- Create or find your business: Search your company on Google Maps. Click Add your business or Claim this business if a listing exists.
- Enter core details: Business name (exact), primary category, and, if applicable, your physical address or service areas.
- Add contact info: Phone and website URL. (Use a primary tracking number + your main line as an additional number to preserve NAP consistency.)
- Verify ownership: Complete verification by postcard, phone, email, or video, depending on eligibility.
How to Optimize for Local SEO
- NAP Consistency: Ensure your name, address, and phone match across key directories and citations.
- Categories & Services: Choose the most specific primary category; add secondary categories and detailed services.
- Business Description: Use up to 750 characters to explain offerings, differentiators, and value, no promos or links.
- Photos & Media: Add logo, cover, interior/exterior, team, and product images. Keep quality high and formats web-friendly.
- Google Posts: Publish offers, events, and updates regularly to stay visible and current.
- Products / Menu: Use the Product Editor (or menu/dishes for restaurants) to feature items and link to landing pages.
- Reviews Strategy: Encourage authentic reviews and respond to every review, positive and negative, to build trust.
- Q&A: Seed frequently asked questions and answer them clearly; monitor and correct community replies.
- Attributes: Add relevant highlights (e.g., Women-led, LGBTQ+ friendly, Accepts new patients) to stand out.
- Hours & Special Hours: Keep open times accurate; set holiday or temporary hours to avoid confusion.
Claiming & Managing Ownership
If your listing is already verified by someone else, request access through Business Profile Manager. If the current owner is unresponsive, Google may grant access after a waiting period when you verify your relationship to the business.
Multi-Location & Service Areas
- Service-Area Businesses: Hide your home address and define cities/counties you serve.
- Multiple Locations: Use Business Groups to organize access and management; standardize data and media across profiles.
How MAKDigital Helps You Win Local Search
As a full-stack local SEO partner, MAKDigital audits, claims, and optimizes your Google Business Profile; standardizes your NAP; implements categories, services, and attributes; builds a reviews and Q&A program; publishes Google Posts; and aligns your profile with on-site schema markup, landing pages, and conversion tracking. We monitor performance, surface insights, and iterate, so you rank, get chosen, and grow.