Google Business Profile: How to Fill In Your Company Listing
When a person searches for "dentist near me" or "building materials store", Google often shows a map and several company listings above the results. These listings are managed through Google Business Profile, and many customers call or get directions right from there, without even visiting the website. Let's look at how to create a profile, fill in each field correctly and work with reviews.
What Google Business Profile is and what it gives you
Google Business Profile is a free tool that lets you manage how your company looks in Google Search and on Google Maps. With a properly filled-in profile, a customer:
- sees the address and the place on the map and gets directions;
- calls or goes to the website with one tap;
- learns the working hours, and looks at photos and other customers' reviews;
- gets brief information about products and services.
For a business that customers visit in person - a store, a clinic, a car service, a training center, a cafe, a beauty salon - the listing is often seen before the website.
Creating and verifying the profile
- Search for yourself first. Your company may already be on Google Maps: it could have been added by customers or other users. In that case, don't create a new listing, but request owner rights to the existing one.
- Choose the right account. Link the profile not to an employee's personal email but to a company account. When an employee leaves, the profile shouldn't go with them. You can give colleagues manager access.
- Verify the company. Google will ask you to confirm that the business is really located at the stated address. Google offers the verification method itself, and it may vary depending on the region and type of business. An unverified profile doesn't work at full strength.
How to fill in each field
Name
Write it as it appears on the sign, in documents and in ads. Adding "cheap", "best" or a city name to the name violates Google's rules, and the profile may be restricted for it.
Category
The primary category is one of the most important fields: it directly determines which queries you are shown for. Choose the one that describes the business most precisely, and add secondary categories for additional lines of work.
Address and service area
If customers come to your office or store, give the exact address and check that the pin on the map is in the right place. In Uzbekistan an address is often explained through a landmark, so it's worth mentioning it in the description. If you travel to customers yourself (a craftsman, delivery), specify a service area.
Working hours
State the real schedule and update special hours for holidays in time. A customer who comes to a store that the listing shows as "open" but is actually closed will most likely leave a negative review.
Phone and website
Give a number that is actually answered. The website link should lead to the right page: a branch page or the services section. If you don't have a website yet, even a simple but fast page for the profile makes a noticeable difference - read more on the website development page.
Description
Briefly and naturally tell what you do, for whom, how you stand out and which district you work in. Consider which language your customers search in.
Products, services and attributes
Add your main services and products, if possible with a price or an explanation of what it depends on. Mark attributes: payment methods, parking, stroller access - these are important details for customers.
Photos
- the facade and entrance - so the customer recognizes the building;
- the interior;
- the team at work;
- products and completed work.
Good-quality real photos inspire much more trust than pictures from the internet. Update them periodically.
A quick cheat sheet for filling in
| Field | What to enter | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Name | The real brand name | Adding keywords and a city |
| Category | The most precise primary category | A category that's too general |
| Address | The exact address and a correct pin | The pin sits on another building |
| Working hours | The real schedule with holidays | Outdated data |
| Phone | A number that is answered | A dead or personal number |
| Photos | A real facade, interior, work | Pictures from the internet |
Working with reviews
Reviews strongly influence a new customer's decision and may affect how the listing is shown in search.
- Ask for reviews. After a service, ask a satisfied customer to leave a review. A QR code on the receipt, business card or at the register can lead straight to the review form. A Telegram bot that automatically messages the customer after a purchase or visit can also make the process easier.
- Reply to every review. Thank people for positive ones; answer negative ones calmly, to the point and with an offer to solve the problem. Your replies are read by future customers too.
- Give up fake reviews. Buying reviews or posting them on behalf of employees breaks the rules and harms the profile if detected.
How to keep the profile active
Filling it in once and forgetting it is not enough. Publish news, promotions and events, answer users' questions, and update changed data immediately. In the profile statistics, watch views, calls, website visits and direction requests to understand which changes give results.
Also check what happens when a customer arrives from the profile: who answers the call, whether the form on the site works, whether messages get lost in Telegram. The profile brings the customer in, but turning them into a sale is the job of your team and your systems.
Frequently asked questions
Is Google Business Profile paid?
Creating and maintaining a profile is free. Paid Google advertising is a separate and optional service.
What if there are several branches?
A separate profile is created for each branch, with its own address, phone and schedule. They are convenient to manage from one company account.
Can I delete an unpleasant review?
You can't delete it yourself. If a review violates Google's rules (insults, spam, irrelevant text), you can report it. In other cases it is better to reply politely and to the point.
Want your Google listing to bring customers and your website to turn them into leads? Leave a request or message UFLEX on Telegram - we'll help tie the profile, the website and the lead intake system into one whole.