Search for almost any local service and the first thing you'll see is a map with three businesses under it. That's the local pack, and those listings come from Google Business Profile (it used to be called Google My Business).
A complete, active profile won't guarantee you a spot there. An incomplete one almost guarantees you won't get one.
Setting up your profile
- Go to business.google.com and sign in with a Google account your business controls, not a staff member's personal account.
- Search for your business first. Google may already have a listing for you, created from public data. If so, claim it instead of creating a duplicate.
- Enter your business name exactly as it appears in real life, on your signboard and invoices. No extra keywords.
- Choose your primary category. More on this below, because it matters a lot.
- Add your location or service area. If customers visit you, add your address. If you visit them, such as a plumber or a home tutor, set a service area and hide your address.
- Add your phone number and website.
- Verify. Google will ask you to prove the business is real. These days this is often a short video showing your signage, workspace and something that proves you manage the business. Other options may include a phone call, text or email, depending on your business.
Optimising every section
Categories
Your primary category is one of the strongest signals you control. Pick the most specific one that fits. "Pediatric dentist" beats "Dentist" if that's what you are. Then add secondary categories for other services you genuinely offer, but don't add ones that don't apply.
Business description
You get up to 750 characters. Say what you do, who for, and where, in plain language. Mention your main services naturally. Leave out links, phone numbers and sales offers, since those aren't allowed in the description.
Hours
Keep your regular hours accurate and add special hours for holidays like Diwali or Ganesh Chaturthi. Few things annoy a customer more than travelling to a shop Google said was open.
Photos
Add real photos: the outside of your premises (so people recognise it when they arrive), the inside, your team, and your work or products. Add new ones regularly. Skip stock photos. Customers can tell, and they don't build trust.
Services and products
List every main service or product with a short description and, where it makes sense, a price or price range. This helps Google match you to more specific searches.
Attributes
Depending on your category, you can add details like wheelchair accessibility, online appointments or payment options. Fill in everything that applies.
Posts
You can publish updates, offers and events directly on your profile. Posting regularly, around once a week, shows Google and customers that the business is active. Add a photo and a link to the relevant page on your website.
Reviews
Reviews are a major factor in both rankings and whether people choose you. Ask every happy customer, and make it easy by sharing your review link on WhatsApp or printing it as a QR code. Reply to every review, thank people by name, and handle complaints calmly and specifically. Future customers read your replies too.
What changed with Q&A in India
Google profiles used to have a Questions & Answers section where anyone could ask and answer questions. Google switched it off for businesses in India in 2024, citing policy violations, and has since been phasing it out more widely.
In its place, Google increasingly uses AI to answer questions about a business, drawing on your profile, your reviews and your website. That makes two things more important than ever:
- A complete, accurate profile, because it's now a direct source of answers.
- Clear FAQs on your own website's service pages, so Google can find the right answers there.
Things that get profiles suspended
- Adding keywords to your business name, like "Sharma Dental Clinic Best Dentist Andheri".
- Using a virtual office, PO box or co-working address you don't actually operate from.
- Creating multiple profiles for the same location.
- Buying reviews, or offering discounts in exchange for them.
Consistency check: your business name, address and phone number should match exactly across your profile, your website and other listings. We explain why in our local SEO guide.
A simple monthly routine
- Weekly: reply to new reviews and publish one post.
- Monthly: add a few new photos, check your hours, and look at the Performance section to see calls, direction requests and website clicks.
- Before holidays: update special hours.
Twenty minutes a week is enough to keep a profile healthier than most of your competitors'.
Want your profile set up properly?
We can set up, optimise and manage your Google Business Profile as part of our local SEO work.