Local businesses need every tool available to increase visibility and draw in Thai customers. One of the most powerful—and often underused—tools for local SEO is Google My Business (now called Google Business Profile). Optimising your Google My Business profile can improve your local search presence, increase customer engagement, and enhance your credibility. 

This guide will dive into nine proven strategies to help you fully optimise your Google My Business profile and maximise its potential. 

Why Google My Business Optimisation Matters for Local SEO

Google My Business is essential for local SEO because it feeds critical business information directly into Google’s local search results and Google Maps. An optimised profile increases your chances of appearing in the Google Local Pack, which displays the top three relevant local businesses for a specific search query. Businesses with optimised profiles tend to have higher visibility, better click-through rates, and more opportunities to convert potential customers into paying clients.

Google uses several ranking factors to determine which businesses appear in local search results, including relevance, distance, and prominence. Optimising your profile ensures that your business information is accurate, complete, and trustworthy—essentially telling Google that your business deserves to be ranked highly.

Strategy 1: Ensure Accurate and Consistent NAP Information

Your Name, Address, and Phone number (NAP) are the foundational elements of your business’s online presence. Google cross-references this information with other websites, directories, and citations to verify the legitimacy of your business.

Key Tips for NAP Optimisation

  • Consistency is crucial: Your NAP should be consistent across your website, social media, and third-party directories like Yelp and TripAdvisor. Even minor discrepancies (such as “Street” vs “St.”) can confuse Google’s algorithms.
  • Regularly review your details: Review your Google My Business profile periodically to ensure your NAP information is up-to-date, especially if you’ve relocated or changed phone numbers.

Inconsistent NAP information can not only damage your search rankings but also lead to a loss of trust from customers.

Strategy 2: Choose the Right Categories for Your Business

Google My Business allows you to select primary and secondary categories. Your chosen categories are critical for determining how and when your business appears in relevant search results.

How to Select Primary and Secondary Categories

  • Be specific: Choose a primary category that accurately describes your core service. For example, if you own a pizza restaurant, your primary category should be “Pizza Restaurant” rather than just “Restaurant.”
  • Use secondary categories wisely: If you offer multiple services, make use of secondary categories. For example, a pizza restaurant could add “Italian Restaurant” or “Takeaway Restaurant” as secondary categories to capture more relevant searches.

Choosing the right categories ensures that your business appears in the most relevant searches. Incorrect or vague category selection can prevent you from ranking in searches where your business could otherwise be highly visible.

Strategy 3: Use Local Keywords in Your Business Description

Your business description is a key opportunity to tell Google and potential customers what you do. This section allows you to highlight key services, products, and the geographic area you serve—all while optimising for relevant local keywords.

Writing an Optimised Business Description

  • Include localised keywords: For instance, if you run a plumbing service in Sydney, phrases like “plumbing services in Sydney” or “Sydney emergency plumber” should be included naturally within the description.
  • Keep it clear and concise: You only have 750 characters to work with, so focus on your core offerings and value propositions. Use important keywords early, ideally within the first 250 characters.

Incorporating Keywords Naturally

Avoid keyword stuffing—Google’s algorithms are advanced enough to detect this and penalise your profile. Instead, weave local keywords into sentences naturally while maintaining a conversational and informative tone.

Strategy 4: Encourage and Manage Customer Reviews

Customer reviews are a powerful ranking signal for local SEO. Not only do they influence Google’s perception of your business’s relevance and trustworthiness, but they also impact your credibility with potential customers. According to BrightLocal, 81% of consumers read online reviews for local businesses, so ensuring a steady stream of positive reviews is vital.

The Role of Reviews in Local SEO

Google favours businesses that have a higher quantity of reviews and a higher overall rating. Reviews also provide valuable user-generated content that reinforces your business’s relevancy in local searches.

How to Encourage More Reviews

  • Ask for reviews consistently: Request reviews from satisfied customers after every transaction or service. This can be done via follow-up emails or even in person.
  • Use reminders: Include a direct link to your Google My Business review page in your email signature or website to make it easy for customers to leave reviews.

