Digital Audits

Why Is My Competitor Above Me On Google Maps?

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 15:36:26 GMT

Private health insurance is a popular insurance component, but it isn't for everyone. Learn the pros and cons of having it, and decide if it's right for you.

Why Is My Competitor Above Me on Google Maps?

You search for your main service on Google, look at the Google Maps results, and there they are again — your competitor above you .

It can be frustrating, particularly when you know you have been in business longer, provide a good service and have plenty of happy customers.

So why is Google putting them above you?

One of the simplest ways to think about it is this:

Your competitor may be giving Google more proof.

Google needs to understand what your business does, where you operate and whether you appear to be a relevant choice for the person searching.

If your competitor is giving Google clearer information and stronger supporting signals, Google may have more confidence in showing their business.

There are numerous things that can affect your position on Google Maps, but here are three important areas I would look at first.

1. Help Google Understand Exactly What Your Business Does

Start with your Google Business Profile categories.

A common mistake is setting up one main category and leaving it at that.

Imagine you're a plumber.

You might have selected Plumber as your main Google Business Profile category. That's a good start, but it may not tell Google enough about everything you actually do.

Perhaps you also provide:

Drainage services
Gas fitting
Hot water cylinder services
Water softener installation
Drain camera inspections

Where appropriate, additional categories can give Google more context about your business.

Then look at the individual services you have added underneath those categories.

For example, if drain services are an important part of your business, you might provide CCTV drain inspections, blocked drain clearing and other related services.

The next step is particularly important:

Make Sure Your Website Supports What Your Profile Says

If your Google Business Profile says you provide drain camera inspections, can Google find a page or information on your website confirming that?

Think about somebody searching:

"Drain camera inspection near me"

Google wants to return a useful result.

If one business clearly talks about drain inspections on its Google Business Profile and website while another provides very little information, Google has more context about the first business.

Your website and Google Business Profile should therefore support each other.

The easier you make it to understand what you do, the better.

If you're unsure whether you've completed all the important areas of your profile, I've created a Google Business Profile Checklist that you can work through.

2. Give Google — and Your Customers — More Proof

The second area to look at is proof.

Your website and Google Business Profile shouldn't feel like two completely separate things.

Your business details should be consistent, and your website should make it clear who you are, what you do and the areas you serve.

But one of the biggest forms of proof isn't what you say.

It's what your customers say about you .

Reviews Are Your Digital Word of Mouth

Imagine three similar local businesses.

One has:

7 Google reviews

Another has:

66 Google reviews

And another has:

111 Google reviews

Put yourself in the customer's position.

Even if they originally find the business with seven reviews, there's a good chance they'll look at the alternatives before making contact.

Suddenly, the business with seven reviews may appear to be the riskier choice.

That's why reviews aren't simply about Google Maps rankings.

They're also about conversion .

Someone may find your business through Google Ads, organic search, your website or Google Maps and then check your reviews before picking up the phone.

Your reviews become your digital word of mouth.

The Words Inside Reviews Matter to Potential Customers

Detailed reviews are particularly valuable because prospective customers can see what previous customers actually experienced.

Let's go back to our plumber.

If somebody needs a drain camera inspection and finds reviews from customers talking about drain inspections, blocked drains and how the problem was solved, those reviews can provide reassurance at exactly the right moment.

The customer isn't simply seeing a star rating.

They're seeing evidence that:

"This company has dealt with a problem like mine before."

That's powerful.

You can also display genuine Google reviews on relevant pages of your website.

Rather than making visitors leave your website to investigate whether you're trustworthy, you're putting some of that proof directly in front of them.

3. Show That Your Business Is Active

The third area is activity.

If you're regularly completing work, you've already got potential content sitting in your pocket.

Take photographs of real jobs.

Show:

Before and after photographs
Work in progress
Problems you've discovered
Completed jobs
Your team working
Equipment being used
Interesting or unusual jobs

If you're a drainage company, for example, you might photograph what caused a blocked drain or create a short video showing a camera inspection.

Don't just upload a collection of generic photographs and forget about them.

Add useful context explaining what the customer was experiencing, what service was provided and, where appropriate, the general area where the work took place.

