Getting found online is tougher than ever, especially for brokers competing in busy or highly localised markets. Most clients turn to Google before making contact, and if your profile is missing, outdated, or incomplete, you could be losing valuable enquiries.
Your Google Business Profile is a powerful and free way to boost visibility and trust, but only if it’s used effectively. In this blog, we’ll look at how to get set up, common pitfalls to avoid, and simple steps to help your profile work harder for your business.
Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) can help to elevate your online presence in terms of Search Engine Optimisation and visibility so setting it up correctly is vital. To start, you need a valid Google account which you can set up fairly quickly. Next you need to head to the Google Business Profile Manager, which you can access by typing it into Google or visiting google.com/business.
Video verification: You may be asked to record or join a live video call to show your business location, signage, equipment, or yourself performing work-related tasks. This helps Google confirm you operate at the claimed location.
Postcard: Google will send a card with a 5-digit code to your address. Once it arrives, log in, click Verify now, enter the code and you’re done. If it doesn’t show up, request another.
Phone/SMS: If your number’s correct, Google can text or call you with a code to enter.
Email: Check the email Google shows, then click the verification link they send.
Instant: If your website is already verified in Search Console with the same Google account, you may be verified instantly.
Once you have verified your profile, you will need to wait a couple of days for Google to properly index your listing.
Your ‘Business Profile’ listing acts as an online representation of your business on Google, so having the correct information present on the listing is pretty important.
‘Business Profile’ allows you to add a number of different fields such as address, website, phone number, opening hours and appointment link.
All of these can be engaged with by a visitor to your profile. For example, someone can click on your phone number and instantly call your business. So if your information isn’t complete you could be missing out on potential business.
Make sure you set the right industry categories too, as this will help to place you for specific local search queries.
Google also lets you add secondary categories, which can broaden your chances of your profile appearing in searches across related services.
Adding attributes like ‘Virtual consultations available’ or ‘Multiple languages spoken’ can also boost your profile, as it makes your listing more accessible to a wider client base. Up-to-date images and a short overview of your services can also help enhance your listing.
In fact, businesses with strong photo galleries receive more clicks and direction requests. Adding geotagged images (with location data in the file) can further strengthen local relevance.Use at least 720 × 720 px JPG/PNG for profile/cover photos (higher resolutions are great if available).
Positive reviews are also a great option, as they offer social proof directly from your customers. Start gathering them early and respond to both positive and negative feedback; include your review link in emails and on your website to make it easy. Avoid incentivising reviews or posting fake ones, as violations can lead to penalties.
With the majority of searches coming from mobile, it’s also important to optimise your profile so it displays clearly and loads quickly. Use clear, short text, high-quality images and test all CTA buttons.
Now you have a profile up and live on Google, it’s time to test and see if it is doing what it’s supposed to do.
Now, put yourself in your client’s shoes. Do a search on desktop and mobile and see if your ‘Business Profile’ listing appears when you type your business name in. Check that the listing links work properly and that they lead to the correct website and phone number etc. Then check to see that the listing makes sense and that if you were searching for your business, the images, descriptions and clarity of information would entice you (as a customer) to make contact. See how your profile looks in local search by testing service-based queries like ‘first-time buyers in [location]’, rather than just searching for your business name.
A great feature of Business Profile is the ability to add a post or update to your listing that acts in the same way as a post on any type of social media platform.
It’s made up of between 100-300 words and one image, and you also have the option to make it an event post or add a CTA button.
It’s a useful feature if you want to direct users to a specific landing page on your website or an event page. It’s also useful to use when you have a big announcement to make about your business.
Focusing on helpful topics like industry insights and client Q&As, rather than just promoting services, is a good way to build trust.
Posts stay live for six months, although it’s worth regularly updating as you go to ensure out-of-date content is removed or updated. Google rewards regularly updated profiles, so even short updates help with ranking. Treat it like an extension of your social media calendar.
Sometimes a business may have multiple offices and locations.
With Google Business Profile, you can create separate listings for each of your offices which is always best practice.
Why? Well, it will help you with local SEO rankings. If someone is searching for a broker in the area of one of your satellite offices but you only have a ‘Business Profile’ listing for your head office, you may be missing out as your business might not show up.
Helpfully, the ‘Business Profile’ dashboard clearly lays out all of your locations and allows you to edit them easily.
Google Business Profile has some great analytics features that come built into it, which you can use to see if your listing is bringing in new business:
After a month or so of setting up your listing, it’s worth taking a look at your insights to see if people are finding their way to your business correctly.
Monthly insight reviews will help you to fine-tune your details and make decisions based on how people interact with your listing.
Use UTM tags - tracking codes at the end of a URL that show source destination, i.e. whether a user came from organic search or a specific social media platform - on profile links to monitor insights. GA4, Google’s web analytics tool, can also help you see which parts of your profile drive conversions.
Setting up your profile is only the first step. To build trust and stay visible, you’ll need to update it whenever something changes, whether that’s your hours, services, or location. Here’s how:
Your Google Business Profile is often the first touchpoint for any prospective customer, so it’s essential you keep it up-to-date and appealing. With regular updates, smart use of features like posts and UTM tracking, and ongoing monitoring, your profile can become a steady source of new business - taking it from a basic listing to a reliable lead generator.