GMB Optimisation Checklist [2025]: Boost Your Local SEO

GMB Optimisation Checklist [2025]: Boost Your Local SEO

Introduction: GMB Optimisation Checklist

A Google My Business profile (now called as Google Business Profile) is way more than just a simple listing—it’s a powerful free tool that can give you more calls, visits, and customers if optimised properly.

Here is the issue: Google has changed so much about how profiles work, how they show in search, and how they are ranked on Google Maps in 2025. If you haven’t updated your GMB strategy in recent times, you could be missing out.

That being said, I have a step-by-step GMB optimisation checklist that has been updated with all of the recent features and best practices as of August 2025.

Use this GMB optimisation checklist to assist your local SEO, improve your rank, and ensure customers choose you and not your competitors.

1. Complete Your Google My Business Profile

Your profile is the first impression customers get—so make it count.

Here’s what to fill in (and double-check):

1. Business Name: Use your exact, official name. No keyword stuffing (Google is stricter now).
2. Address & Service Area: Keep it accurate. If you serve multiple locations, use service areas.
3. Phone Number: Use a local number instead of a call centre number when possible.
4. Website Link: Add UTM parameters for tracking.
5. Business Hours: Keep them updated for regular days and holidays.
6. Categories & Attributes: Choose the most relevant primary category and add secondaries.
7. Social Media Links: You can now add Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and other social handles directly in GBP.
8. Business Description: Use a natural tone, include your services and location, and add keywords without overdoing it.

2. Add High-Quality Visuals

Visuals build trust faster than text.

What can you add?

• Logo: Clear, high resolution.
• Cover Photo: Represents your brand’s personality.
• Interior & Exterior Shots: Show what customers can expect.
• Product/Service Photos: Showcase what you sell or offer.
• Short Videos: At least 30 seconds, showing behind-the-scenes, products, or the team.

3. Keep Your Profile Updated

A Google My Business profile is not a “set it and forget it” tool.

Google prefers active profiles—so the more often you update it, the better your chances of ranking higher in local searches.

Here’s what to update regularly:

1. Special & Holiday Hours: Update them ahead of time so customers know when you’re open.
2. Service List: Add or remove services as your business changes.
3. Photos & Videos: Refresh visuals every few months to show you’re active.
4. Business Description: If your offers or focus change, tweak this section too.

To avoid mistakes:

• Review your profile weekly for unauthorised edits.
• Submit changes directly through the GBP dashboard instead of letting Google auto-update from “user suggestions.”

4. Use Google My Business Posts Strategically

Google Posts work like mini social media updates that appear directly in search results. They’re perfect for keeping your profile fresh and attracting clicks.

Types of posts you can create:

1. Updates: General business news.
2. Offers: Deals or discounts for a limited time.
3. Events: News about new or upcoming events or activities.
4. Products: To highlight specific products or services.

2025 Features & Tips:

• Restaurants and bars now have a “What’s Happening” section to share daily or weekly specials.
• Best posting times are 9–11 am to maximise visibility.
• Link posts to service pages on your website with UTM tags so you can track clicks in Google Analytics.

5. Collect & Respond to Reviews

Reviews are one of the strongest local SEO ranking factors for your Google My Business profile. They don’t just improve trust—they can directly affect your position in Google Maps results.

How to get more reviews (without breaking Google’s rules)?

• Ask after a positive experience: The best time is right after a purchase or service.
• Share your direct review link: You can send the link via WhatsApp, SMS, or email.
• In-store prompts: Add a sign or QR code “Review Us on Google.”

6. Enable Q&A & Messaging Features

Your Google My Business Q&A and messaging tools are like a direct hotline between you and potential customers. If you use them well, you can answer questions before people even call—and that often means they’re more likely to choose you.

Q&A Optimisation:

• Add your questions and answers – Don’t wait for customers to ask.

Post common queries like:

1. “Do you offer home delivery?”
2. “What are your weekend hours?”
3. “Do you provide emergency services?”
4. Use local and service keywords naturally in your answers.
5. Update regularly as your services change or new FAQs arise.

Google’s AI now sometimes pulls answers from your Q&A section directly into search results. This means well-written answers can give you more visibility before someone even clicks on your profile.

