When a business owner in Salford or Stockport searches "accountant near me", the first thing they usually see is a map with a handful of firms pinned on it, each with a star rating, hours and a phone number. That box is driven by Google Business Profile, and for most small practices it is the cheapest local marketing available.

It is also the piece most often left half finished. This guide walks through setting up a profile properly, with the rules that matter for accountancy practices. Everything here is free and can be done in an afternoon.

Our guide to AI visibility for accountants covers what AI assistants say about your firm. This one covers the map results on Google itself.

How Google decides which practices appear on the map

Google is unusually open about this. Its own help page, Tips to improve your local ranking, says local results are mainly based on three things:

  • Relevance: how well your profile matches what someone searched for.
  • Distance: how far your practice is from the person searching.
  • Prominence: how well known your business is, which Google says is partly based on how many websites link to you and how many reviews you have.

The same page is clear that "there's no way to request or pay for a better local ranking on Google". Remember that the next time someone cold-calls promising the top of Maps. Distance is out of your hands, so relevance and prominence are where the work goes.

Step 1: Claim and verify the right profile

Search for your practice on Google Maps first. A profile may already exist, sometimes two if the firm has moved or renamed. Claim the existing one rather than starting a duplicate.

Google's guidelines for representing your business say there should only be one profile per business. Verification matters too: Google's ranking page says it makes the profile more likely to show up in search results.

Make sure a practice account owns the profile, not a former employee's personal Gmail, and add a second manager so you are never locked out.

Step 2: Get the name and address exactly right

Use your real-world name

Google's guidelines say your business name should reflect the name used "consistently on your storefront, website, stationery". Adding extras such as "Smith & Co Accountants Manchester | Tax Returns" is not permitted and could result in suspension.

If your firm is called Smith & Co, the profile should say Smith & Co. If "Chartered Accountants" genuinely appears in your name on letterhead and signage, that is different, but don't add it just for search.

Be careful with virtual offices and shared spaces

Many practices use serviced offices. Google's guidelines are strict here:

  • A virtual office, meaning a rented mailing address you don't operate from, is not eligible for a profile.
  • An office in a co-working space only qualifies if it has clear signage, receives customers during business hours and is staffed by your own people during those hours.
  • If you show your address, you should have permanent signage with your business name at it.

Working from home? Use a service area

Many sole practitioners work from home and meet clients online or at their premises. Google's help page on service areas explains that if you don't serve customers at your business address, you should remove the address from your profile and set a service area instead.

You can add up to 20 service areas by town, city or postcode, and Google says the overall area shouldn't extend more than about two hours' drive from where you are based. In practice that means listing the places you genuinely work in, such as Manchester, Bolton, Bury, Oldham or Wigan, rather than the whole of England.

If you work from home, expect your website and reviews to do more of the heavy lifting.

Step 3: Choose categories and write a useful description

Categories

Google's guidelines say to use as few categories as possible and pick ones that complete the sentence "This business IS a" rather than "this business HAS a". For most practices the primary category will be the obvious one. Type "accountant" into the category box and choose the closest match Google offers. Only add secondary categories if they describe what the firm actually is, not every service on your price list.

Description

The description field is where relevance is won. Google says it should explain your services and the history of your business, and it must not include links or focus on promotions and prices.

A good description for a small practice answers three questions in plain English:

  • Who do you work with? For example, "owner-managed companies, landlords and sole traders in Greater Manchester".
  • What do you do? Use clients' words: year-end accounts, self assessment, VAT, payroll.
  • Why you? Your qualifications, how long you have been established, and any sector you know well.

Write it the way you would describe the firm to a new client on the phone, not as a list of towns.

Step 4: Fill in everything else

Google's ranking page says businesses with complete and accurate information are more likely to show up in local results. Work through the rest of the profile:

  • Hours: your real client-facing hours. If you are appointment-only for meetings, say so in the description.
  • Phone number: Google's guidelines ask for a number under your direct control, ideally a local one rather than a central call centre.
  • Website and services: link to your home page and list your services using the same names as on your site.
  • Photos: your office exterior, your team and your reception. Real photos beat stock images.

Step 5: Ask for reviews the right way

Reviews feed into prominence, and most practices have few for a simple reason: nobody asks.

Google's guidance on getting more reviews suggests sharing a review link or QR code with clients. Good moments to ask are when you have just filed a return early, saved a client money, or received a thank-you email.

There are firm rules on how you ask. Google's policy on fake and misleading content prohibits businesses from:

  • offering incentives such as money off or free work in exchange for reviews
  • discouraging negative reviews or only asking clients you expect to be happy
  • asking for specific content to be included in a review

UK law has tightened as well. The Competition and Markets Authority's guidance on fake reviews, published in April 2025 under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, covers fake reviews and reviews that hide the fact they were incentivised. If you also display client reviews on your own website, the guidance says businesses that publish reviews should have a published policy prohibiting fake reviews and stating their approach to incentivised ones.

The simple rule: ask every client, offer nothing in return, and never write or commission a review yourself.

Step 6: Reply to reviews without breaching confidentiality

Google's ranking page notes that positive reviews and helpful replies can help your business stand out.

For accountants there is an extra layer. ICAEW's helpsheet on online reviews reminds members that replies must comply with the fundamental principles of the ICAEW Code of Ethics, including confidentiality. Its tips suit any practice, whichever body you belong to:

  • Keep replies short. A thank you, or an apology with a route to resolve the issue, is enough.
  • Use only the name the reviewer gave. If the review is from "Andrew J.", don't reply to "Andrew Jones".
  • Take anything complex offline by inviting the reviewer to email or call.
  • Have someone else check replies before they go live. If you are a sole practitioner, ICAEW suggests a "cooling-off period": draft the reply, step away, and reread it later.

Never mention fees or a client's affairs in a public reply, even when the review is unfair.

Step 7: Make your website back up your profile

Use the same practice name, address and phone number on your website as on your profile, and name the towns you serve in normal sentences.

You can also add LocalBusiness structured data. Google Search Central's LocalBusiness documentation lists the name and address as required properties, recommends the most specific business type available, and suggests checking your code with the free Rich Results Test. Google may still choose not to show it, so treat it as housekeeping, not a shortcut.

If you would like a hand with the website side, our SEO for accountants page explains how we approach it.

A 30-minute monthly routine

Once set up, the profile needs little upkeep:

  • Reply to new reviews.
  • Check your hours around bank holidays and the January self assessment rush.
  • Add a fresh photo or update if something has changed.
  • Search "accountant" plus your town on your phone to see where you appear.

While you are at it, check what AI assistants say about your firm. Our free AI visibility checker does it for free.

Want a second pair of eyes?

Google Business Profile is one of the few marketing jobs where a free afternoon makes a real difference. If you would like someone who has worked in practice to look over your profile and website, we offer a free website review for accountancy firms in Manchester and the North West. Get in touch here and we will send honest, practical notes. No pressure, no jargon.