This is useful information for prospective customers because they can see that you're actually doing the type of work they're looking for.

Use Google Business Profile Posts Too

If you're already creating useful content for Facebook or other social media platforms, consider whether some of it should also appear on your Google Business Profile.

Seasonal services are a good example.

A property maintenance company might talk about:

Gutter cleaning before winter
Exterior house washing in spring
Seasonal pest treatments
Other services that become important at particular times of year

These posts keep your profile useful and give prospective customers more information about the services you provide.

You can also turn useful job footage into YouTube videos and other content rather than letting it sit unused on your phone.

Why Your Competitor May Be Winning

Your competitor isn't necessarily better than you.

They may simply be making it easier for Google and potential customers to understand and trust their business .

They may have:

More complete categories and services
Better supporting information on their website
More customer reviews
More detailed reviews
More photographs of real work
More regularly updated information
Stronger connections between their website and Google Business Profile

Individually, these things may look small.

Together, they build a much clearer picture of the business.

Start by Comparing Your Profile With the Competition

Open Google Maps and search for the services you most want enquiries for.

Look at the businesses appearing above you.

Don't just look at their position.

Study what they're doing.

How many reviews do they have?

Are they receiving reviews regularly?

What services and categories have they included?

What photographs are they uploading?

Does their website clearly support the services shown on their Google Business Profile?

Then compare those things with your own business.

You'll often start spotting gaps surprisingly quickly.

If you'd like a second pair of eyes, you can also start with my FREE Google Business Profile Audit , where I look for some of the areas that could be holding your profile back.

Conclusion

If you're wondering, "Why is my competitor above me on Google Maps?" , don't assume there's one magic setting you've missed.

Start with the basics.

Help Google understand your business.

Give Google and potential customers more proof.

Show that you're a genuine, active local business.

Your Google Business Profile isn't something you set up once and forget.

The more clearly you communicate what you do and the more genuine evidence you can build around your business, the easier it becomes for both Google and prospective customers to understand why your business deserves consideration.

And these are only three areas to investigate. There are several other things worth checking when you're trying to improve your visibility against local competitors.

How Do I Optimise My Google Business Profile For Local Leads?

Thu, 03 Sep 2026 23:21:29 GMT

Private health insurance is a popular insurance component, but it isn't for everyone. Learn the pros and cons of having it, and decide if it's right for you.

How Do I Optimise My Google Business Profile for More Local Leads?

If you want more local enquiries from your Google Business Profile, simply having a profile isn’t enough.

Google needs to understand where you work, what services you provide and whether local customers trust you.

There are three practical areas you can work on to improve this:

Put the right local content in the right places
Increase the number of relevant services you can be found for
Build reviews that make potential customers choose you over competitors

Let’s look at each one.

1. Put the Right Local Content in the Right Places

One of the first things to look at is the geographical area you want your business to appear in.

Your Google Business Profile allows you to define the areas your business serves. Rather than simply choosing suburbs at random, think strategically about where your ideal customers are most likely to be.

For example, if you are a plumber, electrician or landscaper, some nearby suburbs may contain more homeowners who are likely to need your particular services.

A business selling mainly to other businesses may instead want to focus on areas containing more commercial premises, restaurants, warehouses or offices.

Once you have identified your important service areas, your website should reinforce those locations.

One simple place to do this is your website footer, because the footer generally appears across every page of the website.

Google can then see clear connections between:

The services you offer
The areas you serve
The pages on your website
Your Google Business Profile

The aim is to make it easier for Google to understand that your business is genuinely relevant when somebody carries out a local or “near me” search.

Add Real Local Knowledge to Your Website

This is where many businesses have an opportunity to stand out.

Generic content can describe what a plumber, electrician or landscaper does, but it doesn’t necessarily demonstrate that the company genuinely knows the local area.

Think about information that only somebody working locally would naturally know.

For example, perhaps a particular suburb contains a lot of older houses. An electrician may regularly find old wiring hidden behind modern-looking switches and sockets.

A plumber may know that homes in a certain area commonly have older pipework.

There may also be local names, abbreviations or nicknames residents use for particular areas.

