When someone searches for a restaurant, a garage or a dentist near them, Google often shows a map with three businesses before any website. Those listings are Google Business Profiles. Yours is free, and for many local businesses it brings more calls than the website. Most profiles we see are half-finished. Here is what to check.
The basics people check first
- 1. The exact business name, the same as on your sign. No keywords stuffed into it: Google can suspend profiles for that.
- 2. The right main category. "Restaurant" is weaker than "Moroccan restaurant" if that is what you are.
- 3. Opening hours that are actually true, including holidays and Ramadan hours.
- 4. A phone number that someone answers, ideally the one you use on WhatsApp.
- 5. An address and map pin that lead to your real door, not to the next street.
The details that make people choose you
- 6. Real photos: the front of your shop (so people recognise it), the inside, your team at work and your products. Add a few new ones every month.
- 7. A description that says what you do, for whom and where, in plain words.
- 8. Your services or menu, listed one by one, so Google can match you to more searches.
- 9. Your website and social links, so people can check you before they call.
- 10. Replies to every review, good or bad, short and polite. It shows the business is alive.
What a profile can’t do
A complete profile gives you a fair chance to appear, but nobody can promise you the first place on the map. Distance from the person searching, your reviews and how well your profile matches their search all play a part. Be careful with anyone who guarantees rankings.
Want a second pair of eyes? Send the name of your business and your city on WhatsApp, and you’ll get an honest list of what to fix first.