Google Business Profile: the complete guide to optimising your listing and attracting local customers

A complete Google Business Profile is the most direct way to appear in Google’s local results and on Google Maps. It is free, displays your contact details, opening hours, photos and reviews, and also feeds AI-generated answers. You still need to claim it, complete it fully and keep it active.

Why does your Google Business Profile matter?

When someone searches for “dentist in La Marsa”, Google shows a map and a handful of businesses drawn from Business Profiles, above the standard results. According to Google’s local ranking tips, these results are based mainly on relevance, distance and prominence, which reviews help to build.

Your profile also matters for AI: in Google Maps, the old Questions and Answers section is gradually giving way to AI-generated answers based on profiles and reviews, depending on the country. More broadly, answer engines cross-check your profile, website, directories and reviews, so consistent information helps you get recommended.

How do you create, claim and verify your profile?

Create or claim your profile

Search for your business on Google Maps first: if a profile exists with no manager, claim it; otherwise, create one at business.google.com. If someone else controls it, request access from its owner. Use a company Google account, never an employee’s, and add colleagues as managers.

Verify your profile

Google decides which methods to offer based on your business type and region: phone or text, email, video recording, live video call or postcard. It recommends video when available: a single continuous take showing your location, signage and a staff-only area. Reviews take up to five business days.

What information should you add?

Name and categories

Use the name on your signage: adding a city, keyword or slogan breaches Google’s guidelines and can get your profile suspended. Choose a specific primary category, which affects local ranking, then a few additional categories for related activities.

Address, service area and phone

Enter the exact address of a place where you receive customers; PO boxes and virtual offices are not accepted. If you travel to customers, hide your address and set a service area. The phone number should reach the business directly.

Regular and special hours

Add special hours to your regular ones for public holidays, Ramadan or summer schedules. Wrong hours often trigger negative reviews.

Description, services and photos

Write a useful description of up to 750 characters, with no links, prices or promotions, list your services and add recent photos of your premises, team and work.

How do you keep your information consistent?

Your NAP (name, address, phone number) must be identical everywhere: Google profile, website, social media and business directories. An address written three ways creates doubt for search engines and customers alike.

On your website, add schema.org LocalBusiness markup: Google requires at least the name and address, and recommends the phone number, opening hours and geographic coordinates.

How do you manage customer reviews?

Ask for reviews

Google provides a link and a QR code you can share by email, WhatsApp or on an invoice. Ask all your customers, not just the happiest ones.

Reply to every review

Reply to every review, promptly and calmly: a factual reply to criticism shows future customers how you handle problems.

Follow the rules

Google Maps’ content policy prohibits fake reviews, reviews by employees, any reward in exchange for a review and selectively asking satisfied customers. Google can remove these reviews and restrict the profile.

How do you update and measure your profile?

Post regularly

Posts let you share news, an offer or an event; those older than six months are archived unless you set a date range. Update the profile whenever anything changes.

Measure performance

The Performance report shows views on Search and Maps, the searches used to find you, calls, direction requests and website clicks. Add UTM parameters to your website link to track these visits in Google Analytics 4.

Google Business Profile checklist

Item	What to check	How often
Ownership	Verified profile, company account	When a manager leaves
Name and categories	Signage name, specific category	Every year
Name, address, phone	Identical everywhere	Whenever they change
Hours	Special hours entered	Before each public holiday
Photos	Recent and genuine	Every month
Reviews	Link shared, every review answered	Every week
Posts	Recent news or offer	Every month
Structured data	LocalBusiness consistent with the profile	At each redesign
Performance	Views, calls, directions, clicks	Every month

FAQ

Is a Google Business Profile free?

Yes, creating, verifying and managing a profile is free. Google Ads is a separate paid service that cannot buy you a better local ranking.

Can I have a profile without premises open to the public?

Yes, if you travel to your customers: your address is hidden and replaced by a service area. However, an online-only business with no in-person contact with customers is not eligible.

Can I remove a negative review?

No, unless it breaches Google’s policy, such as a fake review or abusive content, in which case you can report it. For a genuine review, reply publicly and factually.

How long does it take to see results?

Verification takes from a few minutes to a few days depending on the method, longer by post. The impact on ranking depends on local competition, so track it over several weeks.

Improve your local visibility with Uteek

Uteek, a digital agency based in Les Berges du Lac 2, Tunis, helps businesses get found on Google and cited by AI engines: a website optimised for local SEO, structured data and consistent business information. Would you like an audit of your profile and website? Let’s talk about your project.