Including genuine observations like these naturally within relevant service pages gives your content a much stronger local flavour.

It also makes the website more useful to customers rather than filling it with generic information that could have been written for a business anywhere in the country.

If you want to work through more of these areas systematically, use my Google Business Profile checklist:

2. Increase the Number of Services Google Can Find You For

The next opportunity is your Google Business Profile categories.

Many businesses choose their main category when they initially create their profile and then never look at categories again.

But your business may legitimately provide several different types of service.

Take a plumber as an example.

Their primary category may be plumber, but depending on the actual work they provide, they might also offer services connected with:

Gas fitting
Water cylinders
Drainage
Water softeners
Other specialist plumbing services

The important point is not to add categories simply because they exist.

You should only select categories that accurately represent services your business genuinely provides.

Your Website Needs to Support Those Services

Adding another category to your Google Business Profile is only part of the process.

Your website should also clearly explain that service.

If your profile says you offer ten different types of service but your website only properly covers four, you are giving Google far less supporting information for the remaining six.

Instead, build relevant pages that explain each genuine service.

Think of it like removing a kink from a garden hose.

When the hose is kinked, very little water comes through. Release the restriction and suddenly the water can flow properly.

Expanding the genuine services represented across both your Google Business Profile and website can work in a similar way.

Instead of giving Google one main reason to show your business, you are giving it several legitimate reasons to consider you for different local searches.

That can expose your business to far more potential customers.

3. Build Reviews That Help Customers Choose You

Getting found is only half the battle.

Once somebody finds several local businesses, they still need to decide which one to contact.

That is where reviews become extremely important.

Imagine a potential customer sees three businesses:

Business A has 7 reviews
Business B has 66 reviews
Business C has 111 reviews

Even if all three businesses appear prominently, the customer may naturally feel more comfortable investigating the companies with stronger evidence from previous customers.

Reviews are your digital word of mouth.

And unlike traditional word of mouth, they are sitting there exactly when someone is considering spending money.

Ask for Feedback, Not Just a Review

Rather than simply asking:

“Can you leave us a review?”

Give the customer a little guidance.

Ask them to mention:

What problem they had
What work you carried out
How you solved the problem
What their experience was like

That creates a useful feedback review.

A potential customer can then read about somebody who had a problem very similar to theirs.

They might read that the tradesperson arrived on time, explained the issue clearly, completed the work properly and left everything tidy.

That is far more persuasive than a review that simply says:

“Great company. Five stars.”

You can make reviewing your business easy by adding your review request to emails, invoices, email signatures or text messages.

Before-and-after photographs can make those reviews even stronger where appropriate.

Happy customers effectively become salespeople who continue talking about your business long after the job is finished.

Reviews Can Help You Win Customers From Competitors

This is what I mean by ethically taking business from competitors.

You aren’t doing anything underhanded.

You are simply giving customers more evidence that they can trust your business.

If another company has only a handful of reviews while you have consistently collected detailed feedback from happy customers, somebody comparing the two businesses may naturally choose you.

That means your review system isn’t something to think about occasionally.

It should be part of your normal marketing process.

Bringing the Three Pieces Together

Improving your Google Business Profile isn’t about finding one magic button.

The strongest approach is to make several signals work together.

Add genuine local knowledge to your website.

Make sure your Google Business Profile accurately represents all of the services you genuinely provide.

Then collect useful reviews that show new customers what it is actually like to work with you.

When those three things support one another, you give both Google and potential customers much clearer reasons to choose your business.

If you would like me to look at your profile and identify areas that could be holding it back, you can start with a FREE Google Business Profile Audit:

Why Are My Google Business Profile Calls Dropping

Thu, 03 Sep 2026 10:10:55 GMT

Private health insurance is a popular insurance component, but it isn't for everyone. Learn the pros and cons of having it, and decide if it's right for you.

Why Are My Google Business Profile Calls Dropping?

If your Google Business Profile used to generate a steady flow of phone calls but things have suddenly gone quiet, it can be worrying.

You may immediately assume your rankings have dropped, Google has changed something, or a competitor has taken your position.

