Google Business Profile and your website: how to show up for people searching in your city
People who search “mechanic near me” or “architect in Cerro Largo” see the map first, then the websites. The two work together, and taking care of only one leaves customers on the table.
Ariadne Studio · 3 min read
In this article 6 sections
Summary
- Your Business Profile shows up on the map, before the websites. Fill in everything and keep your hours up to date.
- Ask for reviews and reply to all of them.
- The same name, address and phone number on your profile and your site help Google connect the two.
For searches with local intent, Google often shows a map with a few businesses before the regular results. That block comes from the Google Business Profile, the free listing that shows your address, hours, photos, reviews and the buttons for directions, calling and your website. The websites show up right below it. If you take care of both, you take up more space on the same search.
#The profile: your first impression on the map
Creating the profile is free and takes a few minutes, but filling it in well is what counts. Check these points:
- The right primary category: it tells Google which searches you should show up in.
- Up-to-date hours, holidays included. Wrong hours lead to bad reviews.
- Real photos of the storefront, the space, the team and the products.
- A link to your website and to WhatsApp.
- A description of what you do and where you work, written for people.
#Reviews: ask for them, and answer every one
Recent reviews with replies build trust with people who are comparing options. The simplest way to get them is to ask: after a good job, send the direct link to leave a review. And answer all of them, good and bad, politely and without pasting the same sentence every time.
#The website: where the decision happens
The profile gets people to know you. The website gets them to choose you. The website holds the details that don’t fit in the listing: your services explained, the work you’ve done, the common questions and a clear path to get in touch. A profile that leads to a slow or outdated site wastes the click.
#Both need to say the same thing
Your name, address and phone number should be exactly the same on the profile, the website and any other listing of the business. It looks like paperwork, but it’s how Google confirms all that information belongs to the same business. On the site, put this information in the footer as text (not only inside an image) and on a contact page with a map.
#Pages for what people search for
If you serve more than one city or offer very different services, a page for each one helps the site show up in those searches. “Residential projects”, “commercial projects” and “renovations” can be three pages, each with its own text, photos and questions.
#Keep track of what happens
The profile itself shows how many people asked for directions, called or clicked through to the website. Google Search Console shows which searches the site appears in and at what position. Looking at these numbers once a month is enough to know whether the work is paying off and what to adjust next.
