Here's a statistic from one of our clients that surprised them. Their dental clinic's website got about 1,200 visits last month. Their Google Business Profile got over 9,000 views, and more calls came from the profile than from the website.
For local businesses, the profile is often the first impression. It's what appears in Google Maps and in the map pack at the top of "near me" searches. Here's how to make it work.
Get the basics exactly right
- Business name. Use your real business name as it appears on your signboard. Adding keywords like "Best Dentist in Nagpur" to the name breaks Google's guidelines and can get your profile suspended.
- Category. Choose the most specific primary category available. "Dental clinic" rather than "Health". Add secondary categories for other services you genuinely offer.
- Address and pin. Check that the map pin sits on your actual entrance. In many Indian cities, addresses are complicated, so add landmarks in your description.
- Phone number. Use a number that is actually answered during business hours.
- Hours. Keep them accurate, including festival holidays. Nothing annoys a customer more than arriving at a closed shop that Google said was open.
Photos matter more than you'd think
Profiles with real photos get more calls and direction requests. Add pictures of your storefront (so people recognise it), the inside, your team, and your work. Real photos beat stock images every time. Update them every few months.
Reviews: ask, and always reply
Reviews are probably the strongest local ranking factor you can influence. A few practical tips:
- Ask happy customers at the right moment, like after a successful treatment or delivery.
- Make it easy. Send them the direct review link on WhatsApp.
- Reply to every review, good and bad. Keep replies short, personal and polite.
- Never buy reviews or offer discounts for them. Google is getting better at detecting this, and it can backfire badly.
For a negative review, acknowledge the problem, apologise if appropriate, and offer to sort it out offline. Future customers read your reply as much as the review.
Use posts and products
Google Business Profile lets you publish short posts (offers, updates, events) and list products or services with prices. Few local businesses use these, so they're an easy way to stand out. A post every week or two keeps the profile looking active.
Connect it to your website
Your website and profile should support each other:
- Use exactly the same name, address and phone number on both.
- Embed a Google Map on your contact page.
- Add LocalBusiness structured data to your website.
- Create a separate page for each location if you have more than one branch.
Check the Q&A section
Anyone can ask (and answer) questions on your profile. We've seen competitors and random strangers give wrong answers. Check it regularly and answer questions yourself.
None of this is complicated. It just needs someone to own it and spend half an hour a week on it. For most local businesses, that half hour brings in more customers than anything else in their marketing.
