When someone nearby searches for “dentist near me” or “best café in Jalandhar”, Google usually shows a map with three businesses before any website. For a lot of local businesses, that map listing brings in more calls than the website does. The listing comes from your Google Business Profile, and most businesses set it up once and never touch it again. Here's what to fix first.
Get the basics exactly right
Your business name, address, phone number and opening hours need to match what's on your website and your other listings. Small differences, like an old phone number, or “Rd” in one place and “Road” in another, make it harder for Google to trust the details. Add your holiday hours too, so nobody turns up to a closed door.
Choose the right categories
Your primary category has a big say in which searches you show up for. Pick the one that describes your main service, not the broadest option. A skin clinic should choose “Dermatologist” or “Skin care clinic” rather than just “Clinic”. Then add secondary categories for the other services you offer.
Add real photos, and keep adding them
Photos of your shop front, your team, your work and your space help people decide before they visit. Stock images do the opposite. Upload a few new photos every month: a new product, a finished project, a busy Saturday. It keeps the profile looking active.
Ask for reviews in a way that actually happens
Most happy customers will leave a review if you make it easy and ask at the right moment. Create your review link from the profile dashboard and send it on WhatsApp right after a good experience. A short message works best:
“Thanks for coming in today. If you have a minute, a quick Google review would really help us: [your link]”
Reply to every review, including the bad ones. A calm, helpful reply to a complaint often does more for your reputation than another five-star review.
Post updates like you would on social media
Your profile lets you publish posts with offers, events and news. They don't need to be long. One post a week with a photo and a clear next step, such as “Call to book” or “Order on WhatsApp”, is enough to show that the business is active.
Fill in your services and products
List each service or product with a short description. This gives Google more context about what you do, and gives customers a quick way to check you offer what they need before they call.
Keep an eye on questions
Anyone can ask a question on your profile, and anyone can answer it. Check this section regularly and answer questions yourself, so a stranger's guess doesn't become the official answer.
Where to start this week
If you only do three things this week, fix your business details, upload ten good photos, and send your review link to your last twenty happy customers. Then make posting and replying a weekly habit.
If you'd like a second opinion on your profile, we offer a free consultation where we look at your listing and tell you what we'd fix first.
Key takeaways
- Make your business name, address, phone number and hours match everywhere they appear.
- Choose the most specific primary category for your main service.
- Ask for reviews on WhatsApp right after a good experience, and reply to every review.
- Post once a week and keep adding fresh photos.
