Google Business Profile: Setup and Optimisation for Devon

For local businesses in Newton Abbot, Torbay, Exeter and across South Devon, your Google Business Profile (GBP) is doing more work than most of your website. It is the listing that shows up in Google Maps, in the local "3-pack" at the top of search results, and on the right-hand side panel when someone Googles your business name. Get it right and you will pull in calls, directions and bookings without paying for ads. This guide sets out the actions that actually move the needle.

Step 1: Claim and verify properly

If you haven't claimed your profile yet, search for your business name on Google and click "Own this business?". Verification is now usually by video — Google asks you to record a short clip showing your premises and signage. Have your shop sign and the inside of the unit ready before starting.

For service-area businesses (plumbers, electricians, mobile groomers, builders) you can hide your address and list service areas instead. Pick the towns and postcodes you actually serve — not "the whole of Devon" if your real catchment is Newton Abbot, Teignmouth and Torquay.

Step 2: Pick the right primary category

This is the single most underrated lever in GBP. Your primary category tells Google what searches to show you for. Get it wrong and no amount of optimisation rescues you.

• A florist in Newton Abbot should pick "Florist", not "Gift shop"
• A B&B in Wellswood should pick "Bed and breakfast", not "Hotel"
• A driving school in Teignbridge should pick "Driving school", not "Educational institution"

Add up to nine secondary categories that genuinely apply. Don't stuff — Google penalises that.

Step 3: Fill every field

Empty fields cost you. Complete:

• Business description (750 characters — front-load with your main service and town)
• Opening hours, including special hours for bank holidays and seasonal changes
• Services list — every service you offer as a separate item with its own description
• Products if you're a retailer
• Attributes (women-owned, wheelchair accessible, free Wi-Fi, etc.)
• Booking and quote links if you have them

For Devon hospitality businesses, the seasonal hours field is critical — a Dartmoor pub showing the wrong winter hours loses visits.

Step 4: Photos do real work

Aim for 25+ photos at minimum, refreshed monthly:

• Exterior shots from the angle a customer would arrive (so they recognise the place)
• Interior shots showing the actual feel
• Photos of you and your team — faces convert
• Real product or service photos (not stock)
• Recent work — a finished installation, a delivered cake, a haircut, a wedding flower setup

Add a couple of photos a week as routine. GBP rewards activity.

Step 5: Post weekly

Google Posts (the short status-update style posts in your profile) signal activity. Post weekly with one of:

• A new service or seasonal offer
• A finished job with a photo
• A short useful tip relevant to your customers
• An event you're at — Newton Abbot races weekend, Devon County Show, a Christmas market

Posts expire after 7 days for most types, so this is genuinely a weekly job.

Step 6: Reviews are the ranking factor

For most categories, the businesses ranking in the top three of the local pack have:

• 50+ reviews
• 4.5+ average rating
• A reply on at least 80% of reviews

The fastest way to build review volume: a one-line text or email to every customer at the right moment ("the day after the install", "the morning after dinner", "the week after the haircut") with a direct review link. Don't offer incentives — Google will catch it.

Step 7: Track what's working

The GBP Insights panel shows search queries (what people typed to find you), customer actions (calls, directions, website clicks) and photo views. Check it monthly. If "calls" is rising but "website clicks" isn't, your profile is converting better than your site.

We set this up and run it as part of the £300/month retainer. If you would rather get it started yourself first, do — the work above is real, sequential, and will get you most of the way. Call or WhatsApp 07887 988780 if you want it done properly from day one.