If you are trying to get more calls from your Google Business Profile, the fix is rarely your phone number. It is almost always the seven signals below, each of which has a measurable, published impact on call volume. This guide ranks them by proven effect size so you can start with the change that moves the needle fastest.
On this page
1. Complete every field, not just the basics
A complete Google Business Profile generates roughly 4x more website visits and double-digit increases in both calls and direction requests compared with an incomplete one, according to Google’s own 2025 benchmark data. Complete means every category, attributes, services list, business description, and opening hours filled in, not just name, address and phone.
2. Add photos – the single biggest lever you’re not pulling
Photos are the most underused, highest-leverage tactic in local SEO. The average verified UK profile has fewer than one photo. Listings with 15 or more photos outperform thinner profiles across every engagement metric, and businesses with 100+ photos see direction requests rise by well over 500% relative to the average listing, per BrightLocal’s photo-engagement analysis. You do not need 100 photos to see a lift: adding photos at all increases direction requests by roughly 42% on average.
3. Enable and answer Google Business Messages
Only around a third of verified UK profiles have messaging switched on, despite listings with messaging enabled seeing meaningfully more leads. Turning it on costs nothing and gives mobile searchers, who make up the large majority of GBP interactions, a lower-friction way to reach you than a call, without losing the call option.
4. Win a top-3 Local Pack position
Position matters enormously. Businesses ranking in the top three Local Pack results receive 126% more traffic and 93% more customer actions, including calls, than those ranked between four and ten. Within the pack itself, the top three results capture 93% of all Local Pack clicks. If you are not in the top three for your core service and town search, every other tactic on this page is working at a fraction of its potential.
5. Build review volume and reply to all of them
97% of consumers read reviews before choosing a local business, and 68% will not use a business rated below 4 stars. Beyond trust, reviews directly move the call needle: each additional review correlates with roughly 16 extra calls and 63 extra direction requests over time, and businesses replying to 90%+ of their reviews see around 18% more direction requests than those replying to under half. See our full guide to responding to Google reviews in the UK for templates that are compliant with ICO guidance.
Ranked impact table
| Lever | Effort | Typical impact |
|---|---|---|
| Complete every profile field | Low, one sitting | +12% calls, +10% direction requests, 4x website visits |
| Add 15–20+ photos, refreshed quarterly | Low–medium, ongoing | +42% direction requests; compounding with volume |
| Enable messaging | Very low | Meaningful lead lift, near-zero cost |
| Reach top 3 Local Pack | High, ongoing SEO work | +126% traffic, +93% actions vs position 4–10 |
| Grow & reply to reviews | Medium, ongoing | +18% direction requests when reply rate exceeds 90% |
Want us to pull these five levers for you?
We run a free 15-minute audit of your Google Business Profile against every lever above and tell you exactly which one is costing you the most calls right now.
FAQs
How many photos should a Google Business Profile have?
Aim for at least 15 to 20 photos to start, refreshed roughly every 90 days. Profiles with 15 or more photos consistently outperform thinner listings across clicks, calls and direction requests, and profiles updating photos regularly see around 22% more engagement than stagnant ones.
Does replying to Google reviews actually increase calls?
Yes. Businesses that reply to 90% or more of their reviews see roughly 23% more profile views and 18% more direction requests than businesses replying to under half of theirs, because response rate is itself a trust signal Google factors into ranking.
Is Google Business Messages worth turning on?
Yes, particularly since the large majority of GBP interactions come from mobile devices where tapping to message is lower-friction than calling. It costs nothing to enable and does not reduce your call volume, it adds a second contact channel.
What’s the fastest way to get more calls from Google Maps?
Completing every profile field and adding photos are the fastest wins, both showing measurable impact within days to weeks. Ranking in the top 3 Local Pack positions has the largest impact overall but takes longer, since it depends on ongoing local SEO work rather than a single edit.
Data referenced: Google Business Profile Help 2025 benchmark data; BrightLocal photo and review engagement studies 2025-26; Whitespark Local Pack click-through research.