Sometimes that is happening. But there are also some much simpler explanations.

When calls from your Google Business Profile start dropping, there are three areas I would look at first:

How customers are being encouraged to contact you
Whether you are giving Google enough information about your business
Whether your reviews are building enough trust compared with your competitors

Let’s go through each one.

1. Check How People Can Call You From Google

The first thing to check is surprisingly simple.

Look at your own Google Business Profile and see what options Google is currently showing potential customers.

In some locations and search layouts, Google has changed the way contact options appear. You may find that customers are being encouraged to visit your website or request directions rather than immediately seeing the call option you were used to.

This can make it appear as though your Google Business Profile has suddenly stopped producing calls.

But there is another important part of this.

If somebody clicks through from your Google Business Profile to your website, how quickly can they find your telephone number?

I use a simple seven-second test.

Open your website as though you are a new customer and try to find the phone number.

If it takes more than a few seconds because the number is buried halfway down the page or hidden in the footer, you could be losing enquiries.

For a local service business, I normally want the telephone number clearly visible near the top of the website.

Then test it on a mobile phone.

Can somebody simply tap the number and make a call?

If not, that needs fixing.

A potential customer looking for a plumber, electrician, roofer or mechanic probably isn't going to copy your number onto a piece of paper and type it manually into their phone.

Make contacting you easy.

2. Give Google More Information About Your Business

The second problem is that you may not be giving Google enough information about what your business actually does.

Think about your Google Business Profile as something that needs feeding.

If you create the profile and then leave it untouched for months, Google has relatively little fresh information to work with.

One simple way to improve this is by regularly adding photographs.

For example, you could upload:

Before and after photographs of completed jobs
Photographs of your staff
Your workshop, office or showroom
Company vehicles
Equipment you use
Examples of different services
Photographs related to customer reviews

I generally like to see a business build towards at least 50 useful photographs rather than having just two or three old images sitting on the profile.

The photographs also help potential customers.

Imagine somebody comparing two local businesses.

One profile has five photographs that were uploaded three years ago.

The other has dozens of photographs showing real staff, real vehicles and recently completed work.

Which one feels more established and trustworthy?

This is also why regularly adding useful content can be important.

Every photograph, update and piece of business information helps provide more context about who you are, where you operate and the type of work you carry out.

If you are unsure what information you should have on your profile, my Google Business Profile Checklist is a useful place to start.

The important thing is consistency.

Don't upload 40 photographs today and then forget about the profile for another two years.

Keep giving Google and your customers useful information about the business.

3. Compare Your Reviews With Your Competitors

The third area is reviews.

This is one of the first things I look at when a business tells me:

"People are finding us on Google, but we're not getting enough enquiries."

Finding the business is only one part of the process.

People still have to decide whether they trust you enough to make contact.

Imagine you have been operating for 14 years but only have seven Google reviews.

One competitor has 65 reviews.

Another has 111 reviews.

A potential customer looking at those three businesses may naturally wonder why so few of your customers have left feedback.

Your Google Business Profile may therefore be getting visibility without turning enough of that visibility into phone calls.

Reviews are effectively digital word of mouth .

Your happy customers can become some of your best salespeople.

This is why I recommend having a proper process for requesting reviews rather than hoping customers remember to leave one.

You also want useful reviews.

A review that simply says:

"Great company."

is positive, but it doesn't tell somebody very much.

Compare that with a customer explaining:

What problem they had
What work you completed
How your team communicated
Whether you arrived when promised
Whether you were clean and tidy
Why they would recommend you

That gives future customers much more useful information.

It also provides Google with additional context about the services your customers associate with your business.

Reviews Can Increase Leads Without Increasing Traffic

This is an important point that many business owners miss.

You don't necessarily need more people finding your Google Business Profile before you can generate more enquiries.

You might already have enough people finding you.

The problem could be that too many of them are choosing somebody else.

If 100 potential customers see your business and your reviews don't build enough confidence, improving that part of your profile could produce additional enquiries from the traffic you already have.

That's why I think of your Google Business Profile as part of the hub of your local Google presence.

Your website, reviews, photographs, business information and other local signals all work together.

