Local SEO / 5 min read / 2 October 2026

Google Business Profile or Facebook: where should a small business start?

It's a fair question when you've got an hour a week for marketing, if that.

Both are free. Both want your photos, your hours and a steady stream of posts. But they do very different jobs, and one of them sits much closer to the phone ringing.

What's the real difference?

It comes down to what the person is doing at the time.

Someone who searches 'emergency plumber Newstead' has already decided. The pipe is leaking. They want a name, a number and a sign you're nearby.

Someone scrolling Facebook isn't looking for a plumber. They might see your post, like it, and forget you by lunchtime. That's not a failure of your post - they just weren't in the market.

Google answers a need. Facebook interrupts a scroll.

Why does Google usually come first?

When someone searches for a local service, Google often shows a map with a short list of businesses near the top of the page. Each listing shows reviews, opening hours, a call button and directions. Your Google Business Profile is what puts you in that list.

Google says it decides who to show using three things.

• Relevance. How well your profile matches what was searched.
• Distance. How far you are from the person searching. Nobody can change this one.
• Prominence. How well known you are, which includes your reviews.

There's no follower count to build first. A new profile can turn up for the right search early on, if it's set up properly.

Where does Facebook still earn its place?

Facebook isn't a waste of time. It's a different job.

• Keeping in touch. Past customers see your posts and remember you when they need you again.
• Word of mouth. Local community groups are where people ask 'anyone know a good electrician?' - and where neighbours tag the businesses they trust.
• Showing who you are. Photos of your work and your team help people feel they know you before they call.
• Paid ads. If you want to reach people in particular suburbs before they start searching, Facebook ads can do that. That's a budget decision, not a free one.

Think of Facebook as the follow-up, not the front door.

Which one matters more for your business?

For most trades, health practices and local services, Google matters more. People search for those when they need them.

Facebook pulls more weight for places people visit for the experience - cafés, gyms, salons, events - where photos and community count as much as a quick answer. Even then, the people who find you on Google are usually closer to booking.

If a customer has ever told you 'I found you on Google', you already know which one is doing the work.

What should you do first on Google?

If you only do five things, do these.

• Claim your profile. Search for your business on Google Maps first. Google may have already made a profile for you from public information. Claim that one rather than starting a second, because duplicates confuse Google. You can start at Google Business Profile.
• Use your real business name. Exactly as it appears on your signage. Adding suburbs or keywords to your name breaks Google's guidelines and can get the profile suspended.
• Pick the right main category. The most specific one that fits your core work. 'Plumber', not 'Contractor'.
• Write a description that says what you do. You've got 750 characters. Say what you do, where you do it, and one honest reason to choose you.
• Ask for reviews. Send the link after every job, to every customer. Google doesn't allow rewarding people for reviews, or only asking the customers you think are happy.

Then add a few real photos of your work, your team or your shopfront, so customers can see what they're getting. And keep your opening hours right. Wrong hours are an easy way to lose a call.

What should you do on Facebook?

Keep it light.

• Match your details. Use the same business name, phone number and address as your Google profile.
• Post when there's something to show. A finished job, a new service, a holiday closure. Once a fortnight is plenty.
• Reply to messages quickly. People notice, and they remember.

Matching details matter more than you'd think. If your phone number is different on Google, Facebook and your website, customers get confused - and so can Google.

How do you know if it's working?

Your Google profile shows you, for free, how many people called, clicked through to your website or asked for directions. Those are the numbers that matter. Views on their own don't pay the bills.

Check them once a month. If they're heading the right way, it's working.

If you'd like a second pair of eyes on how your business shows up now, that's where local SEO for Brisbane small businesses starts: working out what to fix first.

Google is where people look when they need you. Facebook is where they remember you. Start with the one closer to the phone.