Google Business Profile Setup for Hull Businesses: A Step-by-Step Guide

Why your Google Business Profile matters in Hull

When someone in Hull searches for "plumber near me" or "web designer Hull", Google shows a map with three businesses before the normal results. Those listings come from Google Business Profiles. Being in that map pack is one of the best ways for a local business to get calls, and the profile itself is free.

We set up our own profile for DevsMint this week, so this guide follows exactly what we did.

Step 1: Decide if you are a storefront or a service-area business

This is the decision most people get wrong.

• Storefront: customers come to you at a staffed address during opening hours (a shop, café, salon or garage). Show your address.
• Service-area business: you go to customers, or work from home and customers don't visit (trades, cleaners, mobile hairdressers, web designers). Hide your address and list the areas you serve.
• Hybrid: both. Show the address and set a service area.

Google's own guidance is clear: if your business doesn't have a shopfront where you receive customers, you must hide your business address (Google Business Profile Help). You still enter your real address so Google can verify you; it just isn't shown publicly.

Step 2: Create and verify the profile

1. Go to Google Business Profile and sign in with the Google account you want to manage the business from.
2. Enter your business name exactly as customers know it. Don't add keywords like "Best Plumber Hull" to the name; that breaks Google's guidelines.
3. Choose your main category (more on this below).
4. Enter your address, then choose whether to show it.
5. Add your service areas if you have them. You can add up to 20, such as Hull, Beverley, Hessle, Cottingham, Anlaby and Hedon.
6. Add your phone number and website.
7. Verify. Google will offer a verification method, which may be a short video of your business, a postcard or another option.

Step 3: Pick the right categories

Your primary category has the biggest effect on which searches you appear for. Choose the one that describes your main service in the fewest words ("Plumber", "Hair salon", "Web designer"). Then add one or two secondary categories that genuinely fit. More categories are not better if they don't describe what you do.

Step 4: Add services and a description

• Services: tick the ones Google suggests for your category, then add your own. Put your town in one or two service names ("Web Design Hull"), not every one.
• Description (up to 750 characters): say what you do, who for, and where. Don't include links, phone numbers or offers; Google may reject them.

Step 5: Photos, logo and cover

• Logo: a square version that reads well in a small circle.
• Cover photo: your best, widest image. For a service business, real photos of your work beat stock photos.
• Photos: add 5–10 to start, then keep adding. Profiles with real photos look more trustworthy.

Step 6: Get your first reviews

Reviews are one of the strongest local ranking signals and the first thing people read. From your profile, click Ask for reviews and copy the short link. Send it personally to recent customers: a text or WhatsApp message works better than an email blast.

Reply to every review. Never buy or invent reviews: fake reviews have been banned in the UK since April 2025, and Google removes them.

Step 7: Post once a week

Google Business Profile posts show on your listing and tell Google you are active. Share a recent job, a before-and-after, or a seasonal tip. Add a photo and a "Learn more" or "Call now" button. Don't put your phone number in the post text; use the button.

Step 8: Make your website match

Google compares your profile with your website. Make sure your business name, phone number and area are written the same way on both, and that your website mentions the town you serve in its page titles and headings. This is where many profiles lose ground.

Need a hand?

Every website we build includes Google Business Profile setup. If you are a Hull or East Yorkshire business and want your profile and website working together, see our web design Hull page or get a free website audit.