The stronger and more complete that information becomes, the easier it is for potential customers to understand your business and decide whether you are the right company to contact.

What Should You Do If Your Google Business Profile Calls Have Dropped?

Don't immediately assume you need to spend more money on advertising.

Start by checking the basics.

Look at your profile as though you were a potential customer.

Can they easily call you?

If they visit your website, can they find your telephone number within a few seconds?

Can they tap the number on a mobile phone?

Then look at the information you are giving Google.

Are you regularly adding photographs and useful information showing the work you actually do?

Finally, compare your reviews with the businesses appearing around you.

Don't just compare star ratings.

Look at the number of reviews, how recently they are being received and what customers are actually saying.

Those three checks can often reveal why phone enquiries have started slowing down.

And once you understand where the weakness is, you have something specific you can work on rather than guessing.

Why Is My Google Business Profile Not Getting Phone Calls?

Thu, 03 Sep 2026 10:09:01 GMT

Private health insurance is a popular insurance component, but it isn't for everyone. Learn the pros and cons of having it, and decide if it's right for you.

Your Google Business Profile may be appearing on Google, people may even be looking at it, but that does not necessarily mean they are going to pick up the phone.

If you're wondering, "Why is my Google Business Profile not getting phone calls?" , there can be several reasons.

However, there are three areas I would check first:

Your reviews and customer feedback
Your photos and videos
How easy you make it for somebody to contact you

These are fairly simple things to check, but they can make a big difference to whether somebody chooses your business or one of the other companies appearing alongside you on Google.

1. Compare Your Reviews With Your Local Competitors

Start by searching for your main service on Google and looking at around the top 10 businesses competing with you.

Then compare their reviews with yours.

Imagine somebody sees three Google Business Profiles.

One company has 7 reviews collected over 14 years .

The next has 66 reviews .

The third has 111 reviews .

Even if the first company provides an excellent service, a potential customer does not know that.

All they can see is the information Google is putting in front of them.

They are trying to answer questions such as:

Can I trust this company?
Have other people used them?
What sort of work do they do?
Were previous customers happy?
Am I taking a chance by contacting them?

People generally do not want to feel like they are the experiment or guinea pig.

That is why reviews are so important.

Get Feedback Reviews, Not Just Five Stars

There is another important difference.

A review that simply says:

"Five stars. Highly recommended."

is useful, but it does not tell the next customer very much.

Whenever possible, you want customers to describe:

The problem they had
The work you carried out
The solution you provided
What their experience was like

These are what I think of as digital word of mouth .

Traditional word of mouth is powerful, but Google reviews have an extra advantage: they are sitting right in front of somebody at the exact moment they are deciding who to contact.

If you are unsure how your profile compares with the businesses around you, you can also start with a FREE Google Business Profile Audit .

Image suggestion: A Google Maps search showing three local businesses side by side with noticeably different review totals such as 7, 66 and 111 reviews.

2. Give People Enough Photos to Trust Your Business

If your reviews are reasonably strong compared with your competitors, the next thing I would look at is your photos.

A potential customer wants to see evidence of the work you actually do.

One of the best ways to do that is with before-and-after photos.

Try to take both pictures from approximately the same position so somebody can immediately see the difference your work made.

Around 10 good before-and-after examples can start giving somebody a much clearer idea of the quality of your work.

But don't stop there.

Your Google Business Profile can also show:

Your team
Your building or premises
Your vans and vehicles
Your equipment
Internal photographs
External photographs
Completed jobs
Short videos

When I look through Google Business Profiles during audits, I often find photographs that have not been updated for a long time. Sometimes most of the pictures have actually been uploaded by customers rather than the business itself.

You want the profile to properly represent your company today.

Building a collection of around 50 useful photographs can give somebody a much better picture of who you are, what you do and what they can expect.

A few short videos can help as well.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, video can show considerably more. Somebody can see your staff, your workmanship, your equipment and the way you operate without having met you yet.

Image suggestion: A collage showing a tradesperson's before-and-after job photos, staff, branded work van, equipment and business premises.

3. Check Your Phone Number Very Carefully

This sounds obvious.

