That little box on Google is doing more work than your website. Are you ignoring it?

Right, post number two. Last time I banged on about how brilliant local businesses end up invisible online. Today I want to talk about the single biggest fix for that, and it’s free, which is my favourite price.

It’s your Google Business Profile. You know the thing. You search a business and a little box appears, usually on the right or up top on your phone, with the photos, the opening hours, the star reviews, a map, a phone button. That box. That’s a Google Business Profile, and honestly, for a local business it often does more heavy lifting than the actual website.

I’m not exaggerating for effect here. Plenty of people never click through to your site at all. They see the box, see you’re open, see you’ve got a handful of good reviews, and they ring. Decision made in about four seconds, somewhere between Bingham and the kettle boiling.

Why this little box matters so much

Think about how you search for things yourself. You need a locksmith in Bottesford at half nine on a Sunday. You’re not in the mood to read a beautifully designed website with a moody photo of a door. You want a name, a number, and proof the person won’t make things worse. The box gives you all three at a glance.

So when your profile is missing, half-finished, or showing the wrong hours, you’re not just looking a bit untidy. You’re losing the customer before the website ever gets a look in. And the maddening part is they’ll never tell you. They just quietly ring the business in Aslockton instead.

There’s a newer reason too. Those AI assistants everyone’s started asking for recommendations? They lean heavily on Google profile information when they decide who to suggest. No profile, or a messy one, and you’re a lot easier to leave off the list. Sometimes the boring admin job is the one quietly costing you the most.

The bits that actually make a difference

You don’t need to do everything. But a few things genuinely move the needle, so here’s where I’d start.

Get the basics dead right first. Name, address, phone number and opening hours, all correct and matching what’s on your website. Sounds obvious. You’d be amazed how many businesses across Radcliffe on Trent and Cropwell Bishop have three slightly different phone numbers floating about online, which makes both Google and customers a bit twitchy about trusting you.

Add real photos. Not stock images of a generic shop. Your actual place, your actual work, your actual face. People buy from people, especially round here.

Pick the right category and write a proper description. This is where you tell Google, in plain terms, what you do and who you do it for. It’s also, conveniently, where you can mention the towns you serve without it looking daft.

And then reviews. I know, asking for reviews feels a bit awkward, like fishing for compliments at your own birthday. But they’re possibly the most powerful thing on the whole profile. A steady trickle of genuine reviews tells customers you’re the real deal and tells Google you’re worth showing. Just ask happy customers, nicely, and make it easy. That’s the entire secret.

What I’d avoid

Don’t stuff your business name with keywords. “Dave’s Plumbing Best Plumber Newark Grantham Cheap Boilers” might feel clever, but Google’s rules don’t allow it and they will happily suspend the listing. Keep your name your name. Put the clever stuff in the description, where it belongs.

And don’t set it up once and forget it forever. A profile that’s clearly been left to gather dust since 2021 sends a quiet little signal that maybe the business has too.

The point of all this

Your Google profile is free, it’s quick to sort, and for most local businesses it’s the fastest win there is. If you do nothing else after reading this, go and check yours exists and the opening hours are right. Genuinely, go now, I’ll wait.

If you’d rather someone just took a look and told you straight what’s working and what’s holding you back, that’s exactly what my free visibility check is for. I’ll peek at your profile, your search presence and how the AI tools see you, and send you a simple one-page report. No jargon, no catch.

Because a great business in Whatton, Grantham or anywhere in the Vale of Belvoir deserves to be found. Preferably before the customer gives up and rings someone else.

Becky Halls – websites, Google profiles and AI visibility for local businesses across Nottinghamshire. beckyhalls.com