Google My Business Optimization — The Complete Guide

## The Most Underutilized Marketing Tool Google My Business (now Google Business Profile) is free, powerful, and directly connected to how people find local businesses. Yet most businesses barely fill out their profile. That's a massive missed opportunity. ### Basic Setup (Most Businesses Stop Here) Verify your business. Use your exact legal business name — no keyword stuffing like "John's Plumbing - Best Plumber Toronto Cheap." Choose the most specific primary category available. Add up to 10 secondary categories. Write a 750-character business description with natural keywords. ### Photos (This Is Where You Win) Google says businesses with photos get 42% more direction requests and 35% more website clicks. Yet most profiles have 3 blurry photos from 2016. Upload at least 10 high-quality photos covering: exterior (so customers recognize the building), interior, team photos, products or services in action. Add new photos every week — businesses with recently uploaded photos rank higher and get more engagement. ### Reviews (Your #1 Ranking Factor) Review quantity and quality are the strongest local ranking signals. Ask every satisfied customer for a review. Create a short link (search "Google review link generator") that takes customers directly to the review form — removing friction increases completion rates dramatically. Respond to every review within 24 hours — positive reviews with a thank you, negative reviews with professionalism and a specific response to their concern. Never offer incentives for reviews. ### Posts (Your Free Ad Platform) Google Business Posts appear directly in your profile and search results. Publish weekly: offers, events, product highlights, blog articles, seasonal updates. Posts expire after 7 days, so consistency matters. Every post should include a call-to-action button. ### Q&A (Control the Narrative) The Q&A section is open to anyone — random people can ask and answer questions about your business. Seed it yourself: add the 10 most common customer questions and answer them yourself, accurately and helpfully, before anyone else does. ### The ROI A fully optimized Google Business Profile — with fresh photos, recent reviews, weekly posts, and answered questions — outperforms a $500/month ad budget for most local businesses. And it's free.