But it is something I have seen several times while auditing Google Business Profiles.

Check that the phone number on your Google Business Profile is correct.

Then check it against the phone number shown on your website.

Don't just glance at it because you recognise the number.

Actually compare the digits.

I've come across examples where:

An old landline was still being displayed
One digit in the number was wrong
The number belonged to a manager who had left the company months earlier

Also check other basic business details, such as your opening hours, to make sure the information on your website and Google Business Profile matches.

A tiny mistake with a telephone number can potentially mean losing every enquiry that tries to use it.

Image suggestion: Close-up graphic showing a Google Business Profile phone number being compared digit-by-digit with the telephone number on a business website.

What Happens If People Have to Visit Your Website to Call?

Depending on how Google displays your profile, a customer may sometimes need to go through to your website to find the best way of contacting you.

That makes your website's telephone number particularly important.

Click from your Google Business Profile through to your website and test it yourself.

Ask one question:

How quickly can I find the phone number?

If it is hidden halfway down the page or buried in the footer, you are making the potential customer work unnecessarily hard.

Your phone number should be easy to see, particularly on a mobile phone.

More importantly, make sure it is click to call .

People don't want to find a pen, write down your number and then manually type it back into their mobile.

They want to tap the number and call.

Every additional step you remove makes contacting you easier.

Image suggestion: Smartphone screen showing a local business website with a large, clearly visible "Call Now" click-to-call button near the top.

Give Customers More Than One Way to Contact You

There is another opportunity many businesses overlook.

Not everybody wants to make a phone call.

Some customers would rather:

Send a text message
Use WhatsApp
Send a message
Complete an enquiry form
Book directly online

Where appropriate, your Google Business Profile can provide additional ways for somebody to take the next step.

For example, you may be able to add a booking link that sends somebody directly to your contact page, booking page or online calendar.

You can also investigate messaging options available for your profile.

The important point is not the individual button.

It is making it as easy as possible for the customer to contact you in the way they prefer .

Look at your competitors' profiles.

If most of them only offer one contact option and you make it considerably easier for somebody to get in touch, that can help you stand out.

For a more complete list of things to check, download my Google Business Profile Checklist .

Image suggestion: Google Business Profile mock-up showing several customer contact options, including phone, website, booking and messaging.

Before You Try to Get More People Looking at Your Profile

There are many other changes you can make to improve a Google Business Profile.

But there is an important order to this.

Before concentrating on getting significantly more people to see the profile, make sure the profile itself is ready to convert those visitors into enquiries.

There is little value in sending more potential customers to a profile if:

Your competitors have considerably stronger reviews
Your photographs are old
Customers cannot see examples of your work
Your telephone number is wrong
Your website hides the contact details
Your phone number isn't click to call
You give customers very few ways to contact you

Fix those things first.

Then you have a much stronger foundation from which to improve the visibility of the profile.

If you want to go further, my FREE Google Business Profile Masterclass goes into more of the areas you can work on.

Image suggestion: Simple checklist graphic with Reviews, Photos, Phone Number, Website and Contact Options all ticked before an arrow labelled "Increase Visibility".

Conclusion

If your Google Business Profile is not generating as many phone calls as you expected, don't immediately assume you simply need to rank higher.

Start by looking at what the customer actually sees.

Compare your reviews with your competitors.

Make sure your profile contains plenty of recent, useful photographs and examples of your work.

Double-check your telephone number.

Then test your website from a customer's point of view and make sure contacting you is quick and simple.

Finally, remember that some customers would rather message or book than phone, so give people more than one way to take the next step.

Your Google Business Profile isn't just there to help somebody find your business.

It also needs to give them enough confidence to choose your business .

How Do I Get More Calls From My Google Business Profile?

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:06:27 GMT

Private health insurance is a popular insurance component, but it isn't for everyone. Learn the pros and cons of having it, and decide if it's right for you.

A lot of local businesses create their Google Business Profile, fill in the basic information, and then leave it alone.

A few months later, they wonder why it isn't producing many phone calls or enquiries.

The problem is that simply having a Google Business Profile doesn't necessarily mean Google will show it as often as it could — or that potential customers will choose you when they do see it.

