What is a Google Business Profile?

A Google Business Profile is a free listing that appears when people search for your business on Google Search and Maps. It shows your business name, address, phone number, hours, reviews, photos, and more.

How do I claim my Google Business Profile?

Go to google.com/business, sign in with your Google account, and search for your business. If it doesn't exist, you can create a new profile. Google will verify your ownership — typically by mailing a postcard with a verification code to your business address.

Does Google Business Profile help with SEO?

Yes, a fully completed and active Google Business Profile is one of the strongest local SEO signals. It helps you appear in the Local Map Pack, Google Maps, and increasingly in AI-generated search results.

How often should I update my Google Business Profile?

You should check your profile at least once a month. Update your hours for holidays, respond to reviews within a few days, add new photos regularly, and make sure your phone number and address are always current.

Google Business Profile for Northern Ontario: 4 Checks Every Local Business Should Do

If you run a small business in Northern Ontario, your Google Business Profile is probably the most valuable piece of online real estate you own. More than your website, more than your social media. It's the first thing people see when they search for your business on Google Maps, and increasingly it's what AI search tools like ChatGPT and Gemini pull into their answers.

But here's the problem: most business owners set up their profile once and forget about it. Months go by. Hours change. Photos get stale. Reviews go unanswered. And slowly, quietly, that profile stops working the way it should.

So let's fix that. Here are 4 quick checks you can run right now — no technical skills required.

Check 1: Is Your Business Information Accurate?

This sounds obvious, but you'd be surprised how many profiles have wrong phone numbers, old addresses, or missing hours. Google recently reported that businesses with complete and accurate profiles are 2.7x more likely to be considered reputable by customers.

Open your profile and verify:

Business name — exactly as it appears on your storefront and website
Phone number — a local area code (705, 807, 249, 705) is better than a toll-free number for local SEO
Address — street address, city, postal code — no PO boxes for service-area businesses
Hours — are your holiday hours updated? Is Sunday closed or open?
Website URL — double-check this links to the right page

Make one change and it's already more useful than 90% of profiles out there.

Check 2: Are You Responding to Reviews?

Reviews are the single biggest factor in whether someone clicks your listing or your competitor's. A business with 15 reviews and thoughtful responses will always win over a business with 30 reviews and no replies.

Here's what to do:

Reply to every review — thank positive reviewers by name, and address negative ones professionally
Be prompt — responding within 24-48 hours signals an active business
Keep it local — mentioning "Sudbury" or "North Bay" in your replies reinforces your local relevance
Don't be defensive — a bad review handled well can be more convincing than five glowing ones

Real talk: If you have 0 reviews, that's a problem. Happy customers rarely leave reviews unprompted. Ask your next 5 satisfied customers directly — "would you mind leaving a quick Google review?" Most will say yes.

Check 3: Do You Have Recent Photos?

Listings with photos get 42% more requests for directions and 35% more clicks to their website. But Google cares about freshness too — a profile whose most recent photo is from 2022 looks neglected.

Quick wins:

Add 3-5 new photos this week — storefront, team, products, workspace
Upload at least one photo per month going forward
Use real photos, not stock images (Google's algorithm favours authenticity)
If you're a restaurant or service business, photos of your actual work outperform generic shots

Check 4: Is Your Profile Active?

Google rewards active profiles. If you haven't logged in for 6 months, your profile drops in priority compared to a competitor who posts weekly updates.

Signs of an active profile:

You've logged in within the last 30 days
You have recent posts or updates (Google Posts — share a promotion, event, or announcement)
You're tracking insights (how many people searched for you, called you, or visited your website)
Your Q&A section has been answered (many profiles have unanswered questions from customers)

Pro tip: Google now uses Business Profile data as a signal for AI search visibility. Tools like ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, and Gemini all pull information from verified Google Business Profiles when answering local queries. An accurate, active profile doesn't just help on Google Maps — it helps you get cited by AI search tools too.

What If You Don't Have a Profile Yet?

If your business isn't on Google at all, you're invisible to a huge portion of potential customers. Claiming your profile is free and takes about 15 minutes:

Go to google.com/business
Sign in with your Google account
Search for your business — if it doesn't exist, click "Add your business"
Fill in your details and verify — Google typically mails a postcard with a verification code

Once verified, run through the 4 checks above. Even a basic profile with accurate info, a couple photos, and a review or two will put you ahead of most small businesses in Northern Ontario.

Your Google Business Profile is free, takes minutes to maintain, and directly impacts whether local customers find you. There's really no excuse not to have one.

Need help with the rest of your online presence? We build websites, optimize for local search, and help Northern Ontario businesses get found online — whether it's on Google or through AI search tools. Check out our plans or get in touch.