Claim and verify the profile
Search for your business name in Google Maps first. If a profile already exists, claim it rather than creating a duplicate. Duplicate listings split reviews and confuse customers.
Google offers several verification methods, and the options shown depend on the business and its location. Use the business name you actually trade under, without extra keywords added to it, because keyword-stuffed names can lead to suspension.
Set it up correctly for a service-area business
If you visit customers rather than having them visit you, set the profile up as a service-area business. You can hide a home address and list the suburbs, towns or regions you actually serve instead.
Keep the service areas realistic. Listing places you rarely travel to does not help customers, and the profile is most useful when it reflects where you genuinely work.
- Hide your address if customers do not visit your premises
- List the towns and regions you actually serve
- Use the same business name, phone number and website everywhere online
- Link to the most relevant page of your website, not just the homepage, if that serves customers better
Choose categories and describe your services
The primary category has a strong influence on which searches your profile appears for, so choose the one that best describes your main service. Add secondary categories only for work you genuinely offer.
Fill in the services section and the business description in plain language. Describe what you do, who you help and where you work, the same way you would explain it on the phone.
Add photos and keep information current
Real photos of your work, vehicles, team or premises help customers trust that they are dealing with a genuine local business. Add new photos from time to time rather than all at once.
Update opening hours, holiday hours and contact details whenever they change. Incorrect hours are one of the quickest ways to lose a customer who has already decided to call.
Ask for reviews and reply to them
The simplest way to collect reviews is to ask satisfied customers soon after a job is finished, with a direct link to your review form. Do not offer incentives for reviews or write reviews for your own business; both breach Google policies and Australian Consumer Law guidance on fake reviews.
Reply to reviews politely, including negative ones. A calm, factual reply shows future customers how you handle problems.
Connect the profile to your website
Your website and profile support each other. Service and location pages on the website help Google understand what you offer and where, while the profile sends local searchers to those pages.
Make sure the business name, phone number and service areas match across the website, the profile and other directories. Consistent details make it easier for search engines and customers to trust the listing.