When someone in Swindon searches for a plumber, a dentist or a printer, the map results usually show up before any website does. That listing is your Google Business Profile, and for a lot of local businesses it brings in more enquiries than the website itself. These Google Business Profile tips cover the parts that genuinely move local visibility, what changed when Google retired the questions and answers section, and how to keep your profile and your site saying the same thing.
Start with your categories and core details
Your primary category tells Google what you actually do, and it has more influence on where you appear than almost anything else on the profile. Pick the closest match rather than the broadest one. A commercial printer should not be sitting under a general marketing category, and a mobile service should not be listed as a shop.
Add secondary categories where they are accurate, but do not stack up ten of them hoping to catch more searches. It dilutes the signal and can pull you into results you cannot serve.
After that, check the boring fields. Business name exactly as it appears on your signage and paperwork, no keywords bolted onto the end. Address and phone number matching what is on your website. Opening hours that are actually correct, including bank holidays and the Christmas shutdown. If you work from a van rather than premises, set your service areas properly so you show up across Royal Wootton Bassett, Chippenham or Marlborough without pretending to have an office in each one.
Keep adding photos, not just at setup
Profiles that get fresh images tend to look more active to both customers and Google. This is one of the easiest things to keep on top of and one of the most commonly ignored. Take a few photos on your phone each month and upload them.
For service businesses, pictures of the work itself do more than a stock shot of a laptop. Useful things to upload:
- The outside of your building or unit, so people can find you
- Your team doing the actual job
- Finished work, products or premises
- Anything that answers a question a customer would otherwise have to ask
Use your own images. Google updated its content policies to deal with AI generated material, and a gallery of invented interiors and fake team shots is not worth the risk.
Reviews and how you reply to them
Reviews influence whether someone picks you out of the map pack, and replying to them shows the profile is being looked after. Ask happy customers directly, ideally when the job has just finished. Do not offer anything in return for a review, and do not batch them all in one week.
Reply to the negative ones calmly and factually. Anyone reading it later is judging your response more than the complaint.
The Q&A section has gone, so your website has to answer instead
This is the change worth knowing about. Google switched off the Q&A API in November 2025 and phased out the public questions and answers section on profiles shortly afterwards, replacing it with an AI powered ask feature in Maps that pulls answers from your profile, your reviews and your website content.
The practical effect is that seeding your own questions and answers on the listing is no longer an option. If a customer asks whether you offer weekend appointments or handle a particular service, Google will answer from whatever it can find. So the answers need to be on your site, written plainly, on the relevant service page or in a clear FAQ section.
It is something we regularly see when taking over existing websites. The profile is reasonably well kept, but the site itself does not spell out the details a customer or an AI answer would need. Getting your website to cover those questions properly is now part of local search work rather than a separate job.
Tie the profile back to your site
Point your profile link at a page that makes sense. For most businesses that is the home page, but if you have a strong service page it can be better to send people there. Make sure whatever you link to loads quickly and works on a phone, because the majority of map traffic arrives on mobile. If you are unsure how your site handles that, our guide to responsive web design explains what to look for.
Keep your name, address and phone number consistent between the profile, your site and any directory listings. Mismatched details are a common reason a business underperforms locally, and it is usually a leftover from an old office move or a rebrand. Our post on why a professional site matters for Swindon businesses covers the wider picture.
If you would rather someone went through all of this with you, our local SEO services in Swindon include profile work alongside the on site changes that support it. Get in touch and we will take a look at where you currently stand.
Frequently asked questions
How often should I update my Google Business Profile?
Check it monthly. Update opening hours whenever they change, add a few photos, and reply to any new reviews. Beyond that, review your categories and services once or twice a year in case what you offer has moved on.
Can I still add questions and answers to my listing?
No. Google removed that section from profiles in late 2025 and now generates answers itself using your profile details, reviews and website content. The way to influence those answers is to make sure the information is clearly written on your own site.
Do I need a website if I have a Google Business Profile?
Yes. The profile gets you seen, but it is a Google owned page with limited control over how you present your business. It also now leans on your website as a source when answering customer questions, so a thin or outdated site works against your local visibility.
