If you own a small business in Shelby or anywhere in Cleveland County, there’s one free tool that can do more for your local visibility than almost anything else. It’s called your Google Business Profile.
What is a Google Business Profile?
Your Google Business Profile is the listing that shows up on the right side of Google when someone searches for your business by name. It’s also what appears when someone searches for something like “massage therapist in Shelby” or “body shop near Kings Mountain”. That’s Google Business Profiles doing the work.
If you’ve claimed and filled out your profile, your business can show up there. If you haven’t, you’re likely invisible in those results no matter how good your services are.
Why Your Business Profile Matters More Than Ever
Google has always used your Business Profile to decide whether to show your business in local search results. But it matters even more now because of how people are searching.
More and more people are using AI-powered tools like Google’s own AI Overviews, ChatGPT, and Perplexity to find local businesses. When someone asks “who’s a good florist in Shelby NC?”, those tools pull from Google Business Profiles, reviews, and local data to generate an answer. If your profile is incomplete or unclaimed, you’re not in the conversation.
The most common Google Business Profile mistakes
After looking at hundreds of local business listings, here are the issues that come up over and over:
- Unclaimed profiles. Google creates a basic listing for most businesses automatically. If you haven’t claimed it, you can’t edit it, respond to reviews, or add photos. Someone else’s data is representing your business.
- Inconsistent information. Your address on Google doesn’t match your website. Your phone number is different on Yelp. Your hours haven’t been updated since you changed them two years ago. Google notices these inconsistencies and ranks you lower because of them.
- No reviews — or no responses to reviews. Reviews are one of the biggest factors in local search ranking. A business with 40 reviews will almost always outrank a business with 4, even if the one with 4 is actually better. And responding to reviews. especially negative ones, signals to Google that you’re an active, engaged business.
- No photos. Profiles with photos get significantly more clicks than those without. A few good photos of your shop, your work, or your team go a long way.
- Missing categories or services. Google lets you tell it exactly what you do, from primary categories to specific services. Most profiles I look at have only the bare minimum of information.
How to get started
Go to google.com and search for your business. If it exists, claim it. If it doesn’t, create it. Verification usually takes a few days.
Once you’re in, make sure your name, address, phone number, and website are correct and match exactly what’s on your website. Add your hours. Upload a few photos. List your services.
Then ask your happy customers to leave you a Google review. Even five or ten reviews can make a meaningful difference in how you show up in local search.
The bottom line
Your Google Business Profile only one of the Google tools that are free, powerful, and built to improve your visibility online. If you haven’t claimed yours or haven’t looked at it in a while, this week is a good time to start.
Google Business Profile FAQs
How do I claim my Google Business Profile?
Go to google.com/business and search for your business name. If Google has already created a listing, claim it there. If not, create one from scratch. You’ll need to verify ownership through a postcard, phone call, or email. The process takes a few days and it’s free.
How often should I update my Google Business Profile?
Keep your hours, phone number, and address current at all times. Post once a week to stay active. Add photos when you have them. Respond to every review. The more active your profile, the more Google trusts it.
Do Google reviews really affect my ranking?
Yes. Review volume, recency, and your response rate all factor into local rankings. A business with 40 recent reviews will almost always outrank one with 4. Asking happy customers for a review is one of the best things you can do for your local visibility.
What happens if someone else edits my Google Business Profile?
Google allows anyone to suggest edits to a business listing. If you haven’t claimed your profile, those edits can go live automatically. Wrong hours, wrong address, wrong phone number. Once you claim your profile, you get notified of suggested edits and can approve or reject them.
I’m Brian Tart. I run Brian Goes Local in Shelby, NC and help businesses in Cleveland and Rutherford counties get found online. I’ll take a look for free. Or call 704.300.0252.