Digital Tailors, Bristol

John Lang, Senior Strategist, Digital Tailors, Bristol

Feel free to picture our studio on Bristol’s harbourside: phones pinging, espresso machine steaming, and yet every second question from clients is the same—“How do I outrank the business round the corner?” My short answer is always, “Own your Google Business Profile.” Here’s the longer answer, trimmed to roughly 750 words and loaded with up-to-date data.

---

Why a Google Business Profile (GBP) still rules local search

Google quietly rebadged “Google My Business” as Google Business Profile in 2022, but its influence only grew. Almost half of all Google queries now carry local intent — 46 % to be exact — so appearing in Maps and the “local pack” is no longer optional. Sagapixel

Landing in that coveted three-pack is transformational: listings displayed there scoop 126 % more organic traffic and trigger 93 % more actions—calls, clicks and direction requests—than positions four to ten. SOCi For a café in St Paul’s or a contractor in Bedminster, that difference is often the next payroll run.

---

Bristol’s crowded micro-business scene

Our city hosts 18,485 registered enterprises, and an eyebrow-raising 97 % of them are either micro (0–9 staff) or small (10–49 staff). Bristol Democracy With that density, even niche firms face several near-identical competitors inside a five-mile radius. Fine-tuning a GBP therefore becomes a basic act of survival.

---

Untapped opportunity: profiles still unclaimed

Astonishingly, 56 % of UK local businesses have yet to claim their profile. mobal.io If you’re among the organised 44 %, you’re already a step ahead. Claiming does three big things:

1. 
   

   Verification – proves to Google you’re a real-world entity.

   
   


2. 
   

   Control – stops random users “suggesting edits” to your opening hours.

   
   


3. 
   

   Data – unlocks search-and-Maps analytics that plug neatly into Looker Studio.

   
   

---

Basic information that powers the algorithm

Google’s algorithm still leans hard on NAP accuracy—Name, Address, Phone. Make that trio identical everywhere. “Bristol Road” on your GBP and “Bristol Rd” on Yelp is enough to seed doubt in the algorithm and nudge you downward. Consistency across citations also helps independent aggregators like Bing Places and Apple Maps reinforce your location relevance.

---

Five optimisation moves that work in 2025