When someone searches for your business on Google, it is the Google My Business profile that determines what they see on the right side of the screen: opening hours, address, phone number, photos, reviews and a map.
It is free. It is effective. And a surprising number of local businesses have either never claimed their profile, or have a profile that is incomplete and out of date.
What is Google My Business?
Google My Business is Google's free tool for managing how your business appears in Google Search and Google Maps. When someone searches for "plumber Oslo" or "hair salon Stavanger," it is businesses with well-maintained My Business profiles that appear in the local results box at the top of the page.
This box (called the Local Pack) is highly visible. If you have ever found what you needed directly from that box without clicking through to a website, that is My Business doing its job.
What happens if you have not claimed your profile?
Google often creates automatic listings for businesses based on data it finds online. That means you may already have a profile, without knowing it.
An unclaimed profile can contain the wrong address, wrong phone number, wrong opening hours or outdated information that Google has pulled from other sources. You cannot correct errors on a profile you do not own.
How to use Google My Business well
Claim or create your profile Search for your business on Google and find the option to claim ownership. You will need to verify that you own the business: usually through a postcard Google sends to your address.
Fill in every field Business category, opening hours, address, phone number, website URL, description. The more complete the profile, the better.
Add photos Businesses with photos in their My Business profile receive noticeably more clicks. Add at least one photo of the exterior, interior and your products or services. Update regularly.
Manage reviews actively Respond to all reviews, both positive and negative. Google notices activity on the profile, and potential customers read your responses just as carefully as the reviews themselves.
Use the posts feature Google My Business has a posts feature where you can publish short updates, offers and news. These appear directly in search results. Most business owners do not know it exists.
Local searches have high purchase intent
People searching locally are usually ready to act. Someone searching "dentist in Bergen" needs a dentist: they are not researching. That makes Google My Business one of the most cost-effective places a local business can invest time.
A good profile does not guarantee top visibility, but a poor or missing profile is a reliable way to lose visibility to competitors who have done the groundwork.
Want to know whether your My Business profile is set up correctly? Get in touch: we will review it and tell you what should be improved.