Google Business Profile
The 28 things I do to every client’s listing
Google Business Profile is the single biggest source of local walk-ins for a shop, trade, or service business. It’s also the most underbuilt. Most listings have a name, a phone number, and a blurry photo. Here’s what a properly optimised one looks like — the full list, seven categories, four items each, no filler.
28
items done for you
7
categories covered
£0
extra — included in £349
Why it matters
More walk-ins than your website will ever drive
For most local businesses, Google Maps is where 60–80% of new customers find you. They search “barber near me”, they see three listings above the map, they tap one, they walk in. Your website is not in that moment. Your GBP is.
A properly built GBP takes me two to three hours of focused work per client. Most agencies quote £200–£400 for the same thing as a standalone service, because it’s fiddly and owners won’t do it themselves. I bundle it in. Here’s why it’s worth the time.
01
Category 01
Foundation
The basics Google uses to decide whether you're a real business or a fake one. Get any of these wrong and nothing else matters.
Claim and verify the listing
Postcard, phone, email, or video verification — whichever route Google offers you that week. I handle the paperwork and chase it if it stalls.
Primary category, chosen carefully
This single field decides most of your local search visibility. I pick it against real search intent data for your area, not just what sounds right.
Secondary categories (up to 9)
Most businesses use 1. You get 9. Each one is an extra doorway into your listing for a different search term.
Address and service area accuracy
Map pin dropped in the right place (Google's default is often wrong). Service radius set correctly for mobile businesses so you show up for the right postcodes.
02
Category 02
Contact
The four details people actually need when they're standing in the street deciding whether to visit.
Phone number (local preferred)
Local area code beats a mobile for trust and for ranking. I advise on this and set up call tracking if you want to know which calls came from Google.
Website URL with UTM tagging
So you can actually see in Google Analytics which visitors came from your GBP versus organic search. Most setups skip this. Yours won't.
Appointment booking link
If you use Booksy, Fresha, SimplyBook, or similar, I wire the link into the booking button so people book straight from your listing.
Hours, including bank holidays
Regular hours, special hours for every UK bank holiday in the next 12 months, and a reminder to update them again next year.
03
Category 03
Photos
The single most undervalued thing on GBP. Listings with 10+ photos get 2.7x more requests for directions than listings with none.
Logo and cover photo
Sharp, on-brand, sized correctly for both desktop and mobile map results. If you don't have a logo, I use the wordmark from your site.
Exterior, interior, and team photos
If you have them, I optimise and upload. If not, I give you a shot list and a local photographer recommendation before you commit to the cheapest person on Google.
Product and service photos
Four to six photos of the actual things you sell or do, properly named, properly sized, properly categorised inside GBP.
Geotagged metadata
Every photo gets EXIF location data matching your address. Google weighs this. Most setups ignore it.
04
Category 04
Copy
The written parts Google reads to rank you, and that humans read to decide whether to walk in.
Business description (750 characters)
Written to hit your top three search terms naturally, without keyword stuffing. The first 125 characters matter most — that's what shows in preview.
Services list with pricing
Every service you offer, with a short description and a price or price range. Listings with pricing get more clicks.
Products list (if applicable)
Real product entries with photos and prices, not a catalogue dump. Each one becomes an extra reason for Google to show you in results.
Attributes and amenities
Wheelchair access, toilets, Wi-Fi, payment methods, dog-friendly, outdoor seating — every relevant attribute ticked. Some of these directly drive calls.
05
Category 05
Posts
Most GBPs have zero posts. Yours will launch with four, and I'll give you a template for the next year.
Welcome / introduction post
First post people see. Friendly, specific, local. Sets the tone for the listing.
Offer post (if you run one)
Optional — but if you have a launch offer or first-visit discount, it goes here with the right dates and call-to-action.
Event post template
Reusable format for future events. You fill in the blanks through the portal, it posts to GBP and your site at the same time.
Monthly posting schedule
GBP posts expire. I set you up with a monthly cadence and a reminder so you don't vanish from the 'recent updates' carousel.
06
Category 06
Questions
The Q&A section nobody uses. I pre-fill it so the first thing a prospect sees is answers, not awkward silence.
Seed the top 5 questions
Based on what people actually ask you — parking, pricing, walk-ins, kids, accessibility. I write and post them from a Google account, which is allowed.
Pre-answer each one
Each seeded question gets a proper answer, not a shrug. This is Google Business Profile SEO content hiding in plain sight.
Monitor and respond template
Simple WhatsApp notification setup so you get pinged when a new question lands. I give you a one-line template for replying fast.
Tone-of-voice guide
One page on how to reply: warm, concise, never defensive. Matches the voice on your site.
07
Category 07
Reviews
Reviews are the single biggest trust signal on a listing. Getting more of them — and handling the bad ones — is a system, not luck.
Review request link
A direct short link that opens your review form on tap. Included in your email signature, on your site, and shareable via WhatsApp.
Response templates (5-star, 3-star, 1-star)
Three prewritten templates you can edit. Responding to every review — especially bad ones — is a ranking signal.
Review widget on your site
Your GBP reviews pulled live onto your website. Updates automatically. Kills the need to copy-paste testimonials.
Monthly review check
Once a month I'll remind you via WhatsApp to check for new reviews. Small ritual, big compounding effect.
The result
What your listing looks like when it’s all done
Styled for illustration. Real listings render in Google’s own UI, but the data and structure match what you’ll actually get.
Golden Barbers
Illustrative. Based on a real Pacavita client.
Want all 28?
Every Pacavita client gets this at launch
Along with a 6-page website, SEO setup, Stripe payments, client portal, UK legal pages, launch performance report, brand starter kit, and a direct WhatsApp line to me for the first 90 days. £349 one-off. No deposit. No contracts.