If you run a local business, your Google Business Profile (GBP) isn’t just a listing. It’s a storefront, a billboard, a review hub, a customer service desk, a data machine, and the single most powerful lead-gen asset you don’t have to pay for. It is the marketing equivalent of finding cash in a jacket you forgot you owned.
Most business owners know that their GBP exists, but far fewer understand how to use it as a real sales engine. Instead, it sits half-completed, gathering digital dust while competitors rake in calls and customers.
At Strottner Designs, we see this all the time. The good news is that GBP issues can be one of the simplest things to fix. Once optimized, it works around the clock. It sends you leads even while you sleep, golf, or heroically pretend you understood a spreadsheet someone emailed you.
This guide breaks down everything you need to know to transform your GBP into a reliable local lead machine.
Google Business Profiles determine who shows up in Google’s local pack, Google Maps, and branded search results. When someone searches for “electrician near me”, “best tacos in Austin”, or “dog groomer open now please help”, Google uses GBP signals to decide who makes the cut.
A few things your GBP influences:
If you treat your GBP casually, Google will treat your business the same way. But when you give it attention, it becomes your lowest-cost, highest-ROI source of local leads. It’s basically a salesperson who never asks for a day off.
This is one of the rare times in life where completing every single field is worth it. Google rewards thoroughness, and customers reward clarity.
Here is what “complete” means:
Business name
Use the real one. Skip keyword stuffing. Google does not love “Mike’s Lawn Care Best Landscaper Near Me Fast Affordable”.
Address
List your physical location if customers visit you. If not, hide it and set your service area.
Categories
Choose one primary category and up to nine secondary categories. These shape how Google matches you to searches.
Hours
Add holiday hours too. Your customers will thank you, and your staff will thank you for avoiding surprise visitors on Christmas morning.
Phone number
Use a real number, not one that forwards into a mysterious voicemail abyss.
Website link
If it loads fast, great. If not, Strottner Designs can help you avoid digital embarrassment.
Business description
Explain what you do in a clear, friendly way. Think confident and helpful, not “corporate robot escaping from a marketing manual”.
Services and products
Add them all. Google uses these entries to match user intent.
The more complete your profile, the more confident Google feels recommending your business.
Your primary category is one of the strongest ranking signals in GBP. Pick the category that matches your most profitable service, not the one that “kinda fits if you squint”.
After you choose the primary category, add relevant secondary categories. This expands the searches you can appear for. Just keep it honest. Google knows when you are trying too hard, just like a parent who catches their kid saying they “definitely cleaned their room”.
Photos increase engagement in a big way. People want visual proof your business is real. Google wants it too.
Upload:
Avoid stock images. Nothing says “totally real business” like the exact same smiling woman holding a tablet that appears on 400 other websites.
New photos keep your profile active and appealing to both customers and the algorithm.
Reviews influence your rankings, your reputation, and your conversions. They are the public equivalent of someone tapping a stranger on the shoulder and saying “trust me, these people are good”.
How to get more reviews without being awkward:
Responding shows customers you care, and it signals to Google that you’re active. It also prevents people from thinking you vanished into the wilderness after their last visit.
Negative reviews happen. Stay calm, thank them for the feedback, and offer a solution. Never argue. There are no trophies for winning fights on the internet.
GBP posts work like short updates that appear right on your listing. They’re quick to create and often ignored by your competitors, which is your chance to stand out.
Post about:
Keep posts helpful and short. Add a call to action. Post weekly so Google knows you are alive and kicking.
Most businesses skip this, which is why it is such an advantage when you don’t.
Listing services acts like adding extra search signals. Google can show your business for more queries, even specific ones.
If you’re a roofer, include roof replacement, hail repair, skylights, gutters, etc.
If you own a med spa, include Botox, fillers, facials, microneedling, and more.
Each service listing is a new doorway people can use to find you.
Messaging lets customers reach you instantly. If speed matters in your industry, this is a big win.
Reply fast. Slow responses send customers to your competitors. Fast responses convert leads before they even think about shopping around.
You can add an automatic greeting message, then follow up personally. If managing all this sounds like a headache, Strottner Designs handles it for you. Consider us your digital receptionist who never gets sick or asks for coffee breaks.
GBP shows you valuable data:
This is data you should check monthly. Guessing is fine for weekend plans. It is terrible for business decisions.
These slipups cost businesses leads every day:
Inconsistent NAP info
Your name, address, and phone must match everywhere. Google treats inconsistency like a red flag.
Ignoring reviews
Silence looks bad.
Leaving categories blank
You become invisible faster than a teenager who doesn’t want to help with chores.
Not updating hours
Customers hate showing up to a closed business that Google swore was open.
Using one blurry photo from 2014
You can do better.
Letting your listing sit idle
Google notices inactivity.
Fixing these alone puts you ahead of most competitors.
Your GBP listing becomes unbeatable when paired with:
GBP often drives traffic straight to your website. If your site looks outdated or loads slower than your uncle retelling a story for the fifth time, you lose the lead.
Strottner Designs builds websites that convert GBP traffic into real customers.
An optimized GBP leads to:
Some businesses spend thousands on ads while ignoring the one free tool that does half the heavy lifting. A strong GBP can outperform paid ads for many industries, especially local service businesses.
Most business owners are busy actually running their business. They don’t have time to:
This is what we do. We turn Google Business Profiles into steady, predictable lead machines.
If you want more calls, more appointments, more foot traffic, and more visibility without burning hours every week, Strottner Designs can help.
Your customers are searching. They’re nearby. They are ready to buy. Let’s make sure they find you first.
Interested in a new site and SEO, or just a new site? Visit Home of the Free Website to learn how we can build you a free or affordable site.
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