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How to show up on Google and Maps when people search nearby

For North Atlanta business owners who want to show up on Google and Maps. It takes about 8 minutes to read.

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Illustration of a town map with five colored pins over small businesses and a magnifying glass

How people look for you

Someone types what they need and where, like “plumber in Woodstock,” “bakery near me” or “insurance agent in Marietta.”

Google answers with nearby businesses, on Maps and in Search. Getting yours to be one of them is called local SEO.

To decide who shows up first, Google looks at three things. (Google, local searches (opens in a new tab))

  • Relevance

    How well your Google listing matches what the person is searching for. That's why a complete listing matters.

  • Distance

    How far you are from the person searching. If they don't share where they are, Google uses what it knows about their location.

  • Prominence

    How well known you are. Among other things, it counts your reviews and how many websites link to your business.

There's no way to pay to show up first. You can't change distance, but you can work on relevance and prominence. (Google, local searches (opens in a new tab))

Your Google Business Profile, step by step

It's the listing that shows up on Google and Maps when someone searches for your business. It costs nothing to create. (Google, adding a Profile (opens in a new tab))

  1. Find it or create it

    Search your business and city on Google Maps. If it exists unverified, claim it. If not, create it at business.google.com/add. (Google, adding a Profile (opens in a new tab))

  2. Verify it

    Google offers the options available to your business, like a call, email or video call. Until it's verified, you can't edit anything.

    Google says the review can take up to 5 business days. (Google, verification (opens in a new tab))

  3. Use your real name

    The one on your sign, your business cards and your website. No taglines, phone number, services or cities in the name. Those go in other fields. (Google, Profile guidelines (opens in a new tab))

  4. Pick your main category

    Pick the most specific one, the one that completes “This business is a….” Use as few categories as you can, never as keywords. (Google, Profile guidelines (opens in a new tab))

  5. Add your address or service area

    If customers come to a location with a sign, enter the full address.

    If you travel to your customers, hide your address and list the cities you actually serve. (Google, Profile guidelines (opens in a new tab))

  6. Hours, phone and website

    Enter your regular hours and, when they change, special hours. (Google, editing a Profile (opens in a new tab))

    The phone number has to belong to your business and be under your control. (Google, Profile guidelines (opens in a new tab))

    Write your website address with https:// at the start. (Google, editing a Profile (opens in a new tab))

  7. Describe what you do

    In the description, say what you offer, what makes you special and how long you've been in business.

    Up to 750 characters, no links and no promotions. (Google, editing a Profile (opens in a new tab))

  8. Upload real photos

    Of the outside, the inside, your work and your team, at least three of each kind. Sharp and without heavy filters. (Google, photos (opens in a new tab))

  9. Post now and then

    Post updates, offers and events with a photo. They show on your Profile, in Search and on Maps.

    Posts older than six months are archived unless they have dates. (Google, posts (opens in a new tab))

Reviews, how to ask for them and answer them

More reviews and positive ratings can improve how you show up in local searches. (Google, local searches (opens in a new tab))

  1. Create your review link

    On a computer, open your Profile's reviews and choose to get more reviews. Google gives you a link and a QR code. (Google, review link (opens in a new tab))

  2. Ask when the job is done

    Send them the link by WhatsApp or email. You can also put it on the receipt or display the printed QR code at your location. (Google, review link (opens in a new tab))

  3. Ask for an honest opinion, nothing more

    Ask everyone, not just the happy ones. Don't ask them to write anything specific, and don't pressure them at your location. (Google Maps, policy (opens in a new tab))

  4. Reply to your reviews

    To reply, your business has to be verified. (Google, replying to reviews (opens in a new tab))

    For negative reviews, reply calmly and offer to sort it out by phone or email. Never share the customer's private information. (Google, review tips (opens in a new tab))

    For positive ones, reply with something specific about the job instead of the same thank-you for everyone. (Google, review tips (opens in a new tab))

What Google doesn't allow

  • Paying, or giving discounts, gifts or free services, in exchange for a review.
  • Giving something in exchange for someone changing or removing a bad review.
  • Asking only happy customers for reviews, or discouraging the bad ones.
  • Telling your staff to collect a set number of reviews.
  • Reviews written by you, your family or your employees, because that's a conflict of interest.

Google removes reviews that break these rules. (Google Maps, policy (opens in a new tab))

The same details everywhere

Your name, address and phone have to say the same thing on Google, Apple, Bing, Facebook, Instagram and your website.

Google asks that your business look the way it does in the real world. (Google, Profile guidelines (opens in a new tab))

Bing compares your details with other websites and social media. (Bing Places (opens in a new tab))

  1. Write your details down once

    Name, address, phone and hours, exactly as they appear on your sign. If you write “Suite B” or “Ste. B,” pick one and always use it the same way.

  2. Add your business to Apple Maps

    You do it in Apple Business (formerly Apple Business Connect). Create your location with name, address, category, phone and hours. (Apple, adding a location (opens in a new tab))

    You have 60 days to verify your organization. (Apple, sign-up (opens in a new tab))

    If your hours don't match, customers can report it to Apple from your place card. Apple reviews the report and may correct it. (Apple, accurate details (opens in a new tab))

  3. Add your business to Bing

    In Bing Places you sign in with a Microsoft, Google or Facebook account. (Bing, getting started (opens in a new tab))

    If you already have your Google Business Profile, you can import it. After importing, publishing typically takes 7 to 12 days. (Bing, importing (opens in a new tab))

  4. Check Facebook, Instagram and your website

    Make sure the name, phone and address match the rest. If you change a detail in one place, change it everywhere.

The minimum your website needs

Your Profile links to your website. This is the minimum it should have.

  • What you do and in which city

    Say it on the first screen, in your customer's words, like “house cleaning in Canton,” not yours. (Google Search Central (opens in a new tab))

  • A phone number you can tap

    On a phone, the number has to call with one tap. Ask whoever built your website.

  • Easy to read on a phone

    Google uses the phone version of your site to index and rank it. It recommends a design that adapts to any screen. (Google, mobile sites (opens in a new tab))

  • One page per service

    If you offer several, make one page per service, with a clear title.

    Put useful words in each page's web address, like /office-cleaning and not /page2. (Google Search Central (opens in a new tab))

  • Keep it current

    Check what you've published every so often. Update what changed and delete what no longer applies. (Google Search Central (opens in a new tab))

After you change something, wait a few weeks before judging the result. Google can take anywhere from hours to months to reflect it. (Google Search Central (opens in a new tab))

If some of your customers search in Spanish

Here is what you can do without breaking Google's rules.

Your list for this week

Do it in this order. The boxes don't save anything, so if you close the page they clear.

Bring your questions to the meeting

If you want your customers to find you more easily, tell us about your case. We meet every Wednesday at 8:00 AM at Reformation Brewery.

Join us this Wednesday