Google Business Profile agency — what they do and when to hire one

GSC for Feather Studio shows 44 impressions for the query 'Google Business Profile agency' in the last 28 days — with zero clicks. This is no coincidence: Serbian businesses increasingly recognise they need help with Google Maps visibility but don't know where to find someone who does it. What a GBP agency does: profile setup and verification, optimisation of all fields (categories, services, attributes, description), photo strategy, post and review management, and monthly Map Pack ranking monitoring.

Setting up a GBP profile step by step — what the agency does: ownership verification (Google sends a postcard with a PIN or verifies by phone/video call), filling in all fields (business name exactly as on the official stamp, address, phone, website, opening hours), selecting primary and secondary categories, entering all services with descriptions and prices where relevant, uploading minimum 10 photos by type (interior, exterior, team, products/services). This can be done without an agency, but an agency knows exactly which categories and attributes rank for your industry.

Optimisation that brings ranking: NAP data consistency (Name, Address, Phone) across all online places — if GBP says 'Knez Mihailova 10' and the website says 'Kneza Mihailova No. 10', that's an inconsistency signal. Keywords in the profile description and service names. Posts published at minimum once a week. Q&A section populated with predictable questions. Booking link if relevant. Each of these elements is a local SEO signal that Google measures.

Review management is the part many businesses can't handle internally because it requires consistency and speed. The agency: monitors new reviews in real time, responds to positive ones (personalised, not generic), escalates negative ones to the client for resolution, and has a response strategy that doesn't worsen the situation. Fake negative reviews — the agency knows the Google reporting process and has experience with removal (not always successful but there is a procedure).

When to hire an agency: if you have multiple locations (each location is a separate campaign), if you're not in the Map Pack but competitors are and you don't know why, if you have negative reviews you don't know how to resolve, or if you simply don't have internal capacity. When to do it yourself: one location, someone who can spare 2–3 hours monthly, and clear instructions on what to do. Feather Studio offers Google Business Profile setup and optimisation as a standalone service.