You likely got into running (or working for) a home care business because you were good at caring or had worked in the health and social care sector in some related capacity.
Whatever your background it’s fairly unlikely that you ended up in home care with much experience of marketing.
Yet with some 15,000 home care agencies in the UK you’re up against a fair bit of competition. You’re bidding for care packages from local authorities but also, and very importantly, trying to attract private referrals too. As one of our customers recently told me “With current local authority budget caps combined with the hike in National Insurance and minimum wage, we’re using the profit from our private customers to shore up our local authority business”.
But just how can you be in the right place at the right time to secure the referrals and requests for care that will help keep your business afloat and even thrive?
There are so many things that you *could* be doing to market your business but the reality is that you are likely both resource and cash poor to be able to spend much time on marketing even if you have the necessary knowhow to do so.
As such I’ve decided to give you one big marketing tip. This is my “If you only do one thing in marketing, do this” suggestion. I’ll also let you in on a secret, when I’m not at CareLineLive, I’m teaching yoga. It’s a little side line – just a handful of classes a week but with a decent number of people coming to each class. And it’s this approach to marketing that I’m sharing with you that has helped me grow my yoga business from zero to hero in the last four years.
I’ve written a comprehensive guide to marketing your home care business in CareLineLive’s new eBook. But what follows below is the one thing I frequently see that is missing from care businesses marketing efforts and the one thing that is likely to both get you seen, and get you new business.
That secret tip is called Google Business Profile (previously known as Google My Business). Using Google Business Profile (GBP) well may actually get you exposure higher up the search results than the number one organic search result as the screen grab below shows. I searched for ‘home care agency near me’. Google showed a number of results for 5 miles around where I live:
- At the top are the paid ‘sponsored’ listings. This is when you use Google’s Ad Words tool to pay to appear in the search results. It can work well but it’s technically quite complex and can end up costing you quite a lot of money.
- Next is a section called ‘Places’- these are care businesses that have Google Business Profiles – note that these appear ABOVE the first organic listing for a home care agency
- Below that is the first organic listing for a care agency – Homecare.co.uk is the website that Google best thinks meets my search query (and it is not a bad suggestion as that website is effectively a directory of local home care providers)
- Finally there is a ‘People also ask’ answer box
- Below that (not in the screen shot) are other organic results
A couple of things to note. If you perform these searches yourself to see how well your home care agency performs in the organic listings, ensure you do so using an incognito browser (otherwise the results will be heavily skewed). Secondly, increasingly Google is using AI (Artificial Intelligence) to answer search queries so that may be the first thing people see.
What is Google Business Profile?
Google Business Profile is a free tool by Google that allows local businesses to manage their online presence across Google Search and Maps. For a home care company, it’s an essential way to improve your online presence and attract new local clients, showcase your services and build trust within your community.
Why Google Business Profile matters for home care
- Improved visibility: appear in local searches and Google Maps when people search for home care services in your area
- Boosted credibility: reviews and ratings help establish trust with potential clients or their families
- Easy access to information: share critical details like services offered, hours of operation and contact information
How does a Google Business Profile look?
I’ve clicked on All Care East Sussex as an example (this was the first entry in the Places listing to my search query and I clicked on their listing under Places).
In the right hand column I can see photos that they have uploaded to their Google Business Profile, links to their website, directions (via Google Maps) plus options to call them. The company has 21 reviews and these can be read by clicking through. Address details and opening hours are provided. Once you have a Google Business Profile of your own you will be able to control much of this information yourself (although you can’t edit or delete review – you can reply to them of course).
If I was to search by company name (in this case ‘All Care East Sussex’) I would be presented with the view below. I’ve annotated this search result in pink.
