· 2 min read
Google Business Profile: a quick guide to getting on the map
The free profile that puts your business on Google Maps, and how to fill it in properly in half an hour.
When someone searches for “café near me” or “hairdresser in Famalicão”, the top results are usually a map with three businesses. They’re there because they have a Google Business Profile. It’s free, and for a local business it’s one of the most useful things you can do online.
1. Create or claim your profile
Go to google.com/business and search for your business name. Often a profile already exists, created automatically or by a customer. If so, you just need to claim it. Google will ask you to verify that you’re the owner, usually by video, phone or post.
2. Fill in everything, even what seems minor
- Name: your real business name, without extra keywords to “game” search. Google penalises that.
- Category: pick the most precise one. “Bakery” beats “Food shop”.
- Address and service area: if you visit customers at home, list the areas you cover.
- Opening hours: include holidays and special hours. Nothing is more annoying than a closed door.
- Phone and website: the link to your website is what turns a search into a visit.
- Description: two or three simple sentences about what you do and what sets you apart.
3. Add real photos
Photos of your shopfront (so people can find you on the street), the inside, your products and your team. Profiles with good photos build more trust and get more clicks. Refresh them now and then.
4. Ask for reviews and reply to all of them
Reviews weigh most heavily for people who don’t know you yet. Ask happy customers for one, for example with a short link or a QR code at the counter. And reply to every review, good and bad, politely. A calm reply to criticism says a lot about your business.
5. Keep the profile alive
You can post news, offers and events straight to your profile. It doesn’t have to be every week, but an up-to-date profile shows the business is active.
At Galeto, linking your website to your Google Business Profile is part of the Standard package. If you’d like help getting your business on the map, talk to us.