Many creative business owners, whether product or service based, spend hours on social media, yet overlook one of the most powerful free marketing tools available: Google Business Profile.

Whether you sell handmade products, run workshops, offer creative services, or work as an artist, maker, designer or craft business owner, a well-optimised Google Business Profile can help you get found by potential customers, build trust and generate enquiries.

The good news? You don’t need to be a marketing expert to make it work for your business and it’s a great way to drive traffic to your website.

What is Google Business Profile?

Google Business Profile is a free tool that allows businesses to manage how they appear in Google Search and Google Maps.

When someone searches for your business name, or for products and services you offer, your profile can display important information such as:

• Business description
• Contact details
• Website link
• Opening hours
• Reviews
• Photos
• Updates and posts
• Frequently asked questions

For creative businesses, this acts as an additional shop window, portfolio and marketing channel all in one.

Why it matters for local customers

Most people understand that Google Business Profile helps local businesses appear in local searches.

For example, someone might search for:

• Handmade jewellery near me
• Wellness coach in my area
• Local artist commissions
• Handmade gifts in (your town)

Having an active and complete profile increases your chances of appearing in these searches and helps potential customers discover your business.

Reviews, photos and recent posts also give people confidence that your business is active and trustworthy.

If someone is deciding between several businesses, a well-maintained profile can often be the factor that encourages them to contact you.

It also matters for non-local customers too!

One of the biggest misconceptions about Google Business Profile is that it’s only useful for businesses serving local customers.

Many creative businesses sell nationally or internationally through websites, online shops and social media. Even if customers never visit your premises, they often search online before buying.

When someone discovers your business through Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, or a recommendation, they frequently search your business name on Google. What they find can influence whether they decide to buy from you.

If you have a Google Business Profile, this will show up – and a professional profile helps reinforce that all-important trust by providing:

• Genuine customer reviews
• Recent updates
• Business information
• Photos of your work
• Website links

Think of it as social proof that supports your wider online marketing efforts.

Keep your profile updated

An incomplete profile sends the message that a business may not be active.

Make sure your profile includes:

• A clear business description
• Accurate contact information
• Current website links
• Relevant services or products
• High-quality images

Many creative businesses create beautiful products but fail to showcase them on their Google profile. Upload photographs regularly to demonstrate your work, your process and your personality.

Even though I don’t create products, I still update my Google profile once every week with images of my content and my blog post with the link.

What else can you post on Google Business Profile?

Google allows businesses to publish updates directly on their profile.

These posts can include:

• New product launches
• Workshop announcements
• Seasonal collections
• Behind-the-scenes content
• Helpful tips and advice
• Customer success stories

Think of these as mini blog posts that help keep your profile active and give potential customers more reasons to engage with your business. And each post gives you the option to add a link to your website, online shop, call you, or point to your social media pages.

Encourage reviews

Customer reviews remain one of the strongest social proof signals you can give to potential customers. Ask satisfied customers to leave honest reviews and make it easy for them by providing a direct review link.

When possible, encourage customers to mention specific products, services or experiences. For example:

“I purchased a handmade personalised gift and was delighted with the quality and service.”

These details help future customers understand what makes your business special.

Answer questions before customers ask them

Google Business Profile includes a Q&A section that is often overlooked.

Use this area to address common customer questions such as:

• Do you accept commissions?
• Do you ship internationally?
• Can customers book workshops online?
• How long do personalised orders take?

Providing answers in advance can remove barriers and encourage enquiries.

Treat your profile as part of your content marketing strategy

Don’t make the mistake of thinking of your Google Business Profile as a directory listing. Instead, think of it as another content marketing platform. By sharing updates, photos, customer stories and useful advice, you can build credibility, demonstrate expertise and stay visible to potential customers.

When combined with your website, email marketing and social media activity, Google Business Profile becomes a valuable part of your overall marketing strategy.

Conclusion

Many small business owners focus exclusively on social media while overlooking opportunities elsewhere.

Google Business Profile is free, relatively simple to maintain and can help both local and non-local customers discover, trust and choose your business.

A little time spent optimising and updating your profile can make a significant difference to your visibility and customer enquiries.

To help you get started, I’ve created a free Google Business Profile checklist, which walks you through the key steps to optimise your profile, improve visibility and make sure you’re not missing valuable opportunities to attract customers.

Download your free copy below, and start putting your profile to work for your business.