For a local business – a practice, a studio, a shop, a craftsman – the most important search result is often not the website but the Google Business Profile: the box with the map, reviews, opening hours and phone number. In our local and premium SEO setups, creating or cleaning up that profile and making the business details consistent everywhere is the fix we make most often.
This article is based on our local SEO work. We have not isolated statistics for Business Profile work, so it is written from experience.
What NAP means and why it matters
NAP stands for Name, Address, Phone. Search engines compare these details across your website, your Google Business Profile, directories, social profiles and maps. When they match, it reinforces that your business is real and located where you say. When they differ, it creates doubt.
Typical inconsistencies we find:
- An old address still on the website after a move
- A different city name on the website than in the profile, for example a district versus the city
- Different phone numbers: mobile on one, landline on another
- Company name variations: with and without legal form, abbreviated, old brand name
- Opening hours that differ between website and profile
In one setup, the address and city on the website did not match the Google profile at all – a mismatch that is easy to miss from inside the business.
Our process
1. Decide the canonical details
We agree with the client on one exact version of the business name, address, phone number and opening hours. Written down, character for character.
2. Google Business Profile
- Create the profile if it does not exist, or request ownership if someone else manages it
- Choose the primary category carefully; add relevant secondary categories
- Add the canonical details, service areas if relevant, and the website link
- Upload real photos: exterior, interior, team, work
- Write a clear business description
- Add services or products
- Set up messaging if the team will answer
Verification can take time. Google may require a postcard, a phone call or a video of the premises. This is one of the few steps nobody can speed up.
3. Website
- The canonical details in the footer and on the contact page
- LocalBusiness structured data with the same details
- An embedded map, loaded with cookie consent
- A link to the Google profile for reviews
4. Directories and social profiles
We update the main directories and social profiles to the same details. The most important ones vary by country and industry.
5. Search Console and Bing
We connect the site to Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools, and check Bing Places if relevant.
Reviews
Reviews influence both rankings and conversion. Our recommendations:
- Ask satisfied customers systematically, for example after a completed job
- Make it easy: a direct review link or QR code
- Respond to every review, positive and negative, briefly and politely
- Never buy or fake reviews
Some CRM setups include automated review requests after an appointment or purchase, which makes asking a habit rather than an afterthought.
Common problems
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| Profile owned by a former employee or agency | Request ownership through Google |
| Duplicate profiles | Report and merge or remove duplicates |
| Wrong category | Change to the most specific accurate category |
| Suspended profile | Correct violations and request reinstatement |
| Virtual office address | Use a service area instead; do not risk suspension |
| Old details reappearing | Check for suggested edits and directories feeding Google |
Posts, questions and updates
The profile is not a one-time setup. Google lets businesses publish short posts (offers, news, events), answer questions from the public and update special opening hours for holidays. Active profiles give searchers more reasons to choose you. We recommend a simple habit: one post a month, updated hours before every holiday, and a quick weekly look at new reviews and questions.
Multiple locations
Businesses with several branches need one profile per location, each with its own address, phone number and page on the website. The website page for each location should carry exactly the same details as its profile. Centralised management through a business group in Google makes this easier to keep consistent as staff and opening hours change.
Results to expect
A clean profile and consistent details often have a visible effect on local visibility – but it is not instant. Google needs to recrawl, verify and re-evaluate. Reviews and photos add up over months.
What the business must do
Much of local SEO depends on the business itself: answering reviews, keeping hours updated during holidays, adding photos, responding to messages. We set everything up and hand over a short routine.
FAQ
Do I need a Google Business Profile if I have a website?
Yes, if you serve customers locally. For many local searches, the profile is the first thing people see.
Can I have a profile without a public address?
Yes. Service-area businesses can hide their address and define the areas they serve.
How long does verification take?
It varies. Sometimes minutes, sometimes weeks when a postcard or video verification is required.
When will I see SEO results?
Technical fixes can show up in Search Console within weeks, but rankings for competitive terms take months. In our experience Google re-crawling updated titles and descriptions alone can take days to weeks.
What access do you need for SEO work?
Website admin, Google Search Console, Google Analytics and, for local SEO, the Google Business Profile. We ask to be added as users rather than receiving passwords.
Planning a SEO project?
If you want a realistic plan for your own project, book a short call with our team and we will walk you through the phases, what we need from you and where projects like yours usually lose time. You can also browse finished work in our SEO portfolio.
Comments