Google Business Profiles: Why Local Visibility Matters

In this episode of Cinch Academy, Mandy and Shyan are joined by Renee from the Cinch Communications team to discuss one of the most overlooked but powerful digital marketing tools for local businesses: the Google Business Profile.

The conversation covers how Google Business Profiles impact local SEO, map rankings, customer trust and online visibility. Renee shares insights into profile management, posting strategies, reviews, product listings and why businesses that actively maintain their profiles gain a major competitive advantage.

Main Takeaways:

• Google Business Profiles often appear before websites in search results

• Fully completed profiles receive significantly more clicks

• Frequent updates improve local map rankings and visibility

• Reviews heavily influence SEO and customer trust

• Accurate business hours and information are essential

• Businesses should regularly post updates, products and seasonal promotions

• High-quality real photos help customers connect with businesses

• Google Business Profiles function similarly to social media platforms

• Local businesses gain a major advantage by actively managing their profiles

• Events, products and seasonal content improve engagement and discoverability

  
  

The Abridged Transcription (Listen for full content!)

Shyan: Welcome back to another episode of Cinch Academy. I’m joined today by Mandy and our special guest, Renee. Renee is part of our senior communications team and handles a lot of our Google Business Profile management for clients. Today we’re talking about why Google Business Profiles are so important for local businesses.

Renee: Thanks for having me!

Shyan: For anyone unfamiliar, what exactly is a Google Business Profile?

Renee: It’s basically everything connected to your business online — your address, website, phone number, hours, reviews and updates. It helps local customers find you quickly and easily through Google Search and Google Maps.

Mandy: So when someone searches for coffee shops or restaurants nearby and sees those map listings first, that’s the Google Business Profile system working.

Renee: Exactly.

Shyan: One interesting statistic is that many customers actually interact with a Google Business Profile before they ever visit a company’s website.

That means your profile is often the first impression your business makes online.

Renee: And businesses that fully complete their profiles usually receive significantly more clicks.

Shyan: What does profile management actually look like for clients?

Renee: It depends on the business. Some profiles need daily updates, while others are updated weekly or monthly. But generally, the more active the profile is, the better. We create posts using information from websites, blogs, social media and seasonal updates.

Mandy: Reviews seem to play a huge role in local SEO now.

Renee: Absolutely. Personally, if I’m searching for a coffee shop or restaurant, I always look at reviews first. Positive reviews and customer comments build trust immediately.

Renee: One of the biggest frustrations for customers is outdated information.

If someone drives to a business and finds out the hours are wrong or the location is closed, it damages trust quickly. Keeping your profile updated is extremely important.

Mandy: Google uses these profiles to determine local map rankings.

That includes things like proximity, relevance and how prominent a business appears online.

Shyan: If your Google Business Profile is weak or incomplete, you’re far less likely to appear in those top local search results.

Mandy: We’ve seen businesses create duplicate listings for cities where they don’t actually have locations.

Renee: Google has become much stricter about that. Businesses now have to verify legitimate locations or risk having profiles removed entirely.

Shyan: If you’re setting up a brand-new profile, what information do you absolutely need?

Renee: Start with the basics:

• Business address

• Phone number

• Website

• Updated business hours

• Services or products

• High-quality photos

• Events or promotions

  
  

And of course, customer reviews. Google really favours fresh, authentic images.

Exterior photos help customers recognize your building, while interior and staff photos help people connect with your business before they even walk through the door.

Shyan: Businesses should really think of Google Business Profiles as another social media platform. You can post updates, seasonal promotions, products and events just like you would on Facebook or Instagram.

Renee: Exactly. Seasonal content performs especially well because it stays relevant to what people are actively searching for. One of the first things I look at when building a profile is keyword strategy. We work closely with the SEO team to make sure posts and updates include terms people are actually searching for.

Shyan: Which helps Google understand exactly what your business offers and who should see it.

Shyan: More than half of local businesses still haven’t properly claimed or optimized their Google Business Profiles. That means businesses actively managing their profiles have a huge competitive advantage.

Renee: Even spending one hour improving your profile can make a noticeable difference in local visibility.

Shyan: What’s your biggest tip for local businesses?

Renee: Update your profile consistently — ideally once or twice a week.

Include seasonal content, events, products and promotions so customers always see fresh, relevant information.

Mandy: Google Business Profiles are one of the easiest ways for local businesses to improve visibility online.

Shyan: And they’re still massively underutilized.

Mandy: Thanks for joining us today, Renee.

Renee: Thanks for having me!

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