The Essential Guide to Optimising Your Google Profile for Local Property Searches

Winning local search on Google is one of the easiest ways to be found by sellers and buyers in your suburb. When someone searches phrases like agent near me or best property manager in [your suburb], Google shows a short list on the map. This is called the local pack. If your profile is complete, active, and trusted, you can appear here more often and receive more calls and enquiries without extra ad spend.

This guide explains, in simple steps, how to set up, optimise, and maintain your Google Business Profile so you show up for local property searches, build trust, and turn views into listings and managements.

How Google Decides Who Shows First

Google looks at three simple factors

• Relevance
  Your profile must clearly match what the person is searching for. Categories, services, description, posts and reviews all help.

• Distance
  How close you are to the person or the suburb they typed. Service areas and your address matter.

• Prominence
  How trusted and active you appear online. Reviews, replies, photos, posts, and general reputation across the web all count.

Your job is to make each factor as strong as possible.

Set Up and Verify Your Profile

1. Go to Google Business Profile and claim or create your listing.

2. Enter your legal business name exactly as it appears on your website and stationery. Do not add keywords to the name.

3. Add your office address if you have a public office people can visit. If you work as a service area business, hide the street address and choose service areas instead.

4. Add your main phone number, website, and appointment link.

5. Choose the best primary category

   • Real estate agency for a sales and property management office

   • Property management company if you only manage rentals
     Add up to nine extra categories if they truly fit.

6. Complete verification. Follow the steps to verify by phone, video, email or postcard.

Tip
Use the same business name, address, and phone number on your website, Facebook page, and directories. This consistency builds trust.

Choose Service Areas That Match Your Patch

• Add the suburbs you serve. Focus on your core farm area and nearby suburbs where you want more appraisals.

• You can also add postcodes or council areas.

• Do not try to list everywhere. Be focused. Quality beats a long list.

Write A Clear Business Description

Use simple language that says who you help, where you operate, and why people choose you. Keep it friendly and real.

Example
We help home owners and investors in Parramatta, Northmead and surrounding suburbs sell for strong results and lease to quality tenants. Our team provides clear communication, smart marketing, and careful buyer and tenant matching.

Checklist for your description

• Include your core suburbs

• Mention sales, property management, or both

• Add proof points like number of reviews, awards, or years of service

• Invite action with a line like Book a free property price update

Add Services and Products To Capture Keywords

Use the Services section to list what you offer

• Property appraisals

• Sale campaigns

• Auction campaigns

• Private treaty campaigns

• Property management

• Leasing and tenant selection

• Routine inspections

• Market update meetings

Use the Products section to present packaged offers

• Free suburb price report

• Pre sale preparation plan

• Investor health check

• New landlord onboarding call

Each item should include a short description, target suburbs, and an action link to your website or booking form.

Set Accurate Hours And Special Hours

• Add normal office hours.

• Add special hours for public holidays.

• Use the More hours option to show times when you host open homes or run appraisal calls. Accurate hours help you appear when people filter by open now.

Power Up With Photos And Short Videos

People choose with their eyes. Fresh media boosts trust.

Add the following

• Exterior photo of your office or meeting location

• Team photo that shows faces and names

• Listing photos that show local architecture and lifestyle

• Sold and leased success tiles

• Before and after styling examples

• Short videos that introduce the team, explain your selling plan, or share a weekly market wrap

Tips

• Upload at least five new photos each month.

• Use square or landscape images for a tidy grid.

• Add a caption in the file name like parramatta-sold-23-smith-street to help clarity.

• Avoid heavy filters. Natural looks honest.

Turn On Messaging And Add An Appointment Link

• Enable messaging so shoppers can text you from your profile.

• Add an Appointment link that goes to a simple appraisal booking page or call request form.

• Connect this page to your calendar tool if you use one.

• Place a clear call to action on the page like Book a free 15 minute price update.

Post Weekly To Stay Fresh

Posts keep your profile active and help you rank for timely searches.

Post ideas

• New listing spotlight with three best features and inspection times

• Just sold story with method, days on market, and buyer source

• Market wrap for your top suburbs with median price movement and buyer demand

• Client review tile with a line about the result

• Helpful tip like small repairs that add value before sale

• Offer post for a free suburb price update or investor health check

Best practice

• One post per week

• A clear headline, short copy, and one strong image

• End with a call to action and link to book or learn more

Build Reviews And Reply To Every One

Reviews are the strongest trust signal in local search.

