To appear on Google Maps you need a Google Business Profile. It's free, and the business owner can create it themselves.
How to create a Google Business Profile
- Open google.com/business and sign in to your Google account.
- Enter the business name exactly as it appears on the shop sign and on the website.
- Choose a primary category, for example "Dental clinic" or "Bakery".
- Add the address. If you travel to customers, give your service area.
- Add a phone number and the website address.
- Verify that the business is yours. Google chooses the verification method itself, for example a short video or a code.
How to fill in the profile so that it brings customers
- Opening hours, including public holidays.
- Real photos: the entrance, the premises, the team, your work, the products.
- Services or products with prices.
- A short description: what you do and for whom.
- Additional categories if you provide several kinds of service.
What your place on the map depends on
Google names three main factors.
- Relevance: how well the profile matches what the person is searching for. That's why precise categories and a full description matter.
- Distance: how far you are from the person or from the place they gave in the search.
- Prominence: how well known the business is. This includes reviews and ratings, as well as information about you on the web, including your website.
Reviews
Ask happy customers to leave a review: send a link on WhatsApp after a visit or purchase. Reply to every review, good and bad. You must not buy reviews: Google removes them, and the profile can suffer.
Why the profile needs a good website
From the profile people go to the website to look at prices and work and to book. If the site is slow and awkward on a phone, the customer goes to your neighbour on the map. The name, address and phone number on the site and in the profile must match. It's better to give each service its own page: that way Google understands more precisely what you do.
How to speed up results
The profile doesn't start working straight away. While it gathers reviews, Google Ads can bring customers: ads are shown to people searching for your service nearby. And SEO helps the site climb in search for your services and city.
Don't want to work it out yourself? We'll set up your Google Business Profile together with local SEO — from €150. More on the website promotion page.
Need a site you won't be embarrassed to send people to from Google Maps? Take a look at a business website and a website for professionals and services.
