Google Business Profile setup and local SEO for a local business

We run a small local business and we need someone experienced to take our Google Business Profile from neglected to fully optimized. Right now the listing exists but it is barely filled in: the categories are wrong, several fields are empty, the photos are old phone snapshots, and we have never posted a single update. When people in our area search for what we offer, competitors show up above us in the map pack and we are losing walk-in customers because of it. We want a specialist who understands how local ranking actually works and can turn the profile into a real acquisition channel rather than a static placeholder.

The scope covers a full audit of the current profile followed by hands-on optimization. That means choosing the correct primary and secondary categories, writing a keyword-aware business description, completing every relevant attribute, adding accurate hours including holidays, and cleaning up the service and product sections. We also need a proper photo and cover strategy with guidance on what to shoot, a schedule of Google Posts to keep the profile active, and a practical reviews strategy that helps us earn more genuine reviews and respond to them well. On top of that we would like our name, address and phone details checked and made consistent across the major local directories and citation sites, because inconsistent listings are hurting us.

Please describe your approach, share examples of local businesses you have helped rank, and tell us what results you typically see and in what timeframe. We value someone who explains the reasoning, not just ticks boxes.

— Full audit of the existing Google Business Profile
— Correct category selection, description and complete attributes
— Photo, cover and Google Posts content strategy
— Reviews acquisition and response playbook
— NAP consistency across local directories and citations
— A simple monthly plan we can maintain after handover