Real questions from Google PAA
Frequently Asked Questions
Ten real questions pulled from Google’s People Also Ask plus our most common client questions. Answers are plain English, no fluff, and match what’s already on Google.
How do I fully optimise my Google Business Profile?
Full Google Business Profile optimization means claiming the listing, verifying it, picking the right primary category plus secondaries, writing a complete business description, uploading categorised photos, adding services and products, seeding the Q&A section, posting weekly updates, and responding to every review within 48 hours. That’s the short version. The full 10-step checklist is on our
Google Business Profile optimization service page. If you’re searching how to optimize google business profile and you’d rather hand it to someone who’s done it 200+ times, book a call. Most small business owners don’t have time for all of this, which is why agencies exist.
How long does Google Business Profile optimisation take?
The initial optimisation work takes us 14–21 days from start to finish. That includes the audit, strategy approval, content rewrite, photo upload, catalogue build, and verification. If you’re a service-area business needing video verification, add three to seven days for Google’s review. Meaningful ranking improvements typically show up 30–60 days after launch, with bigger movement between months three and six as your activity signal builds.
What are the most common Google Business Profile mistakes?
The five most common google business profile mistakes we see: (1) wrong primary category, (2) incomplete business description, (3) missing or outdated photos, (4) ignored reviews, (5) no posts in the last 12 months. Other frequent issues: listing a home address when the business is a service-area business, inconsistent NAP across directories, and empty Q&A sections. Fixing these five alone usually moves rankings within 30 days.
Is there a difference between Google My Business and Google Business Profile?
They’re the same product. Google renamed Google My Business (GMB) to Google Business Profile (GBP) in November 2021, and retired the standalone GMB app in 2022. All the same features — listings, posts, reviews, insights — now live inside Google Search and Google Maps directly. If you still hear people say “GMB,” they mean GBP. The google my business optimization work we do today is identical to google business profile optimization — just the name changed. This is the short answer to the google my business vs google business profile question — they’re identical now.
How much does a Google Business Profile cost?
Setting up and running a Google Business Profile is free — Google doesn’t charge anything to list or maintain your business. What costs money is the agency work to do it properly: category research, content writing, photo optimisation, review response, and monthly management. Our google business profile cost is transparent: free first-time optimisation for qualified Abbotsford businesses, $297 one-time for everyone else, $97 per month for ongoing management. No hidden fees, no annual contracts. Full breakdown on the
GBP optimisation service page.
Do I need a physical address for Google Business Profile?
No. You can run a Google Business Profile as a service-area business (SAB) with no public address. This is standard for plumbers, contractors, cleaners, mobile groomers, landscapers, and any home-based trade business. You’ll need to provide an address to Google for verification purposes — typically your home address — but you can hide it from public view so customers only see your service area. We handle this during setup.
Why has Google suspended or removed my Google Business Profile?
The most common reasons for GBP suspension: (1) business name stuffed with keywords (e.g., “ABC Plumbing Abbotsford Best 24/7”), (2) duplicate listings, (3) inconsistent information between your GBP and website, (4) home address listed instead of service area, (5) policy violations in your description or photos. If your profile is suspended, we can audit it and file a reinstatement request with Google. Suspension cases take two to six weeks to resolve and are not always successful — if yours needs Google-level escalation, we’ll tell you.
How do I hide my home address on Google Business Profile?
When you set up your GBP, choose “I deliver goods and services to my customers” instead of “Customers visit my business at its address.” Google will ask for your business address for verification, then let you hide it from public view. We configure this during our setup process so your home never appears on Google Maps. If your current profile shows your home address publicly, we can remove it — takes about 15 minutes in the GBP dashboard.
How often should I post on my Google Business Profile?
Once a week, minimum. GBP posts are a ranking signal — Google rewards active profiles over dormant ones. Weekly posts with photos keep your listing fresh and give you seven touchpoints per month to promote offers, events, and updates. Our ongoing management tier includes four posts per month — one per week — written around your business’s actual offers and seasonal opportunities.
How do I improve Google Business Profile performance?
The fastest gains usually come from fixing the five most common mistakes: wrong primary category, thin description, missing photos, unresponded reviews, and no posts. Beyond that, add services and products, seed Q&A, verify NAP consistency across your website and directories, and post weekly. If you’ve done all that and still aren’t ranking, the issue is usually competitive — the top three slots in your category are already taken by businesses with more reviews, more photos, and longer history. At that point the google business profile help you need is either more reviews earned through a response workflow, or tightening your category and description against competitor analysis. We do both.
