If someone in Gulf Shores opens Google and types "coffee shop near me" or "boat rentals Orange Beach," the first thing they see is a map with three listings. That's the Local Pack. Getting into it — and looking good once you're there — is the highest-leverage SEO move available to a local business.
And it costs nothing. Just time.
Why Google Business Profile matters more than your website for local search
For local, intent-heavy searches ("best seafood restaurant Gulf Shores," "emergency plumber near me"), Google often shows a map result before any organic website links. If you're not in those three listings, you're invisible for the most valuable searches.
Your GBP listing also shows up in Maps, feeds into voice search results, and is the source for your business info on Apple Maps, Bing, and other directories that pull from Google's data.
Getting it right has a multiplier effect.
The full audit checklist
Go to business.google.com and walk through each section.
Business name
Use your actual business name. No keyword stuffing ("Best Gulf Shores Pizza — Joe's Pizzeria"). Google has been penalizing this more aggressively, and it looks spammy to customers.
Categories
Your primary category is the most important signal Google uses to match you to searches. Be specific — "Seafood Restaurant" ranks better than "Restaurant" for the right searches.
Add secondary categories for additional services. A restaurant that also does catering can add "Catering Food and Drink Supplier" as a secondary category.
Business hours
Must be accurate. Must match what's on your website. Mismatches hurt your local ranking.
Update for holidays and seasonal closures. A listing that shows "open" when you're closed destroys trust instantly.
Photos
Listings with photos get 42% more requests for directions and 35% more website clicks according to Google's own data.
Add real photos: exterior (so people recognize the building), interior, food or products, the team. Update them at least a few times a year. Listings with fresh photos signal to Google that the business is active.
Minimum: 10 photos. Better: 25+.
Reviews
This is the single biggest ranking factor in local search.
- Respond to every review — positive and negative. Google rewards engagement.
- Ask satisfied customers to leave a review. The best time to ask is right after a successful job or visit.
- Never offer incentives for reviews. It violates Google's terms and can get your listing suspended.
If you have fewer than 20 reviews and a competitor has 200, that gap is worth addressing before anything else.
Description
Write 2–3 sentences that describe what you do and who you serve. Include your city. Keep it factual, not salesy.
Services / Menu / Products
Depending on your business type, you can list your specific services with descriptions and prices. This content is indexed and helps you match to more specific searches.
Posts
Google Business Profile lets you publish short posts — promotions, events, updates. These show in your listing. They're not heavily weighted for ranking, but they signal that your business is active and give customers something current to see.
The one-hour fix
If you do nothing else, do this:
- Claim and verify your listing if you haven't already
- Audit every field for accuracy
- Add 10+ real photos
- Respond to your existing reviews
- Ask your five most recent happy customers for a review
That's it. An hour of work that will have a real impact on how often you appear in local searches.