Key features of Google Business Profile
- Business information: display your name, address, phone number, website and hours of operation
- Services section: list specific services like personal care, respite care and dementia support
- Posts and updates: share company news, job opportunities or upcoming events
- Reviews: manage and respond to customer feedback to build rapport and demonstrate your dedication to quality care
- Photos and videos: showcase images of your office, staff or even testimonials to humanise your brand
- Q&A: answer frequently asked questions directly on your profile to provide quick and helpful information
How to use Google Business Profile effectively for your home care business
Claim and optimise your profile:
- Verify your business – this is very straight forward to do – just follow the instructions (see section below)
- Ensure all details are accurate and consistent with other online platforms
- Add relevant keywords (e.g., “home care services in [location]”) to improve your chances of ranking in local searches
Encourage reviews:
Reviews are crucial both for Google and prospective service users (and their families). Google likes to see a steady stream of positive reviews (and don’t worry if you get the odd 4-star one) and when prospective service users are searching for a possible agency, a set of positive Google reviews can go a long way to helping them decide to ask you for more information.
- Ask satisfied service users and their families to leave reviews. Positive reviews increase credibility and local ranking
- Respond professionally to all reviews, including negative ones, to show accountability
Use posts to engage:
- Regularly share updates, such as community involvement, new staff or specialised services like dementia training. You can simply copy and paste the posts you make on social media platforms
Add photos and videos:
- Post high-quality images of your team, caregiving services or office space
- Include service user testimonials (with permission) to add authenticity
Monitor insights:
- Use Google Business Profile analytics to track how people find your business, where they’re located and what actions they take (e.g., visiting your website or calling you)
How to set up a Google Business Profile
Step 1: Sign in to Google Business Profile
Go to Google Business Profile and click “Manage Now”.
Sign in with a Google account that you want to associate with your business.
Step 2: Enter your business information
- Business Name: Enter your official business name. It should match your branding and what customers expect to see.
- Business Category: Choose the category that best describes your business. This helps customers find you.
- Location:
If you have a physical location (e.g., an office), enter the address.
If you offer services at customer locations, select “I deliver goods and services to my customers” and set your service area.
Step 3: Add contact details
- Phone Number (optional but recommended).
- Website URL (if available). If you don’t have a website, Google offers a free site builder. I’ve previously used a Facebook Page when that was the only online presence I had.
Step 4: Verify your business
Google requires verification to confirm that you own the business. Common verification methods:
- Postcard (most common): Google will send a postcard with a verification code to your business address within 5-14 days.
- Phone or Email: Some businesses may be eligible to verify via phone or email.
- Instant Verification: Available for certain businesses if you’re using the same Google account for Google Search Console.
Step 5: Optimise your profile
Once verified, optimise your Google Business Profile by:
- Adding a business description: Clearly explain what your business does
- Uploading high-quality photos: Add your logo, team, and workplace images
- Setting business hours: Keep them up to date, including holiday hours
- Enabling messaging: Allow prospects and customers to contact you directly through Google
- Encouraging reviews: Ask satisfied customers to leave positive feedback
Step 6: Maintain and update your profile
- Respond to reviews (positive and negative) to engage customers and show your human side
- Post updates (such as events, job vacancies or new services) to keep your profile active
- Check insights to track profile views, search queries and customer actions.
Final tip
The more complete and accurate your profile is, the better it ranks in Google Search and Maps. Regular updates will keep your business visible and trustworthy.
Maximising Google Business Profile for success
Combine Google Business Profile with your social media strategy for cohesive branding. You can post some of the key content used on social media to your Google Business Profile too.
I’d recommend linking your Google Business Profile profile in emails, business cards or flyers to encourage people to explore your services online.
Regularly update your profile with seasonal campaigns or changes in services as well as new photos
For a local home care company, an optimised Google Business Profile profile can drive visibility, connect with families in need and build lasting relationships with your community.
Watch the webinar
I ran a webinar on how to set up and use Google Business Profile. You can watch the webinar below.
Need more help in marketing your home care business?
Download our new eBook today. Chapter six is all about home care marketing.
And if you need technical IT help, for instance with your website, our sister company, MAS Networks is here to help.