There are some relatively simple things you can do to improve your local visibility, give Google more confidence in your business, and make it easier for potential customers to contact you.

In this article, I'm going to cover four areas:

Add the right Google Business Profile categories
Build a consistent flow of useful customer reviews
Give people more ways to contact you
Keep feeding Google useful information about your business

These are all areas you can check yourself without immediately spending more money on advertising.

Add More Relevant Business Categories
Make Sure Your Website Supports Those Categories
Get Reviews More Consistently
Make It Easier for Customers to Contact You
Keep Your Google Business Profile Active
What Should You Do Next?

1. Add More Relevant Google Business Profile Categories

One of the first things I would check is your business categories.

Many businesses set up their profile with one primary category and stop there.

Let's use a plumber as an example.

Their main category might simply be:

Plumber

But that same company may genuinely provide several other services.

They could also be a:

Gas fitter
Drainage contractor
Hot water system installer
Water treatment or softener installer

Google allows businesses to select additional categories where they genuinely apply.

The important word there is genuinely .

Don't start adding unrelated categories simply because you want to appear in more searches.

Instead, look at all the different services your business actually provides and check whether there are relevant Google Business Profile categories for them.

Think of Categories as Extra Fishing Nets

Imagine your plumber category gives Google 30 opportunities each day to potentially show your company to somebody searching locally.

If you're genuinely relevant to another three categories, you have created additional opportunities for Google to match your business with those searches.

You're effectively putting more fishing nets into the water.

You aren't necessarily ranking higher for the original search.

You're giving Google more legitimate reasons to consider your business for more types of searches .

2. Make Sure Your Website Supports Those Categories

There is an important second part to adding categories.

You need to back them up.

If you tell Google that you're a gas fitter but your website doesn't mention gas fitting anywhere, you're sending mixed signals.

If you offer drainage services, for example, ideally your website should contain useful information explaining those services.

That could mean having a dedicated drainage page showing:

What drainage work you provide
Areas you service
Examples of previous work
Photographs
FAQs
Customer reviews relating to drainage

Think of it this way:

Your Google Business Profile makes the claim.

Your website provides the supporting evidence.

The more consistently the two match, the clearer your business becomes to Google and, just as importantly, to potential customers.

If you want to go through the main areas of your profile yourself, I've put together a Google Business Profile Checklist you can use.

Image suggestion: Split-screen graphic showing a Google Business Profile category on one side and its matching website service page on the other.

3. Get Google Reviews More Consistently

The next major area is reviews.

Reviews aren't something you should collect 15 of one month and then forget about for the next two years.

You want a steady, natural flow of reviews from real customers.

Why?

Because reviews aren't only there for Google.

They're there for the customer who is deciding whether to call you.

Someone might originally discover your company through your website, an advert or Google Maps.

But before contacting you, many people will still look at your reviews.

They're asking themselves:

Can I trust these people?

Reviews Are Your Digital Word of Mouth

I often describe good reviews as digital word of mouth .

Traditional word of mouth might happen when somebody asks a friend:

"Do you know a good plumber?"

Google reviews put that word of mouth directly in front of the customer while they're making the buying decision.

But there is a big difference between:

"Great service. Five stars."and a review explaining:

What the original problem was
What work you completed
How you solved it
What the customer thought of the service

Those detailed reviews are considerably more useful to another potential customer.

They can recognise their own problem in somebody else's experience.

That builds confidence.

You should therefore have a simple system for asking satisfied customers to leave feedback rather than relying on people remembering to do it themselves.

4. Make It Easier for People to Contact You

Getting seen is only half the job.

Once somebody finds you, you need to make contacting you easy.

And not everybody wants to communicate in the same way.

Some people want to phone.

Others would rather send a text.

Some prefer WhatsApp.

Others want to fill in a form or book an appointment without speaking to anybody.

Where the relevant options are available to your business, look at the contact methods you're providing through your Google Business Profile.

Depending on your profile and region, that can include options such as:

Phone
Website
Text or messaging
WhatsApp
Booking links

A booking link doesn't necessarily need to lead to a sophisticated booking system.

