LOCAL SEO. WITHIN REACH.
Help local customers find your business—without an agency-sized budget.
Simple Google Business Profile guides, practical checklists and affordable tools for UK small businesses.
For trades, sole traders and independent businesses. Start with the free basics, then choose paid tools only when they solve a real problem.
Free guidance · No email required · No ranking promises
Clear services and hours.
Check your profile before paying for tools.
PICK YOUR STARTING POINT
One problem.
A practical next step.
Check your profile details, learn how to ask for honest reviews, and record a simple visibility baseline.
I’m not showing on Google Maps
Find out whether your profile is missing or simply less visible.
Find out why you’re missing from MapsI need genuine customer reviews
Build a fair request process and personalise a message.
Get the review request templatesI want to measure local visibility
Use free reports before deciding on paid tracking.
Learn how to track local visibilityCHECK THESE BEFORE BUYING A TOOL
Three profile details
you can check today.
Open your public profile on your phone and work through these checks. No subscription or email address needed.
Use the free profile checklistContact details
Tap the phone number and website link. Do they connect to the right business and page?
Services and area
Check that your main service and genuine customer area are clear and accurate.
Opening arrangements
Review regular and holiday hours where relevant, so customers know when to contact or visit you.
USEFUL KNOWLEDGE, OPEN TO EVERYONE
Start with the essentials.
BUSINESS PROFILE
Google Business Profile checklist for UK small businesses
A free, practical starting point for trades, sole traders and independent local businesses.
Read the guide · 8 minGOOGLE MAPS
Why your business is not showing on Google Maps
Work out whether you have a profile problem or a visibility problem before changing anything.
Read the guide · 8 minREVIEWS & TRUST
How to ask for Google reviews: editable message templates
Ask fairly for honest feedback, using a simple process and messages you can personalise.
Read the guide · 8 minA REVIEW REQUEST YOU CAN ADAPT
Ask for honest feedback.
Leave the rating to them.
Send a short, optional request to genuine customers. Ask fairly, without incentives or selecting only customers you expect to give positive feedback.
Personalise the review request templatesEXAMPLE MESSAGE · REPLACE THE BRACKETS
Hi [name], thank you for choosing [business]. If you’d like to share your experience, you can leave an honest Google review here: [review link]. Thank you for your time.
Test your review link before sending. This example does not send a message.
FREE METHOD FIRST. OPTIONAL TOOLS SECOND.
Do you need a paid local SEO tool?
Start with the free approach. Consider paying only when you can identify the task, reporting gap or recurring workload a tool would address.
| Task | Start free | Consider paying when… |
|---|---|---|
| Manage your Google Business Profile | Use Google’s own tools. Use the free profile checklist | You manage several locations or need additional reporting. Compare profile management options |
| Request customer reviews | Use a fair manual process and templates. Get the review request templates | Following up consistently becomes difficult. Compare review workflows and tools |
| Monitor local visibility | Record a baseline with available Google reports. Learn how to record a baseline | You need location-specific rank tracking. Compare local tracking options |
| Check business listings | Review important directories manually. Check your directory listings | Checking and maintaining listings becomes time-consuming. Compare listing tools and services |
The linked comparisons explain costs, limitations and what was assessed through research. Current provider links are standard links; affiliate monetisation is not yet configured. Read the disclosure.
What you can check
- Research or personal testing?
- Current tool assessments use published provider information. The paid products have not been personally tested by us.
- When was a guide checked?
- Every guide names its author, shows a source-check date and links to relevant sources.
- Found something wrong?
- Email a correction with the page URL and supporting information. Corrections are reviewed against the relevant source.
FREE GUIDES, CHECKLISTS & TEMPLATES
Profile, reviews or measurement?
Use a free checklist or editable review message, without giving us your email.
Limited manual reviews: see what the free audit includes.