How we turn a dead Google Business Profile into a customer magnet

Here's a dirty secret of local marketing: for a lot of small Kiwi businesses, a properly optimised Google Business Profile brings in more enquiries than the website does. It's the map pin. The box on the right when someone searches your name. The first thing a new customer sees. And most of you claimed it once, half-filled it, and never touched it again. This is the exact optimisation we run for every new client. Follow it yourself, or have us run it — but know that this is the single highest-ROI hour you can spend on your online presence.

Step 1: Claim it properly (and verify it)

If you haven't claimed your profile, that's step zero — go to google.com/business and do it now. Unclaimed profiles are a goldmine your competitors are ignoring. Once claimed, verify it (Google will send a postcard or call with a code). A verified profile ranks higher, shows up on the map, and lets you respond to reviews. Until it's verified, you're invisible to half the local searchers.

Step 2: Fill in every single field

Google gives you about 20 fields and rewards you for filling in all of them. We go through every one: business name (your real name, not keyword-stuffed — Google will suspend you for that), category (pick the most specific one — 'Plumber' not 'Services'), service areas (every suburb you'll drive to — this is huge for local ranking), hours (accurate, including public holiday hours), phone, website, attributes ('Women-led', 'Online estimates', 'Language: Te Reo Māori', etc.), and a 750-character description.

The description: first 250 characters matter most. We pack them with what you do, where you do it, and your main services — in natural sentences, not a keyword dump. We use the full 750 characters to cover every service and area, because each one is another search you can show up for.

Step 3: Add services and products

There's a dedicated 'Services' section where you list every service you offer, with a description and optional price. We add every single one — not just 'plumbing' but 'hot water cylinder replacement', 'emergency callouts', 'gas fitting', 'leak detection', 'renovation plumbing'. Each one is another keyword Google can match to a search. The 'Products' section lets you add specific offerings with photos and prices — we use it for things like 'Standard service call' or 'Hot water cylinder installation'. More entries = more searches you show up for.

Step 4: The photo strategy (this is the one most people miss)

Photos are a ranking signal and a trust signal. We add at minimum: a clear logo, a cover photo, exterior shots (so people can find you), interior/shop photos, team photos, and photos of finished work or products. Then — and this is the key — we add new photos at least once a month. Google's algorithm treats fresh photos as evidence the business is active and thriving. A profile that hasn't had a new photo in two years looks dead to Google, even if you're flat out. We make this a monthly habit for every client.

Real photos only. Stock photos get flagged and drag you down. The slightly-blurry photo of an actual job you did beats a polished stock image every time.

Step 5: Post an update every fortnight

Google Business Profiles have a 'Posts' feature that most businesses never use. We post a short update every two weeks: a photo from a recent job, a one-sentence description ('Just finished a full bathroom refit in Grey Lynn — new hot water system installed and tested'), and a button ('Call now' or 'Book'). Each post is a fresh signal to Google that the business is active, and it shows up right on your profile for customers to see. It takes two minutes. It beats competitors who haven't posted since 2021.

Step 6: Set up the review engine

We create a short, memorable review link (Google's review shortcut) and set up an automated text that goes out the day after every job: 'Cheers for having us, [name] — if you've got 30 seconds, a quick Google review helps us no end: [link].' One tap, they're on the review page. Consistency matters more than volume — one review a week, every week, beats 20 in a week then nothing. We aim for that steady drip.

We also reply to every review within a day — including the 3-stars. A thoughtful, professional reply to a mediocre review shows future customers you care, and it often nudges the reviewer to upgrade it. Silence looks like you don't care; a good reply looks like you do.

Step 7: Use the Q&A section (before someone else does)

There's a 'Questions & Answers' section on your profile where anyone can ask a question — and anyone can answer. We preempt this: we add the common questions ourselves ('Do you do emergency callouts?', 'What areas do you cover?', 'Do you provide a quote first?') and answer them. This does two things: it answers customers instantly, and it stops a random stranger (or a competitor) from answering with wrong info. We seed five to ten Q&As on every profile and keep an eye on new ones.

Step 8: Watch the insights and adjust

Google gives you free insights: how many people viewed your profile, searched for you, called you, asked for directions. We check these monthly and adjust. If a particular service gets lots of views but few calls, the description or photos might be off. If directions requests are high but calls are low, maybe the hours are unclear. The data tells you what to fix — most businesses never look at it.

What this gets you

A fully optimised, active Google Business Profile, maintained monthly, will typically outperform a website for local service businesses. We've seen profiles go from a handful of calls a month to the primary lead source — purely from filling in every field, posting fortnightly, and keeping the reviews flowing. It's the most under-used marketing asset most Kiwi small businesses have.

This is the whole system. You can run it yourself in an afternoon and then commit to 20 minutes a month. Or you can have us run it as part of a monthly plan, where we handle every step and you just take the calls. Either way, do something — a dead profile is a quiet way to lose jobs you never even knew were looking for you.