Do I need a Google Business Profile — and why?

Do I need a Google Business Profile — and why?

Yes — if you operate a local business, a Google Business Profile (GBP) is one of the most important free tools you can use to drive traffic, leads, and sales.

Whether customers are searching for your services on Google or Maps, your Business Profile is often the first impression they get. A well-optimized GBP builds trust, increases visibility, and helps convert searchers into customers — even if you don’t rank at the top of search results.

Why it matters

Before making a purchase, most customers look for reviews, photos, and confirmation that your business is real, active, and trustworthy. Your GBP provides exactly that.

When someone searches for:

• "Flower delivery near me"
• "Same-day pizza delivery [your city]"
• "Wedding photographer [your town]"

...Google often shows Business Profiles directly on the results page. A complete and active profile makes you stand out.

What makes a great Business Profile

To make the most of your Google Business Profile, optimize the following:

1. Info & Categories

Make sure your business name, address, hours, and phone number are correct. Choose a primary category that reflects your core service (e.g. Florist, Dentist, Hair Salon) and add secondary categories to capture related services.

2. Reviews

Customer reviews build credibility and improve your ranking. Always encourage happy customers to leave a review — and reply to each one to show you care.

3. Products

Use the "Products" section to highlight what you sell — including photos, prices, and calls to action. This section appears above your services and can directly influence buying decisions.

4. Images

Add high-quality photos of your store, staff, products, and services. Authentic images increase engagement and trust.

5. Posts

Share regular updates, offers, events, and news. Posts keep your profile fresh and give customers a reason to click through.

6. Tracking with UTM Tags

Use UTM tags on your website link to see how much traffic and how many conversions come from your GBP. Add them via Google’s Campaign URL Builder and track results in Google Analytics.

How it helps your Google Ads

If you’re running Google Ads, linking your account to a well-maintained Google Business Profile unlocks powerful additional features:

• Location extensions: Your ads can show your address, map, and distance to your business — boosting visibility and trust.
• Clickable directions: Mobile users can tap directly to navigate to your store.
• Enhanced local relevance: Google can match your ads more precisely to local search queries.
• Higher click-through rates: A strong GBP with good reviews increases ad engagement.

In short, your Google Business Profile improves both your organic visibility and the performance of your paid campaigns.

Ctrl+A makes this even easier — you can securely share access to your GBP with us so we can use it directly in your ad campaigns. You stay in full control, and we use the data to improve targeting and performance.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Keyword stuffing your business name or description
• Hashtags — they don’t help on Google
• Fake or incentivized reviews
• Ignoring or failing to reply to customer reviews

Final tip: Ctrl+A + GBP = even better

While Ctrl+A runs your digital ad campaigns, your Google Business Profile complements it by improving your organic visibility, enhancing local ad performance, and increasing conversion rates.

If you haven’t already, claim and enhance your GBP — it works hand-in-hand with your campaigns to grow your local business.

Updated on: 29/10/2025