Google Business Profile optimization is one of the easiest, highest-ROI ways for local service providers to increase visibility, attract customers, and get free traffic from Google going into 2026. According to research, 84% of GBP views now come from discovery-based searches like “Christian retreat center marketing near me,” not branded ones. And verified GBP listings average over 1,800 views per month. Despite these numbers, most businesses still leave key fields blank, miss review responses, or forget to update outdated info.
What Is Google Business Profile?
Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is your official business listing on Google Search and Maps. It’s what shows up when someone searches your name directly (branded search) or looks for a service near them (discovery search).
📍 Example: A search for “retreat centers near Lake Pleasant” might show multiple GBP listings in the local pack, even if the user has never heard of you.
Your GBP includes:
- Business name and location
- Contact info and hours
- Reviews and star rating
- Service categories
- Photos and videos
- Bookings (if enabled)
- Posts and offers
- Questions & Answers
AI Tip: AI assistants and search overviews treat GBP data as authoritative if it’s complete and recent. That means your listing may be cited before your website, making it even more important for AI and SEO.
Why Does Google Business Profile Optimization Matter?
✅ 84% of GBP views come from non-branded, discovery searches
✅ Verified listings average 1,800+ monthly views
✅ 88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations
✅ 64% of shoppers with tablets + 61% with smartphones reported weekly local searches.
✅ Google favors recent updates in its AI ranking signals
Yet, most local businesses:
❌ Leave fields incomplete
❌ Skip reviews or replies
❌ Forget to update seasonal info
GBP Optimization Essentials: Quick Checklist
Not only can GBP profiles provide valuable information to your customers, but they can also become an SEO tool for your digital brand. If your GBP profile is optimized and kept up to date, the booking potential when things open back up is endless.
When optimizing your GBP profile, you’ll want to address these key areas first.
- Primary Category: Find the number one thing that your business offers and select it as your primary category.
- Secondary Categories: Add in any other categories that match what your business offers. Keep in mind, categories that aren’t related to your business can actually hurt your business ranking.
- Reviews: Collecting Google reviews can have a positive impact on your rankings. Be sure to have a review strategy in place and continue investing time in this area.
- Business Name Field: If you have keywords in your official business name, this can help with your business ranking. Stuffing keywords into your business name is not always best, but this may be an area to explore.
- Additional Fields: If there is a feature or a field you can fill out, do it. Keep everything optimized and up to date.
- Product Features: Although this isn’t available for all businesses, some profiles will have product features. This allows you to add in services or products as featured items on your profile and add in images and text to draw in users.
Use this structured checklist to audit your Google Business Profile:
| Task | Status |
|---|---|
| ✅ Claim and verify your listing | |
| ✅ Add accurate hours (incl. holidays) | |
| ✅ Upload 15+ high-quality real photos | |
| ✅ Post weekly updates (offers, events) | |
| ✅ Respond to every review | |
| ✅ Use accurate business name (no keyword stuffing) | |
| ✅ Set primary + secondary categories | |
| ✅ Complete all services and attributes | |
| ✅ Enable bookings (if applicable) | |
| ✅ Add a short video (under 75MB) | |
| ✅ Track traffic with UTM-tagged URLs |
How does AI use your GBP?
Google’s AI-generated answers have been studied to pull some information directly from GBP listings. To be cited:
- Keep your info structured and current
- Use natural, question-based phrasing
- Prioritize completeness and activity
Incomplete or inactive profiles are less likely to appear in AI overviews.
How Do I See Traffic From Google Business Profile?
Step-by-Step: Set Up UTM Tracking
- Open the Google Campaign URL Builder
- Fill in:
- Website URL: Your homepage or preferred landing page
- Source: google
- Medium: organic
- Campaign Name: gbp or google_profile
- Your tagged link will look like this:
https://yoursite.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=gbp - Go to your GBP dashboard and replace your website link with this UTM-tagged version.
Where to View Results:
- Google Analytics: Acquisition > Campaigns > Look for gbp
- Google Search Console: Track branded vs. unbranded queries under Performance > Search Results
Common Mistakes to Avoid:
❌ Forgetting to use HTTPS (secure link)
❌ Mismatching landing pages across GBP and website
❌ Using inconsistent UTM parameters across platforms
Pro Tip: Use tools like LeadHub and GA4 dashboards to track calls, bookings, and revenue from GBP clicks over time.
NAP Consistency: Don’t Let Small Errors Hurt Rankings
NAP = Name, Address, Phone Number. Keeping these 100% consistent across every digital touchpoint is not optional. Even minor discrepancies can create doubt for both users and search engines, weakening your visibility in local results.
Why it matters in 2026:
Google’s local algorithms (and increasingly, AI-driven overviews) rely on consistent NAP data to verify business legitimacy. Inconsistencies across platforms (like Yelp, Apple Maps, Bing Places, Facebook, and local directories) send mixed signals that can lower your trust score and suppress map rankings.
Even small mismatches (like “Suite 200” vs. “Ste 200”) can confuse Google’s trust signals and reduce visibility.
Use a consistent format across all platforms, and update it everywhere if you change your info.
The Takeaways
If your business doesn’t already have a GBP, the first step is to set up or claim your business. From there, optimizing your profile and creating a review strategy is vital. As you continue to update your information, add posts, and share new information, Google will index the content on your GMB and better match your business to users’ searches.
The big takeaway? This underutilized tool can start delivering results almost immediately. Need expert help? Improve & Grow’s service plans specialize in GBP optimization and local SEO for service-based businesses. Contact us to turn your listing into a lead-gen machine. Let’s chat.