How to set up a Google Business Profile
For a local company, a listing in Google Business Profile is the fastest source of phone calls, and in the first months it is often more effective than the website itself.
Three things decide whether you appear in maps: a precisely chosen primary category, consistent contact details across the whole internet, and reviews. Pick the narrowest category available, not the broadest. The name, address and phone number must be identical on the site, in the listing and in directories, right down to the abbreviations in the street name.
Reviews are gathered steadily, not in bursts. A dozen or so reviews collected over a year does more than thirty in a single week, because a sudden spike looks suspicious. It is worth replying to every one, including the negative ones, because those replies are read both by customers and by the language models that summarise companies in assistant answers.
The listing and the website work together. The listing gives contact on the spot, the website closes the trust gap and answers the questions that do not fit in a listing.
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