There is no silver bullet when it comes to local SEO, and getting noticed in the local search results takes time, effort and dedication. That said, the single most important tool that every local business should have at their disposal is a Google Business Profile (formerly known as Google My Business), and it can help them get noticed, rank higher in the search results and drive more customers to their business.

Google is the world’s leading search engine, and it’s a place that most of your potential customers are visiting to find products or services they need. A recent Birdeye survey reveals that 67% of consumers use search engines to decide on which local business to choose for their products or services, and that they spend an average of 8 hours a week reading reviews before making a purchase decision.

For local businesses, this is great news because it means that there are a lot of potential customers out there looking for what your company has to offer, and Google makes it easy for them to find you. Google uses a variety of ranking factors to determine which local businesses should appear in their search results, but the most influential factor is a business’s proximity to the user searching for it.

This is why claiming and optimizing your Google Business Profile is so important, and it is also why you should constantly update it with any new information that you have. The more complete your GMB profile is, the better chances you have of showing up in search results for local searches.

To start, you will need to verify your business. This is done by submitting an official form of identification to Google, such as a driver’s license or business registration certificate. Once you’ve verified your account, you can log in to your GMB profile and make changes to your listing.

The most important things that you will want to add to your profile are a phone number, email address, website and photos of your location. These will be the primary ways that your customers will be able to contact you, and it’s important that these are accurate and up-to-date.

In addition to the standard info that you can add to your GMB profile, you will also have the ability to add links for booking and ordering services like Yelp and Open Table. These will display automatically in your listing in Google Search and Maps, and you can link to up to 3 different services at a time.

You can also take advantage of the Google My Business Help Community if you have any questions about operating your GMB profile or dealing with any issues that may arise. This is a resource for fellow business owners and Google employees who can provide advice or answer any questions you might have.

If you’re ready to start optimizing your GMB profile for local SEO, we recommend downloading this free eBook from Ahrefs. They will show you 10 quick optimization wins that you can implement today to boost your local rankings.