It is 12:15 pm. Someone types “plumber near me” or “bakery open now” on their phone. Three listings show up on the map. Your competitor across the street is in first position. You are not even in the top three.
You never knew. The customer did not call, did not leave a message, did not complain. They simply went elsewhere.
The good news: what decides the display order is largely under your control, and it is free. Your Google Business Profile (formerly “Google My Business”) is your business's ID card on Google Search and Google Maps. This article gives you the 10 settings to fix, in order. You can do everything yourself. At the end, we will see when it is better to delegate.
How Google ranks profiles on Google Maps
Google explains it itself in its official help (Google Business Profile Help). Local ranking is based on three factors:
- Relevance: does your profile match what the person is looking for? The more complete and precise it is, the better Google understands what you do.
- Distance: how far is your business from the person? You cannot move your shop, but you can enter your service area if you travel to customers.
- Prominence: are you well known? Google looks in particular at the number of reviews and your ratings, and at links from other sites.
Google also states that it is impossible to pay for a better position in this local ranking. Anyone who promises you otherwise is selling something else, such as advertising.
The 10 settings below work on these three factors. Here is the step-by-step.
Setting 1: claim and verify your profile
Search for your business name on Google. If a profile already exists, click “Manage this profile” or “Claim this business”. Otherwise, create it at business.google.com.
Google will ask you to verify that the business is really yours (postcard, call or video depending on the case). Without verification, you cannot edit anything properly. This is the step that blocks the most shop owners. If you are waiting for a postcard, allow a few days.
Setting 2: choose the right primary category
This is the setting that weighs most on relevance. A plumber who picks “General contractor” instead of “Plumber” will rank lower for the query “plumber”.
Choose the most precise category possible as your primary one. Then add secondary categories for your other activities. A hairdresser can add “Barber” if they also do beards. Do not tick ten categories to cast a wide net: stay honest about what you really do.
Setting 3: fill in your identity without errors (name, address, phone)
The name must be that of your actual business, as on your storefront. Do not add keywords to the name (“Dupont Plumber Emergency Cheap Paris”): Google can suspend the profile for that.
Check the address, phone number and website. This information must be identical everywhere: on your website, on Facebook, in directories, on your invoices. A “12 street” here and a “12 st.” there can be fixed, but an old number forgotten in a directory creates confusion.
Setting 4: enter the right hours, including public holidays
Nothing irritates a customer more than traveling to a closed shutter when Google said “open”. They leave a one-star review, and you keep it for a long time.
Enter your real hours, the lunch break if you have one, and update the special hours before every public holiday and every vacation period. Five minutes before the holidays, and you avoid angry reviews.
Setting 5: write a clear description
You have 750 characters to introduce yourself. The first 250 are the ones people see most easily, so be direct.
Say who you are, what you do, where, and for whom. Example for a craft baker: “Artisan bakery in Villeurbanne since 2014. Sourdough breads, butter pastries, lunchtime sandwiches. Orders for weddings and companies.” No empty slogans, no promises in capital letters, no phone number in the description.
Setting 6: list your products and services
Google offers a “Services” section (or “Products” for a shop). Fill it in with concrete lines: “Water leak repair”, “Water heater replacement”, “Descaling”. Add a short description and, if you want, an indicative price.
Each line helps Google connect your profile to precise searches. Someone searching “replace a water heater” should see that you do it.
Setting 7: add real photos, and keep adding them
A profile without photos looks like a closed business. Add:
- the storefront, so people can find you on the street;
- the inside, the workshop or the vehicle;
- the team, even in a simple snapshot;
- your work (dishes, finished job sites, haircuts);
- a logo and a cover photo.
Photos taken with your phone, well lit, are enough. Avoid stock images: they reassure no one. Add a few new ones every month.
Setting 8: get reviews, and reply to them
This is the prominence factor you can work on the fastest. Google cites it explicitly: the number of reviews and the rating count.
The method that works:
- Ask for the review on the spot, right after a successful service, in person or by text message.
- Send the direct review link (available in your profile, under “Ask for reviews”). One click for the customer.
- Never pay for reviews and do not have friends and family write them: Google removes them and can penalize the profile.
- Reply to every review, good and bad. For a negative review: say thank you, stay factual, offer to fix the problem. Future customers mostly read your reply.
Setting 9: publish updates
The “Posts” on your profile let you announce an offer, an event, a new product. A baker can announce their Epiphany cake, a coach their next workshop.
It is not magic, but it proves the profile is alive, and a customer who hesitates sees that you are active. One post a week is enough, two minutes on your phone.
Setting 10: link the profile to a website that holds up
Your profile shows a button to your website. If that site is missing, slow or unreadable on mobile, you lose the customer at the last step. You also need a “Book” or “Call” link that works.
Check that the page your profile points to answers the customer's question: who, what, where, how to reach you. If you have no website, the profile alone can already bring you calls, but a website adds proof that you are serious. To find out whether you need one, read our guide why a local shop needs a website.
Mistakes that cost you a profile
A few traps come up often with shop owners:
- A duplicate profile: two profiles for the same place compete with each other. Have one removed.
- A name stuffed with keywords: risk of suspension.
- A registered-office or mailbox address presented as a premises: Google prohibits it if you do not receive customers there.
- Outdated information: old phone number, last year's hours.
- A lost account: the profile is tied to a Gmail address. If the former employee who created it has left, you can no longer change anything. Add yourself as an owner, today.
How long before you see results?
Let's be honest: nobody can guarantee you first place on Google Maps. Google itself says you cannot buy a better local ranking. What we can do is remove the obstacles: complete profile, right categories, regular reviews, consistent information.
Settings 1 to 7 take half a day. Reviews and posts take consistency over several months. The first effects on calls and direction requests show up in the “Performance” tab of your profile, which Google provides free of charge.
Do it yourself or delegate: the honest answer
Do it yourself if you have an hour a week, you run a business with little direct competition, and your profile is already in good shape. With this article, you have everything. It is free, and it is a good habit.
Delegating becomes useful when :
- you no longer have the time to keep up with the profile, the reviews and the posts;
- your sector is very competitive (restaurants, hairdressing, real estate, urban emergency repairs);
- you also want to work on the search ranking of your website, not just the profile;
- you tried on your own for three months without seeing any change.
This is where Fiddes Growth comes in. The SEO pack costs €990 per month, with a 3-month commitment. It covers your search ranking and your local presence, with human review in French before every publication. If you later add advertising, the ad budget (what you spend with Google or Meta) is paid on top, directly to the platform.
No work starts before payment: the price is posted, the scope is clear, and the money-back guarantee applies. The details are on the Fiddes Growth page.
Is it the right choice for you? If you run a shop with 2 or 3 direct competitors on the street and you already have a clean profile, your 10 free settings are probably enough. If you spend your days out in the field and the phone rings less than before, the time you save is worth more than the subscription.