For some businesses, it could simply lead to the website contact page where somebody can send an enquiry.

The principle is simple:

Make it easy for customers to contact you in the way they prefer.

Every unnecessary hurdle gives somebody another opportunity to abandon the enquiry and choose a competitor.

5. Keep Feeding Google Useful Information

Your Google Business Profile shouldn't be something you set up once and forget about.

Keep it current.

Check basics such as your:

Opening hours
Special hours
Services
Photos
Business information

You can also regularly add evidence of the work you're actually doing.

For a local service business, that might include photographs of:

Recent jobs
Before-and-after results
Your vehicles
Your staff
Your equipment
Your premises inside and outside

You can also publish updates about completed jobs and useful information for customers.

The idea isn't to post simply for the sake of posting.

You're continually giving Google and potential customers fresh evidence that this is a real, active local business doing the services it claims to provide.

If you're unsure whether your existing profile is giving Google the right signals, you can start with a FREE Google Business Profile Audit and see where the main gaps are.

Watch the Original Video

VIDEO EMBED: How Do I Get More Calls From My Google Business Profile?

Embedding the original video here gives you the option to watch me explain these points rather than reading through the entire article.

What Should You Do Next?

If your Google Business Profile isn't bringing in as many calls as you'd like, don't immediately assume you need to spend more money.

Start with the basics.

Check whether you've selected all the relevant categories your business genuinely qualifies for.

Make sure those services are properly supported on your website.

Build a system for getting useful customer reviews consistently.

Give customers several easy ways of contacting you.

And keep providing Google with fresh information showing that your business is active and working locally.

None of these individually is a magic switch.

Together, however, they give Google a clearer understanding of your business and give potential customers more reasons to choose you.

If you want to go further, I've also created a FREE Google Business Profile Masterclass showing you more of the areas you can work on.

And if you find these sorts of practical Google Business Profile tips useful, you can subscribe to my YouTube channel for more videos aimed at helping local businesses generate more enquiries from Google.

Digital Audits

Why Is My Competitor Above Me On Google Maps?

Why Is My Competitor Above Me on Google Maps?

1. Help Google Understand Exactly What Your Business Does

Make Sure Your Website Supports What Your Profile Says

2. Give Google — and Your Customers — More Proof

Reviews Are Your Digital Word of Mouth

The Words Inside Reviews Matter to Potential Customers

3. Show That Your Business Is Active

Use Google Business Profile Posts Too

Why Your Competitor May Be Winning

Start by Comparing Your Profile With the Competition

Conclusion

How Do I Optimise My Google Business Profile For Local Leads?

1. Put the Right Local Content in the Right Places

Add Real Local Knowledge to Your Website

2. Increase the Number of Services Google Can Find You For

Your Website Needs to Support Those Services

3. Build Reviews That Help Customers Choose You

Ask for Feedback, Not Just a Review

Reviews Can Help You Win Customers From Competitors

Bringing the Three Pieces Together

Why Are My Google Business Profile Calls Dropping

Why Are My Google Business Profile Calls Dropping?

1. Check How People Can Call You From Google

2. Give Google More Information About Your Business

3. Compare Your Reviews With Your Competitors

Reviews Can Increase Leads Without Increasing Traffic

What Should You Do If Your Google Business Profile Calls Have Dropped?

Why Is My Google Business Profile Not Getting Phone Calls?

1. Compare Your Reviews With Your Local Competitors

Get Feedback Reviews, Not Just Five Stars

2. Give People Enough Photos to Trust Your Business

3. Check Your Phone Number Very Carefully

What Happens If People Have to Visit Your Website to Call?

Give Customers More Than One Way to Contact You

Before You Try to Get More People Looking at Your Profile

Conclusion

How Do I Get More Calls From My Google Business Profile?

Table of Contents

1. Add More Relevant Google Business Profile Categories

Think of Categories as Extra Fishing Nets

2. Make Sure Your Website Supports Those Categories

3. Get Google Reviews More Consistently

Reviews Are Your Digital Word of Mouth

4. Make It Easier for People to Contact You

5. Keep Feeding Google Useful Information

Watch the Original Video

What Should You Do Next?