Your Google Business Profile (GBP) isn’t just a digital directory listing, it’s usually the first thing potential customers see about your business. In 2025, local search will get tougher, and AI-powered results will be the usual way people find businesses. A badly managed profile might lose your customers, visits, and trust.

If you’re a local business, service provider, or a brand with multiple locations, your GBP plays an important role in local SEO visibility and customer trust. Below, we discuss the top 10 mistakes businesses are still making with their Google Business Profiles in 2025, and how to fix them.

1. Inaccurate or Inconsistent Business Information

Inconsistent names, addresses, and phone numbers (NAP) across platforms create confusion for both customers and search engines. Google depends heavily on consistent data to verify your business’s legitimacy.

What to avoid:

  • Mismatched NAP details between your website, GBP, and directories.
  • Old phone numbers or outdated addresses.

Solution: Regularly audit and update your business information across all platforms. Use a central source of truth, like a citation management tool, to keep everything aligned.

2. Choosing the Wrong Business Category

Your primary business category determines how Google interprets your offerings and matches your profile to search queries. Choosing the wrong one can hide your listing in irrelevant results.

What to avoid:

  • Overly broad or unrelated categories.
  • Failing to update categories as your services grow.

Solution: Use Google’s predefined categories (not custom ones) and choose the most specific option that accurately represents your business. You can also add secondary categories for additional services.

3. Neglecting Business Hours (Including Holidays)

Nothing frustrates a customer more than showing up at your business only to find it closed. Inaccurate or missing hours create a poor user experience and may reduce visibility in local results.

What to avoid:

  • Leaving business hours blank.
  • Not updating holiday or seasonal hours.

Solution: Set accurate hours and use the “special hours” feature to reflect holidays and one-off changes. Google prioritizes businesses that show up when they say they will.

4. Ignoring Google Reviews (or Responding Poorly)

Reviews are a cornerstone of local SEO and user trust. Not engaging with customer feedback, or doing so reactively, can hurt your reputation and rankings.

What to avoid:

  • Ignoring reviews altogether.
  • Responding emotionally or unprofessionally to criticism.

Solution: Respond to all reviews (positive and negative) promptly and professionally. Thank happy customers and offer to resolve issues for unsatisfied ones; this shows transparency and commitment.

5. Using Low-Quality or Stock Photos

Photos are the most viewed content on a Google Business Profile. Poor lighting, generic images, or outdated visuals can make your business look unattractive or untrustworthy.

What to avoid:

  • Blurry, poorly lit, or outdated images.
  • Overuse of stock photos.

Solution: Upload high-quality, original images that reflect your space, products, staff, or services. Update them regularly to keep the profile fresh and engaging.

6. Keyword Stuffing in the Business Name

Some businesses try to manipulate rankings by adding excessive keywords into their GBP name. Google penalises this behaviour.

What to avoid:

  • Adding locations or services that aren’t part of your legal business name.
  • Repeating keywords unnecessarily.

Solution: Use your actual business name only. Let your services and keywords appear naturally in your business description and posts.

7. Not Posting Regular Updates

Google Posts are a powerful yet underused feature. They let you share updates, promotions, events, and news directly on your profile. Inactivity sends a message that your business may not be active.

What to avoid:

  • Not using posts at all.
  • Posting inconsistently or only during promotions.

Solution: Schedule weekly or bi-weekly posts with value-driven content,  sales, tips, events, or service changes. Posts also help your business stay relevant in Google’s local pack.

8. Forgetting About Products and Services Sections

Many businesses skip these features, leaving their profile incomplete. This reduces keyword relevance and makes it harder for users to understand what you offer at a glance.

What to avoid:

  • Using products/services blank.
  • Using insufficient or generic descriptions.

Solution: List your top offerings with keyword-rich, clear descriptions. Include pricing and photos where applicable. These sections give Google more content to rank your business for.

9. Not Enabling Messaging or Failing to Monitor It

Google allows customers to message businesses directly through the profile. Not enabling this feature, or worse, enabling it but not responding, can lead to missed leads and poor service.

What to avoid:

  • Delayed or no responses to messages.
  • Letting customer queries go unanswered.

Solution: Turn on messaging in your GBP dashboard and assign someone to monitor and reply quickly. Use auto-replies for after-hours communication.

10. Failing to Monitor Performance and Insights

Your GBP dashboard offers valuable insights into how users interact with your profile, how they find you, what actions they take, and more. Ignoring this data means missing out on optimisation opportunities.

What to avoid:

  • Never checking analytics or search queries.
  • Making changes blindly without data.

Solution: Review your GBP insights monthly. Look for trends in search terms, photo views, direction requests, and website clicks. Use this data to refine content and engagement strategy.

 

Your Google Business Profile is essential for local SEO support, not just a static listing. When optimized correctly, it leads high-intent traffic, builds trust, and converts searches into real-world business.

Avoiding these 10 common mistakes and committing to regular profile updates can help you stand out in challenging local markets. If you’re having a small business or a service provider, your Google profile deserves just as much attention as your website or ads.

Let us help you turn your profile into a powerful tool for growth.