How to ask

• At settlement or lease sign up ask in person

• Send a short text with your direct review link within 24 hours

• Follow up once a week later if needed

Sample text message
Thank you for choosing our team. It would mean a lot if you could share a quick review. It helps local owners find a trusted agent. [paste your review link]

Reply guide

• Thank the person by name

• Mention the property or suburb

• Note one detail about the journey

• Invite future contact

Example reply
Thank you, Priya. Helping you present and sell 14 Park Street in Northmead was a pleasure. Your careful prep made a real difference. If friends need advice, we are here to help.

Handling a poor review

• Stay calm and polite

• Acknowledge the concern

• Offer to speak offline to resolve it

• Once resolved, ask if they would consider updating their review

Use Q and A To Answer Common Questions

You can ask and answer your own questions. This helps buyers and sellers get fast clarity.

Good starter questions

• How do appraisals work

• What suburbs do you service

• What are your fees

• Do you manage investment properties

• How do you handle open homes and feedback

Write short answers. Link to the relevant page on your site when helpful.

Link Your Profile To Strong Local Pages

Your website and your Google profile should support each other.

Create these simple website pages

• Contact page with address, phone, email, map embed, and office photos

• Suburb pages that show recent results, buyer demand, schools, transport, and lifestyle

• Selling process page with steps and timelines

• Property management page with fees, service scope, and onboarding steps

• Reviews page that mirrors your Google reviews and links back to them

From your Google profile

• Use the Website and Appointment links to send people to the most relevant page

• Keep your name, address, and phone identical to your site

Track What Works With Simple UTM Tags

Add UTM tags to links in your posts and products so you can see Profile traffic inside Google Analytics.

Example
https colon slash slash yoursite dot com slash appraisals question mark utm source equals google profile ampersand utm medium equals organic ampersand utm campaign equals gmb posts

This tells you which posts drive visits and enquiries. Keep a small list of standard tags and reuse them.

Monitor Insights And Improve Monthly

Open the Insights section in your profile each month and record

• Searches that found you by brand or discovery

• Views on Search and Maps

• Calls, messages, website clicks, and bookings

• Popular times when people contact you

• Top photos and views

Use these notes to decide what to post next, which suburbs to focus on, and where to improve.

Compliance And Care

• Get consent before sharing client photos or names.

• Do not publish private details or contract information.

• Keep records of review requests and replies.

• If someone asks to remove their image, act quickly and confirm in writing.

A Simple Weekly And Monthly Routine

Weekly

• Add one post

• Upload one or two fresh photos

• Reply to all reviews and messages

• Check opening hours are correct for the week

Monthly

• Review Insights and update your plan

• Add or refine services and products

• Refresh your description if your focus shifts

• Check all links and phone numbers

Quarterly

• Update team photos

• Replace old offer posts

• Audit your service areas and categories

• Review website pages that your profile links to

Common Mistakes To Avoid

• Stuffing keywords into the business name

• Listing too many unrelated categories

• Using stock photos instead of real local images

• Forgetting to reply to reviews

• Ignoring messages or missing calls

• Posting once then going quiet

• Linking to a home page that asks people to hunt for the right information

Quick Optimisation Checklist

• Verified profile with correct name and contact details

• Primary category and a few accurate extra categories

• Service areas set to core suburbs

• Clear description that names your suburbs and services

• Services and products completed with action links

• Hours and special hours up to date

• Messaging turned on and appointment link working

• Fresh photos and at least one video

• Weekly post with a strong call to action

• Active review plan and replies to every review

• Q and A filled with common questions and clear answers

• UTM tracking added to links

• Monthly Insights review and notes

A 14 Day Action Plan

Day 1 to 2
Claim, verify, and complete all core fields. Add categories, service areas, hours, and links.

Day 3
Write and publish your business description. Add Services and Products.

Day 4
Upload a set of ten photos. Office, team, listings, sold results, and local landmarks.

Day 5
Turn on messaging. Test the appointment link and form.

Day 6
Publish your first post. Choose a current listing or a free price update offer.

Day 7
Build your review link. Ask three happy clients for reviews.

Day 8
Write five Q and A entries and answer them.

Day 9
Create or update your Contact page and key suburb pages. Embed your map on the Contact page.

Day 10
Add UTM tags to your Website, Appointment, Product and Post links.

Day 11
Upload a short welcome video. Thirty to sixty seconds is perfect.

Day 12
Publish a second post. Market wrap or just sold story.

Day 13
Check Insights and note early results. Adjust next week’s post idea.

Day 14
Set your weekly and monthly reminders so the momentum continues.

Your Google Business Profile is a living shopfront on the world’s busiest street. Keep it complete, helpful, and active. Share real local proof. Reply with care. Post each week. Over time you will appear more often for local property searches, receive more calls, and open more doors for listing and management opportunities.

Author Ken Hobson
ken@agentslibrary.com.au