For any service business operating in Australia, Google Business Profile (GBP) isn't optional — it's the most visible real estate you have online. When someone searches for what you do in your area, your GBP listing appears before your website, your social profiles, and every other digital asset you own.
And yet the majority of Australian service businesses have GBP profiles that are incomplete, outdated, or simply badly set up. This guide will fix that.
What Is Google Business Profile?
Google Business Profile is the free tool that controls how your business appears in Google Search and Google Maps. When you see a card appear on the right side of search results with a business's name, hours, photos, reviews and phone number — that's GBP. When you see those three businesses in a "map pack" at the top of local search results — that's powered by GBP.
Ranking well in the map pack for your target keywords is, for most service businesses, worth more than ranking #1 organically. The map pack sits above organic results and commands a disproportionate share of clicks — particularly on mobile.
Step 1: Claim and Verify Your Listing
Go to business.google.com and search for your business. If it already exists (Google often creates basic listings automatically), claim it. If it doesn't, create it. You'll be asked to verify ownership — usually via a postcard sent to your business address, or increasingly via video verification or phone call.
This step is non-negotiable. An unclaimed GBP listing can be edited by anyone and is far less likely to rank well.
Step 2: Nail the Basics
Once you're verified, ensure the following are 100% accurate and consistent with everything else online:
- Business name — Use your exact trading name. Don't stuff keywords in here ("Brisbane Plumber — Fast & Reliable"). Google will penalise you for it.
- Address — If you're a service business that operates from home, you can choose to hide your address and instead show service areas
- Phone number — Use a local Brisbane number if possible. Match it exactly to your website
- Website URL — Link to your homepage or the most relevant service page
- Business category — Choose the most specific primary category available. Then add secondary categories
- Hours — If you offer 24/7 or after-hours services, make sure this is reflected
Step 3: Define Your Service Areas
For service businesses that travel to customers (plumbers, electricians, landscapers, accountants who do site visits), setting your service areas is critical. Don't just list "Brisbane" — list every suburb you service.
Google uses your service area settings to determine when to show your listing in local searches. The more specifically you list your suburbs, the better Google can match you to relevant searches in those areas.
Step 4: Add All Your Services
GBP has a Services section that most businesses completely ignore. Fill it in completely — every service you offer, with a description. This gives Google more signals about what searches you should appear for, and gives potential customers the context to decide whether you're right for them.
Pro tip: Write your service descriptions using the same language your customers use when they're searching — not industry jargon. "Hot water system replacement" will outperform "instantaneous water heater installation" for most residential customers.
Step 5: Load Up Your Photos
Profiles with photos receive 42% more requests for directions and 35% more website clicks, according to Google's own data. For trade and service businesses, photos are particularly powerful because they build trust and demonstrate quality before a customer ever contacts you.
Aim for a minimum of 30 photos. Include:
- Before and after shots of completed jobs
- Your team at work (with permission)
- Your branded vehicles
- Any certifications or licences displayed prominently
- Your office or workshop if applicable
Add new photos regularly — Google rewards active profiles.
Step 6: Build Your Review Strategy
Reviews are the most powerful ranking signal in local search. More reviews, higher average rating, and recency of reviews all directly influence where you appear in the map pack.
Don't wait for reviews to come in organically. Build a system:
- At the end of every completed job, ask the customer if they're happy with the work
- If yes, send them a direct link to your Google review page (create a short URL from your GBP dashboard)
- Follow up with an SMS or email 24 hours later if they haven't left one
This simple system, implemented consistently, can generate 3–5 new reviews per month from day one. Within a year, you'll have a profile that's nearly impossible to compete with.
Step 7: Post Weekly Updates
Google Posts are short updates that appear on your GBP listing — similar to a social media post but on Google. Most businesses never use them. This is an opportunity.
Post weekly. Share a recently completed job, a seasonal offer, or a quick tip relevant to your customers. An active, regularly updated profile signals to Google that your business is current and engaged — which positively influences rankings.
How This Connects to Your Website
Your GBP and your website work together. Google looks at your website to validate and supplement your GBP data. If your website has suburb-specific service pages, strong copy, and loads quickly — your GBP will rank better as a result.
This is why we never treat SEO and website design as separate activities. They're part of the same growth system. If you're interested in seeing how the two work together for a real Brisbane business, read our — we built both the site and the GBP strategy together, and the results speak for themselves.
If you'd like us to audit your current GBP setup and website, request a free audit here. We'll show you exactly where you're leaving rankings — and enquiries — on the table.