Messaging Optimisation:

• Turn on messaging so customers can reach you instantly from search or Maps.
• Reply quickly – Google shows your average response time; faster is better.

Set up auto-replies for FAQs like:

• “Thank you for getting in touch! We’ll respond to your message shortly. Until then, check out our service menu: [link].”

Pro Tip: You can now link WhatsApp in GBP messaging settings, which helps if your audience prefers chatting there.

7. Track Insights & Use UTM Tags

If you’re not tracking how people find and interact with your Google My Business profile, you’re missing a big opportunity to improve.

GMB Insights and Google Analytics work together to show you:

• Search queries: The exact terms people use to find your business.
• Views: How many times your profile, photos, and posts were seen.
• Actions: Clicks to call, visit your website, or request directions.
• Photo engagement: How your image views compare to competitors.

Adding UTM tags for better tracking:

UTM tags are short codes you can place into your link in GMB so that you can see how much traffic you received from your gmb profile in Google Analytics.

Example of UTM URL format:

https://yourwebsite.com/utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=gmb

8. Build Local SEO Signals Beyond GMB

Your Google My Business profile doesn’t work in isolation—Google also looks at how strong your local presence is across the web. The more consistent and credible your business information appears, the higher your chances of ranking in the local map pack. Here are the ways to strengthen local SEO signals:

1. Uniform NAP Across All Citations

Check Your Name, Address, and Phone number (NAP) are exactly matched on:

1. Yelp
2. Bing Places
3. Apple Maps
4. Industry-specific directories
5. Even small differences (e.g., “St.” vs. “Street”) can confuse search engines.

2. Earn Local Backlinks

• Get links from local blogs, news sites, and community pages.
• Sponsor local events or charities (most times, they will list your company with a link).
• Perform joint promotions with other nearby businesses.

3. Interact With Local Communities Online

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to contribute to local Facebook groups, LinkedIn communities, or your local neighbourhood applications like Nextdoor. You can post your Google Business Profile link whenever it makes sense to do so (without being spammy)!

Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) is now pulling more data from external sites when deciding which local businesses to show. That means citations and backlinks are more important than ever for supporting your GMB rankings.

9. Advanced GMB Optimisation Checklist

If you’ve handled the basics, it’s time to take your Google My Business profile to the next level using the newest 2025 features.

1. Add Social Media Links to Your Profile

• You can add your Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok, and X (Twitter) profiles directly in your GBP contact section. This builds brand credibility and provides opportunities for customers to connect with you on social media.

2. Optimise for AI-Generated Business Overviews

• Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) often creates an AI summary of your business.
• Make sure your description, Q&A, and posts mention your core services and location so the AI pulls accurate info.

3. Prepare for “Ask for Me” Assistant Queries

• Google’s new AI feature, Ask for Me, can directly call or message businesses on behalf of users.
• Keep your messaging system active and make sure your response templates are ready for instant communication.

4. Apply Real-Time Offers & Seasonal Changes

• You can take advantage of your Google Business Profile to update flash sales, time-based offers, or seasonal changes (i.e., “Summer specials – 20% off until August 31”). 
•  Google Business Profile with new, relevant offers appears first when you conduct local searches!

5. Add Products & Services Directly to Your Profile

• Use the Products/Services tab in GBP to list your offerings with prices, descriptions, and images. This helps you appear in relevant product searches inside Google Maps and Search.

Conclusion

Optimising your Google My Business profile (GMB) in 2025 isn’t just about putting the basic details in—it’s about keeping it active, relevant and in line with the latest Google updates. 

Even if it just involves filling out your profile with correct NAP details, using original high-quality images, regular posts and updating regularly and utilising messaging, Q&A and AI features, everything on this checklist impacts you being found in local search. 

The businesses that win in local SEO this year are the businesses that treat their GMB profile as a living, breathing part of their marketing and not just a checkbox task that they do once. 

If you’d rather have all this completed for you, our GMB Listing Services can make sure your profile is fully optimised, consistently updated, and developed to draw local customers in.

FAQs on GMB Optimisation Checklist

Khushbu M