The wrong category
It's Google's first criterion, and it's often picked at random on the day the profile is created.
Home / Audits / Google Business Profile audit
Your Google Business Profile, under the microscope.
For a shop or a tradesperson, the Google Business Profile often brings in more calls than the website. I co-wrote two books on the subject. The audit tells you what you're missing to get into the top three.
- Rattle your competitors.
- Overtake them.
- Protect you from their attacks.
15 years in SEO
4 books on SEO and GEO
200+ sites tracked every day
1M / month visits to my e-commerce site
They trusted me with their visibility
Darty
Eurofins
Cegid
EBP
CNP Assurances
Ingram MicroWhat is a Google Business Profile audit?
A Google Business Profile audit reviews everything Google uses to decide whether to show your business on the map: categories, information, reviews, photos, activity. It compares your profile with the ones that appear ahead of you.
The problem
The three most common flaws.
Reviews with no strategy
No rhythm, no replies, no useful words in them. The competitor across the road turns them into a tool.
A neglected profile
No posts, wrong opening hours on bank holidays, photos uploaded by strangers.
Your competitors all look alike. Good.
Fig. 1. Your market, as Google sees it. (You're the purple one. Or you could be.)The answer
What the audit covers.
You get a list of fixes you can apply yourself, in order.
- The profile. Categories, services, attributes, description, links: every field is checked.
- Reputation. Volume, freshness and content of reviews, compared with your competitors'.
- Rankings. Where you appear on the map depending on where people search from.
- The website. What your site needs to say to back up the profile.
In detail
What I check on your Google Business Profile.
Categories
The primary and secondary ones, compared with those of the businesses that show up for your searches.
Practical information
Name, address, phone, hours, service area: I check they're accurate and identical elsewhere on the web.
Services and products
What you've declared, what's missing, and the words your customers use to search for it.
Reviews
How many, how recent, what they say, and how you reply to them.
Photos and posts
What a customer sees when they open the profile: recent or old images, news or silence.
Duplicates and access rights
Duplicate profiles, former owners, access nobody can find any more.
Making the choice
Profile left as is, filled in once, or audited then maintained?
| Profile audited then maintained | Profile filled in once | Profile left as is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information | Checked and kept up to date | Accurate on the day it was entered | Sometimes edited by strangers |
| Categories | Chosen after comparing with competitors | Chosen at creation | Whatever Google guessed |
| Reviews | Requested regularly, with replies | Received at random | Unanswered |
| Photos | Refreshed by you | The ones from day one | The ones from visitors |
| What the customer sees | An active business | A decent but static business | Doubt about whether it's open |
A maintained profile doesn't guarantee a spot on the map: the distance between the customer and you counts too, and there's nothing you can do about it. What it does do is stop you losing calls over wrong information.
It's for you if…
- You welcome customers on site or travel to them
- Your competitors appear on the map and you rarely do
- You created the profile long ago and haven't touched it since
- You're ready to spend a few minutes a week on the profile
It's not for you if…
- You only sell online, with no address or service area
- You want to buy reviews
- You want to appear in a town where you have no premises
- You want to hand over the profile without ever sharing information about your business
In pictures
What well-run SEO looks like.
In practice
What you get.
- A list of fixes to apply, in order
- A comparison with your top three competitors
- A map of your rankings by neighbourhood
- A template for review requests and replies
- A debrief by video call
Pricing
How much should you budget for a Google Business Profile audit?
This audit can be priced in one call. The amount varies with four points.
- The number of locations
- The number of competitors compared
- The size of the area over which to measure your rankings
- Additional problems to fix: duplicate, lost access, suspension
Together, let's devour your competitors.
One by one, and in order. Every spot gained makes the next one easier to take: that's why it keeps growing. See the method
Who you're talking to
Your SEO consultant: a business owner, not just an SEO.
My name is Kévin Papot. More than fifteen years in the job, four co-written books, and the Newp agency, co-founded in Charente. I also run my own online shops, in France and internationally: one of them went from zero to a million visits a month.
Before we talk tags, we talk margin, average basket and profitability. When you book a call, I'm the one who picks up.
FAQ
Google Business Profile audit: frequently asked questions.
I have several profiles. Is that possible?
Yes. We audit a sample, build a template from it, then apply it to the whole network.
My profile has been suspended. Can you help?
Yes, it's a common case. We identify the likely cause before requesting reinstatement.
Who works on my account?
The strategy is me, and I'm the one who answers you. For production (content, development, links), I rely on the team at Newp, the agency I co-founded.
Do I need to give you access to my profile?
Manager access lets me see the settings and statistics. You remain the owner, and you can remove that access after the audit.
I no longer have my profile's login details. What should I do?
Google has a procedure for recovering ownership of a profile. I tell you the steps and the supporting documents to prepare. The timeframe depends on Google.
Can you get a negative review removed?
Only if it breaks Google's rules, and the decision is Google's. For the others, I help you write a calm reply that's useful to future readers.
Do you apply the fixes yourself?
If you'd like, yes. Many business owners prefer to do them themselves with the list, as most take a few minutes.
Does the profile affect AI answers?
AIs that rely on local data can read your information and your reviews. An accurate profile gives them consistent material. I can't tell you what they'll do with it.
Do you have particular experience in this area?
I co-wrote books dedicated to Google Business Profile, after fifteen years in SEO. I handle this for shops, tradespeople and multi-site businesses.
See also
Audits
And next
30 minutes · video call · with me
Be the one they remember.
Together we look at where you stand on Google and in AI, and what should change first.
Book a callFig. 2. A K. (The landscape was missing one.)