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If you run a local business in Shrewsbury or anywhere in Shropshire, there’s one thing that has more influence over whether new customers find you than almost anything else: your Google Business Profile.
Not your website. Not your social media. Not even word of mouth, although all of those matter. Your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is the single most visible piece of your online presence, and most businesses are barely using it.
What is a Google Business Profile?
Your Google Business Profile is the panel that appears on the right side of Google when someone searches for your business name, or more importantly, when they search for the kind of service you provide in your area. If you haven’t claimed yours yet, Google’s official setup guide walks you through the process step by step.
It shows your business name, address, phone number, opening hours, reviews, photos, and a link to your website. It also powers your listing in Google Maps and the “map pack”, those three local results that appear at the top of Google for location-based searches.
Key point: When someone searches “plumber Shrewsbury” or “accountant near me,” Google decides which three businesses to show in the map pack largely based on their Google Business Profile. If yours isn’t optimised, you won’t make the cut.
Why it matters more than your website
This might sound controversial, but for many local businesses, your Google Business Profile generates more leads than your website. Here’s why:
- It appears first. For local searches, the map pack shows above organic results. Many people never scroll past it.
- It’s where people make decisions. Reviews, photos, and your description all help customers decide before they even visit your site.
- It drives direct actions. People call directly from the listing, get directions, or visit your website, all in one click.
- It’s free. Unlike Google Ads, you don’t pay for map pack visibility. It’s earned through optimisation.
The mistakes most businesses make
We audit Google Business Profiles for Shrewsbury businesses every week. Here are the problems we see most often:
1. Incomplete information
Missing opening hours, no business description, wrong address format, no service areas listed. Google rewards completeness, if your profile has gaps, it won’t rank as well as a competitor who’s filled everything in.
2. No photos (or bad ones)
Profiles with photos get 42% more requests for directions and 35% more click-throughs to websites. Yet most local businesses have either zero photos or a handful of blurry phone snaps from 2019.
3. Ignoring reviews
Not asking for reviews. Not responding to the ones you have. Both hurt you. Google’s algorithm factors in review quantity, quality, and recency when deciding map pack rankings.
4. Set it and forget it
Claiming your profile once and never touching it again is the most common mistake. Google rewards businesses that keep their profile active with posts, updated photos, and fresh information.
The 30-minute optimisation checklist
Here’s what you can do right now to improve your Google Business Profile. Most of this takes less than 30 minutes:
- Complete every field. Business name, address, phone, website, hours, description (750 characters), services, service areas, fill in the lot.
- Choose the right primary category. This is the single biggest ranking factor. Make sure it’s the most specific category that fits your business.
- Add 10+ quality photos. Exterior, interior, team, work examples. Real photos, not stock images.
- Write a proper business description. Include what you do, where you’re based, and who you help. Work in natural local keywords like “Shrewsbury” or “Shropshire.”
- List all your services. Google lets you add individual services with descriptions. Fill these in, they help you appear for more specific searches.
- Enable messaging. If you can respond promptly, turn on the messaging feature. It gives customers another way to reach you.
- Post regularly. Google Business posts are like mini social media updates. Share offers, news, or tips at least once a week.
“The businesses that rank highest in the map pack aren’t always the biggest or the best, they’re the ones that have bothered to optimise their Google profile properly.”
How to get more reviews (without being pushy)
Reviews are one of the top three ranking factors for the map pack, and they’re also what convinces customers to choose you over a competitor. Here’s how to get more of them:
- Ask at the right moment. Right after you’ve delivered great service, when the customer is happiest, is the time to ask.
- Make it easy. Send a direct link to your Google review page. Don’t make people search for it themselves.
- Follow up once. A gentle reminder by text or email a day or two later catches people who meant to leave a review but forgot.
- Respond to every review. Thank people for positive reviews. Address negative ones professionally, and always follow Google’s review policies. Google values engagement.
Pro tip: You can get your direct review link from your Google Business Profile dashboard under “Ask for reviews.” Save it and include it in every invoice, follow-up email, and thank-you message.
What to do next
If you’ve read this far, you already know more about Google Business Profile optimisation than most of your competitors. The question is whether you’ll act on it.
You can absolutely do this yourself, everything above is free and straightforward. But if you’d rather have someone handle it properly from the start, that’s exactly what our Local SEO service includes.
Either way, start with the 30-minute checklist above. It’s the single highest-impact thing you can do for your local visibility today.
