How to Optimise Your Google Business Profile in Australia (Complete 2026 Guide)

Why Your Google Business Profile Matters More Than Most Websites

When someone searches "accountant in Surry Hills" or "plumber near me," Google shows a map with three local businesses before any website results. This is the local map pack, and it is powered entirely by Google Business Profile.

The businesses in the map pack get the calls. The businesses below them get far fewer. The businesses that do not appear at all are functionally invisible to that searcher.

Your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is the single highest-return free marketing asset available to Australian small businesses. Most businesses have an incomplete one. Here is how to make yours the best in your area.

Step 1: Claim and Verify Your Profile

If you have not already claimed your profile, go to business.google.com. Search for your business name. If a profile already exists (Google sometimes creates them from data it finds online), claim it. If not, create it.

Verification is usually done by postcard to your business address (arrives in 5 to 14 days) or, increasingly, by video verification. You must complete verification before any of your profile information will show up in search results.

Step 2: Choose the Right Primary Category

Your primary category is the most important ranking signal in your profile. It tells Google what kind of business you are and determines which searches you can appear for.

Choose the most specific category available. "Restaurant" is less effective than "Vietnamese Restaurant" or "Sushi Restaurant." "Legal Services" is less effective than "Family Law Attorney" or "Conveyancing Solicitor."

You can add secondary categories for additional services. Use them, but do not add categories for services you do not genuinely offer.

How to find the right category: Search for a competitor who ranks well in the map pack for your target keyword. Their primary category will be visible on their profile. Match it if it accurately describes your business.

Step 2: Choose the Right Primary Category

Your primary category is the most important ranking signal in your profile. It tells Google what kind of business you are and determines which searches you can appear for.

Choose the most specific category available. "Restaurant" is far less effective than "Vietnamese Restaurant." Specificity wins in the local map pack.

How to find the right category: Search for a competitor who ranks well in the map pack for your target keyword. Their primary category will be visible on their profile.

Step 3: Complete Every Section of Your Profile

Google rewards completeness. Profiles with more complete information rank higher and convert better.

Business name: Use your actual business name as registered. Do not add keywords to your business name ("Sydney Plumber - Fast Emergency Service"). This violates Google's guidelines and can result in suspension.

Address: Your exact street address. If you are a service-area business that goes to customers rather than receiving them, you can hide your address and set a service area instead.

Phone number: Your primary business number. Make sure it matches the number on your website exactly (including the format: 02 XXXX XXXX vs (02) XXXX-XXXX vs 02XXXXXXXX).

Website: Link to your homepage or a relevant landing page.

Hours: Your accurate opening hours including public holidays. Update these in advance of public holidays, not after the fact.

Business description: You have 750 characters. Use them. Include your primary service, your location, your point of difference, and a call to action. Include your main keyword naturally.

Attributes: These vary by category. Examples include "women-owned," "wheelchair accessible," "free WiFi," "LGBTQ+ friendly," "outdoor seating." Complete every relevant attribute. They appear prominently in search results and help people filter for what they need.

Step 4: Add Photos (More Important Than Most Businesses Realise)

Businesses with photos receive 42% more requests for directions and 35% more website clicks than those without photos. Photos also signal to Google that the profile is actively managed.

Minimum photos to add:

• Logo (your actual logo file, not a photo of it)
• Cover photo (1080x608px, your best brand image)
• Exterior photo (what customers see when arriving)
• Interior photos (at least 3 showing the space)
• Team photos
• Product or service photos

For food businesses: Add menu photos and photos of your best dishes. These appear prominently in search results and dramatically increase clicks.

For service businesses: Before and after photos, project photos, or photos of your work in progress are highly effective.

Technical requirements: Photos should be at least 720x720px in JPG or PNG format. Do not use screenshots, watermarked stock photos, or photos with large text overlays.

Ongoing: Add new photos every month. Google notices recency and rewards actively managed profiles.

Step 5: Build a Reviews Strategy

Google reviews directly affect your ranking in the map pack. The businesses at the top typically have more reviews and a higher average rating than those below them.

A business with 4 reviews averaging 4.2 stars loses to a business with 47 reviews averaging 4.8 stars, every time. The review count matters almost as much as the average.

More importantly, reviews affect conversions. Before a potential client calls you, they read your reviews.

How to earn reviews systematically:

After completing a job, send the client a direct link to your Google review page. The easiest way to get this link: go to your Google Business Profile, click "Get more reviews," and copy the link. Shorten it with Bitly or branded link shortener.

Send a brief message: "Hi [name], thank you for [project]. If you have a moment, a Google review would mean a lot to us. [link]"

The key is sending it at the right moment: when the work is fresh, the client is happy, and the outcome is visible.

Responding to reviews: Respond to every review, positive and negative. For positive reviews, thank the reviewer by name and mention something specific about the project. For negative reviews, respond professionally within 24 hours, acknowledge the issue, and offer to resolve it offline. Never argue with a reviewer in public.

Step 6: Add Your Products and Services

The Products and Services sections let you describe and price what you offer directly within your profile. This content appears in the Knowledge Panel and can trigger your business to appear for more specific searches.

For each service or product:

• Use the search term your customers would use as the name
• Write a 300-word description covering what it includes and who it suits
• Add a price or price range if you are willing to publish it

Step 7: Post Regularly to Your Profile

Google Business Posts are short updates (like social media posts) that appear in your profile. They have a shelf life of 7 days for standard posts, longer for events and offers.

Posting regularly signals to Google that your business is active and engaged. Post at minimum once a week.

What to post:

• New blog content or articles
• Client results or case studies (without identifying details if needed)
• Promotions or seasonal offers
• Events you are hosting or participating in
• New services or product additions
• Local community involvement

Format: Short text (150 to 300 words), a photo, and a call-to-action button linking to a relevant page on your site.

Step 8: Use the Q&A Section Proactively

Google allows anyone to ask questions on your Business Profile. Anyone can also answer them, which means competitors or random members of the public could answer questions about your business.

Pre-populate the Q&A section by asking and answering the most common questions yourself. Log into your Google account and ask the question, then switch to your business account and answer it.

Common questions to pre-populate:

• What are your prices / starting prices?
• Do you offer a free consultation?
• What areas do you service?
• How long does [main service] take?
• Do you offer [common variant of your service]?

Ongoing: Monitor and Maintain

Once your profile is complete, schedule a monthly review:

• Check for and respond to new reviews
• Add new photos
• Post a business update
• Review your profile insights (calls, direction requests, website clicks) to see what is working
• Check that your hours and information are still accurate

---

Measuring Results

Google Business Profile Insights (available in your dashboard) shows:

• How many people searched for your business vs. discovered it through a category search
• How many people clicked to your website
• How many requested directions
• How many called your phone number directly from the profile

A fully optimised profile typically drives 2 to 5 times more calls and direction requests than a partially completed one.

---

Want help setting up or optimising your Google Business Profile? Get in touch and we will walk through it with you.