Your Google profile is the cheapest shop window you will ever have. It shows on the map, in search and on the phone of whoever is looking near you. Yet most profiles I see are half-finished: no photos, vague categories, or a name Google does not allow.
Here is how to get yours right, step by step. I am Miguel Ángel from GUADIGITAL, a small studio in Guadalajara, Spain. I work with businesses locally and with clients elsewhere in Spain and abroad. For the big picture, start with the local SEO guide and come back here for the detail.
One note for readers outside Spain: if you serve customers in Spain, write your profile in the language they search in, usually Spanish, and consider adding English if you also serve expats and visitors.
First: what it is and how it ranks
Google Business Profile (formerly "Google My Business") is the free listing for your business on Google. According to Google's own help, local ranking depends on relevance, distance and prominence (how well known you are, including reviews and links). And there is no way to pay for a better local ranking (source).
So optimising your profile is mostly about being clear, complete and honest. There is no magic button.
1. The name: the one you use in real life
Google's rule is simple: use the name your customers already know, the one on your sign, website or invoices. Do not add taglines, phone numbers, opening hours or keywords. Its guidelines state that including unnecessary information in the name is not permitted (Google guidelines).
- Good: "Henares Physio Clinic".
- Bad: "Henares Physio Clinic – cheap physiotherapist Guadalajara 24 h".
The second is not just ugly: it can get your profile suspended.
2. Categories: few and specific
The primary category weighs heavily on relevance. Pick the most specific one that describes what you are, not what you do on the side. Google suggests a test: does it complete the sentence "this business IS a…", rather than "this business HAS a…"?
- One primary category.
- A few secondary ones, only if they are central to your business.
- No categories for services you offer occasionally.
3. Address or service area
Two cases here:
| Your case | What to do with the address |
|---|---|
| Customers visit your premises | Show the address |
| You travel to customers and get no visitors | Hide the address and set a service area |
| Mixed (staffed premises + travel) | You may show the address and add a service area |
A virtual office that is not staffed during business hours is not valid as an address. Google also asks that your service area not extend much beyond roughly two hours of driving from your base. Use your real area, for example Guadalajara city and the towns along the Henares corridor where you actually work.
4. Hours, phone and website
- Hours: your real customer-facing hours. If you only work by appointment, Google says some businesses should not list hours at all. Check the guidelines for your case.
- Phone: one main number, identical to your website.
- Website: link to the most useful page (sometimes the contact page or your star service, not the home page).
If you change something on your site, change it here too. That consistency across profile, website and directories is what we call NAP (name, address, phone).
5. Description and services
The description is your golden minute. Write it for a person:
- What you do and for whom.
- Where you work.
- What makes you different, without empty superlatives.
Add your services with clear names and, if you can, one sentence each. Do not stuff keywords: it shows and it does not help.
6. Real photos and video
The photos that matter are yours: your premises, your team, your finished work. A good cover photo, your logo and several images of your services change how trustworthy you feel. Avoid stock photos on a local profile: people want to see who they will be dealing with.
7. Reviews: ask well, answer all
More reviews and positive ratings can help your local ranking, according to Google. How to do it right:
- Ask with a link or QR code to your profile, right after a good service.
- Never offer discounts or gifts in exchange: it is strictly prohibited (Google policy).
- Reply to all of them. Good ones with a specific thank you. Bad ones calmly, without blaming, offering to talk.
A profile with criticism handled politely inspires more trust than one with five perfect, suspicious stars.
8. Updates
Review the profile once a month: holiday hours, new services, recent photos. A living profile signals a business that is running. You do not need to post daily; you need what appears to be true.
9. Measure whether it works
Check in your profile insights how many people call, ask for directions or visit your website. Note the numbers each month. If calls go up but enquiries do not, the problem may be on your website. If no calls arrive, it may be the profile. Measuring tells you where to look.
Quick checklist
- [ ] Real name, no added keywords
- [ ] Specific primary category
- [ ] Address or service area set correctly
- [ ] Correct hours, holidays included
- [ ] Phone and website identical to your site
- [ ] Description and services written for people
- [ ] Real photos (at least logo, cover and 5 of your work)
- [ ] A system to ask for and answer reviews
- [ ] Monthly review
Mistakes to avoid
- Duplicate profiles for the same business: Google lists them as a risk.
- Leaving keywords in the name "because it ranks better".
- Buying reviews: the worst thing you can do for your reputation.
- Using an address that is not yours to look more central.
- Abandoning the profile after creating it.
And if you would rather not do it yourself
It takes a few hours the first time and a few minutes each month. If you would rather skip them, my local SEO service includes the profile as part of the work, together with the website and content. You can ask for an SEO quote or look first at the pricing of my website packs.
Get your free diagnosis
Send me the link to your profile and your website. I will prepare a one-page report with what I would check first, the profile included, within 48 working hours and with no commitment.
Checked on 16 October 2026 against Google's official help. Rules change: confirm them in Google's help pages.
Miguel Ángel
I design websites and brands in Guadalajara, Spain. About me
