Why it matters
It's frequently the first, sometimes only, surface a local buyer checks: rating, recent reviews, a couple of photos, done. An unclaimed or stale profile silently costs enquiries that never reach the website you paid to build.
How it works
You claim and verify the profile, then maintain it like a channel: accurate categories (they drive which searches you can appear in), services, photos, and posts. Reviews (volume, recency and your replies) are the strongest lever most businesses under-use.
What to do about it
Claim it, complete every section, and build a habit: ask happy clients for a review the week the work ships, and reply to every one. Fifteen minutes a week compounds surprisingly hard.
