversely, a profile with three old reviews and a blurry photo from 2018 sends the opposite message.
It’s a Huge Driver for Local SEO
Google's top priority is to give its users the best possible local results. When you regularly post updates, add new photos, and respond to reviews on your profile, you are sending constant signals to Google that you are an active, relevant business in your local area.
This activity directly influences your chances of appearing in the coveted "Map Pack" at the top of local search results—the single most valuable piece of online real estate for any local business.
Your Profile is a Living, Breathing Asset
The key takeaway is that your Google Business Profile is not a one-and-done task. It’s a living, breathing part of your online presence that needs consistent attention.
It needs to be managed with the same care and attention you give to your social media or your website itself. By doing so, you ensure your "digital front door" is always open, inviting, and ready to turn searchers into customers.
The image above explains what GMB is, and where the search results appear on page one.
- At the top, you have the paid-for adverts.
- Directly below these, you have the GMB results.
- At the bottom, you have the organic results.
The GMB section on page one of any search result normally display only the top four or five businesses, this is often called the "golden four". This is where you want your business to be. Users can access more local results by clicking the little "More Places" link. But really, you want to be in that top four.
From this single image, you can see just how powerful and potentially business-changing this service is. It really can get you at the top of the homepage, for free.
Do I need to use an agency to get the most from GMB?
The quick answer is no. Anyone can set up a GMB listing.
But, Google has a knack for making even the most simple tasks seem complicated (if Google gave cooking lessons making toast would be a four-hour "how-to" video!). To get the most from G<B and get your business on page one you do need to understand how Google do things, how to put the right bit of information in the right place, how to produce good copy and great look images. And above all else: How to do all this in the way that gets the best results.
And that is where we, or an agency that offers this service, comes in. We know our way around Google. We know what they like and how they like data presented.
And then there is the upkeep: For long-term results, your GMB profile needs to be monitored and tweaked. It needs to be regularly updated and maintained so that Google doesn't think it's a dead business and drop it down the rankings.
If you can do all that, you don't need us. But if not, it might be worth a chat.
Learn more about our Google My Business services here.