Engaging with positive or negative reviews shows potential customers that you care about customer feedback. A well-crafted response can mitigate the impact of a negative review and demonstrate customer service excellence.

Strategy 5: Upload High-Quality Photos and Videos

Google My Business profiles with photos get 42% more requests for directions and 35% more clicks to websites than those without. Visual content helps your profile stand out and gives potential customers a glimpse of your business’s atmosphere, products, and services.

Why Visual Content Matters

People are visual creatures, and Google recognises this by prioritising profiles that include relevant, high-quality images. Businesses that regularly upload photos and videos are often rewarded with more visibility in local search results.

Best Practices for Uploading Visual

  • Upload various images: Include photos of your store’s exterior, interior, employees, products, and services. These images should accurately represent your business.
  • Keep visuals updated: Regularly upload new images to keep your profile fresh. Outdated images can negatively impact customer perception.

Strategy 6: Optimise Your Google My Business Posts

Google My Business lets you create posts highlighting promotions, events, or important business updates. These posts keep your profile active and provide additional opportunities to engage with local searchers.

What to Include in Your Posts

  • Highlight offers or promotions: If you’re running a limited-time offer, creating a post can help increase awareness and drive traffic.
  • Share updates: Regularly update your profile with changes in hours, new services, or events. This signals to Google that your business is active and up-to-date. Google rewards businesses that regularly update their profiles. Set a calendar reminder to post once a week or at least a few times a month to keep your profile current.

Strategy 7: Add Special Features Like Attributes and Services

Google My Business allows you to add special attributes such as “wheelchair accessible” or “free Wi-Fi,” helping your business stand out. These attributes are especially valuable for service-based businesses, where specific features can influence customer decisions. Fill out every relevant attribute option in your Google My Business profile to help customers filter and find your business based on specific needs.

If your business offers specific services or products, listing them in your profile’s services or products section can increase your visibility for more niche searches.

Strategy 8: Set Your Business’s Service Area

For service-based businesses that don’t have a brick-and-mortar location, defining your service area is critical for ensuring your business appears in relevant searches. Specify the geographical areas your business serves. Be precise—listing areas you don’t serve can mislead customers and hurt your local SEO ranking.

When Google knows where you provide services, your business has a better chance of appearing in searches from users within or near your service area.

Strategy 9: Monitor and Analyse Insights

Google My Business provides insights that show how customers interact with your profile. Monitoring these metrics helps you understand how well your optimisation efforts are performing and where adjustments can be made.

How to Use Google My Business Insights

Insights provide data such as how many people viewed your profile, requested directions, or clicked on your website. Use these metrics to identify trends and measure the effectiveness of your posts and updates.

If certain posts or images receive more engagement than others, use that data to guide future content. Regularly reviewing insights will help you fine-tune your strategy for maximum impact.

For one of our real estate agency clients, we used Google My Business insights to track which of their posts were driving the most engagement. We noticed that posts about open house events and property listings were performing best, so we shifted their posting strategy to focus more on these topics. As a result, they saw an X% increase in profile views and an X% increase in inquiries about their listings.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in Google My Business Optimisation

Even with the best strategies, common mistakes can hinder your progress. Avoid the following pitfalls:

  • Ignoring reviews: Failing to respond to reviews (both positive and negative) can hurt customer trust.
  • Outdated information: Always keep your profile up-to-date, especially NAP details and business hours.
  • Keyword stuffing: Overloading your business description or posts with keywords can lead to penalties.

Avoiding these common mistakes is key to maintaining a strong Google My Business presence. Staying proactive to ensure your profile continues to build trust, improve rankings, and attract more local customers. These small yet significant adjustments can make all the difference in achieving long-term success with your local SEO strategy.

Conclusion

Optimising your Google My Business profile is one of the most effective ways to boost your local SEO. Following these nine proven strategies will enhance your online presence, improve local rankings, and engage more effectively with potential customers. Make Google My Business optimisation a priority to increase your visibility, credibility, and, ultimately, your revenue.