Google Business Profile Optimisation UK: The 2026 Checklist

Your Google Business Profile is where the majority of local search discovery happens. For most UK service businesses, more customer first-contact occurs via GBP (click to call, request directions, or visit website) than from any other digital channel. Yet most UK businesses claim their GBP, add basic information, and then ignore it entirely.

Category selection is the most consequential GBP optimisation decision. Google uses your primary category as the primary signal for which searches your listing should appear in. Use the most specific applicable category — 'Employment Solicitor' rather than 'Solicitor'; 'Pilates Studio' rather than 'Fitness Centre'; 'Italian Restaurant' rather than 'Restaurant'. Secondary categories (you can have up to nine) should cover every relevant service area without diluting your primary category's signal.

Business name: your GBP business name should match exactly how your business is registered and how it appears on your website. Adding keyword modifiers to your business name (e.g. 'Smith Plumbing — Bristol Emergency Plumber') is against Google's guidelines and can result in listing suspension. Keyword stuffing in the business name is detected and penalised.

Photos: the minimum for a competitive UK GBP is 10 photos. Categories of photos that perform well across GBP: exterior (helps users identify your premises), interior (builds trust for service businesses), team photos (human connection), and product or service delivery photos (demonstrates capability). Update photos at least quarterly — stale photo timestamps signal an unmanaged listing.

Reviews: the primary lever for GBP prominence alongside category and proximity. Review velocity (recent reviews) matters as much as total review count. Build a systematic review acquisition process: a post-service text message with a direct review link, staff training to request feedback verbally at the moment of highest satisfaction, and a monthly reminder email to your most recent customers. Respond to every review within 48 hours.

Google Posts: posting updates, offers, and events to your GBP signals an active, managed business and creates additional indexed content associated with your listing. Post at minimum bi-weekly — this is more than most competitors and is visible in the GBP's 'Updates' section. Posts expire after 7 days for standard updates; events persist until the event date.

Questions and answers: the Q&A section of your GBP allows anyone to ask and answer questions publicly. Monitor this section weekly — incorrect answers from strangers can appear on your profile. Pre-populate your own Q&A with the ten most common questions your customers ask, providing accurate, detailed answers that demonstrate expertise.

Verification and ownership: ensure your GBP is verified and that you are the primary owner. Unverified listings have limited functionality and are at risk of edits from third parties. If your listing was created by Google automatically or claimed by a previous business owner, request ownership transfer through the Google Business Profile support process.

GBP insights: review your monthly GBP performance data — search queries that surfaced your listing, phone calls, direction requests, and website clicks. This data reveals which service categories are generating discovery impressions and which are underperforming relative to your expectations, allowing you to adjust content strategy on your website and GBP accordingly.