There's a tool that directly controls whether you show up in Google Maps, costs nothing, takes about 30 minutes to set up, and most wellness professionals either haven't claimed it or set it up halfway and forgot about it.
That tool is your Google Business Profile.
Why This Matters More Than Your Website (Sometimes)
When someone searches "massage therapist near me" on their phone, the first thing they see isn't a list of websites. It's a map with three businesses pinned on it. That's the map pack, and it gets clicked more than the regular search results below it.
Your Google Business Profile is what determines whether you're one of those three pins. Not your website. Not your Instagram. Your GBP.
I've worked with practitioners who had no website at all but a well-optimized GBP and were getting calls. I've also worked with people who had beautiful, expensive websites and no GBP, and they were invisible in local search. The GBP wins in terms of raw local visibility, basically every time.
That said, a good website and a good GBP together is obviously the strongest combination. But if you had to choose where to spend your next 30 minutes, and you haven't touched your GBP recently, start there.
Step 1: Claim It
Go to business.google.com. Search for your business. If it already exists (Google sometimes creates listings from public data), claim it. If it doesn't exist, create it.
Google will verify that you're the actual owner, usually by sending a postcard to your business address with a verification code, though sometimes they offer phone or email verification. This takes a few days. Don't skip it. You can't edit your listing until you're verified.
If you work from home and don't want your home address public, you can set a service area instead of a physical address. Google will still show you in results for that area.
Step 2: Fill Out Everything
This is where most people fall short. They put in the basics, name, address, phone, hours, and call it done. But Google treats profile completeness as a ranking signal. The more complete your profile, the more confident Google is about recommending you.
Here's what to fill out.
Business name. Use your actual business name. Don't stuff keywords in here like "John's Massage Therapy - Best Deep Tissue Massage Santa Cruz." Google will penalize that. Just your real business name.
Categories. This is critical. Your primary category should be the most specific one available that describes what you do. "Massage Therapist" not "Health and Wellness." "Personal Trainer" not "Gym." Google uses these categories heavily in deciding which searches to show you for.
You can add secondary categories too. If you're a massage therapist who also does cupping and prenatal massage, add those as additional categories if Google offers them.
Services. List every service you offer with a description and price if possible. This content shows up on your profile and helps Google understand what searches you're relevant for.
Business description. You get 750 characters. Use them. Describe what you do, who you serve, and where. Include your city and neighborhood naturally. Don't write it like ad copy. Write it like you're telling a neighbor what you do for work.
Hours. Keep these current. If you change your hours seasonally or for holidays, update them. Inaccurate hours are one of the fastest ways to get negative reviews and lose Google's trust.
Attributes. Google offers various attributes depending on your business type. Things like "wheelchair accessible," "LGBTQ+ friendly," "women-owned." Check any that apply. These show up on your listing and help people choose you.
Step 3: Add Photos (Real Ones)
Profiles with photos get significantly more engagement than profiles without. Google has said this publicly. The numbers they've shared are something like 42% more direction requests and 35% more website clicks for profiles with photos compared to those without.
What to upload: photos of your actual space, your equipment, yourself at work (with client permission), and the exterior of your building so people can recognize it when they arrive. Aim for at least 10 to start with, and add new ones periodically.
What not to upload: stock photos, heavily filtered images, or photos with text overlays. Google can detect stock photos and it doesn't help your credibility.
Step 4: Get Reviews (Consistently)
I cover this in more depth in the reviews and social proof post, but the basics for GBP specifically are these.
Google reviews directly affect your local ranking. More reviews with higher ratings push you up. Recency matters too. A steady stream of reviews over time looks better than a burst of 20 reviews in one week followed by silence.
The easiest approach: after a good session with a client, send them a text with a direct link to your Google review page. You can find this link in your GBP dashboard. Keep it simple. "Hey, if you have a minute, a Google review would really help my practice. Here's the link." Most people are happy to do it. They just need to be asked, and they need it to be easy.
Respond to every review, good or bad. A simple "Thanks, Sarah, glad you're feeling better" is enough for positive reviews. For negative ones, be professional and brief. Your response is really for the people reading it later, not for the person who left the review.
Step 5: Post Updates
GBP has a posting feature that almost nobody uses, which is exactly why it's valuable. You can publish short updates, offers, events, or announcements directly to your profile. They show up when people view your listing.
Think of these as mini social media posts, but for Google specifically. "Now accepting new clients for evening appointments." "Just completed advanced training in myofascial release." "Taking the week of December 20th off for the holidays."
Posting regularly signals to Google that your profile is active and maintained. Once a week or every couple of weeks is plenty. It doesn't need to be long or polished. Just current.
Step 6: Use the Q&A Section
There's a Q&A section on your GBP where anyone can ask questions, and anyone can answer them. Including you.
Here's the move: ask and answer your own common questions. "Do you accept insurance?" "What should I wear to a session?" "How do I cancel an appointment?" This is explicitly allowed by Google, and it serves two purposes. It provides useful information to potential clients, and it adds keyword-rich content to your profile.
The Ongoing Part
Setting up your GBP is not a one-time task. It's more like tending a garden. Not a ton of work on any given day, but it needs regular attention.
Update your hours when they change. Add new photos every month or two. Post updates. Respond to reviews. Add new services when you offer them. Check your profile periodically to make sure the information is still accurate, because Google sometimes makes changes to listings based on user suggestions, and those changes aren't always correct.
If all of this sounds like more than you want to manage alongside actually running your practice, that's something we help with. GBP setup and optimization is part of what we include when we build a site. But honestly, even without us, this is the highest-return free marketing activity available to a local wellness business. Thirty minutes of setup and five minutes a week of maintenance can meaningfully change how many new clients find you.