From Leicester Market to Google Maps
For centuries the best spot in Leicester was a market pitch people walked past. The modern equivalent is the map pack, and it is claimable for free.
The map is the new footfall
When someone nearby searches for what you do, the three businesses shown on the map get the lion's share of the taps. That block is fed by your Google Business Profile, not your website. Plenty of Leicester businesses have never claimed theirs, which means the ones that do are competing against empty stalls.
Claim it, then stock it
Claiming takes minutes; the difference comes from stocking the profile like you would a window. The most specific categories you can find. Real photos of the premises, the work, the people. Opening hours that survive bank holidays. The services or menu listed in text. A profile with fifty genuine photos beats a slick website with none, because it looks like somewhere people actually go.
Reviews: steady beats spectacular
The pattern that wins is a slow, genuine trickle. Build the ask into finishing a job: a text with the direct review link while the customer is still delighted. Reply to every review, especially the awkward ones, because future customers judge you on the replies. Never buy reviews; the platforms are better at spotting it than the buyers are.
Where the website comes back in
The profile wins the tap; the website closes it. It must confirm the same name, area and offer, load fast on a phone, and put the call button one thumb away. Mismatched details between profile and site quietly cost rankings, so whoever minds one should mind both. Our care plan does, and the price of that is public.
Not sure what state your listing is in? Ask us for an honest look, or start with what matters on the site itself.