Setting up your Google Business Profile: a checklist for Australian businesses
By Martin Soliman,
When someone searches for a cafe, an accountant or a clinic near them, a Google Business Profile is the listing that can appear alongside the usual results. It carries your hours, phone number, photos and reviews, so it is often the first thing a potential customer reads about you. This checklist walks through setting one up properly, using Google's own help pages as the reference.
How Google decides what to show
According to Google's help pages, local results depend mainly on three things. Relevance is how well a profile matches what someone is searching for. Distance is how far each business is from the person searching. Prominence is how well known a business is, and Google says links from other websites, review count and ratings all play a part.
Google also states that there is no way to request or pay for a better local ranking. That makes the basics below worth doing carefully, because accurate and complete information is the part you control. Google says businesses with complete and accurate information are more likely to show up in local search results.
Step 1: verify the profile
Google says verification tells it that you are authorised to represent the business, and you need it before you can edit details such as your name or hours. Google chooses which verification methods are offered to you, based on things like your business type and region. The options it describes are a code by phone or text, an email, a live video call, or a postcard sent to your business address.
A few practical points from Google's guidance. If you use phone verification, an automated phone system cannot receive the code, so someone needs to answer personally. Postcard codes typically arrive within 14 days and expire after 30 days. While you wait, Google advises against editing your name, address or category, and against requesting a new code, because that invalidates the earlier one. After you submit, Google says its review can take up to 5 business days.
Step 2: name, category and address
Enter your business name exactly as it appears on your real world signage. Google lets you choose one primary category and up to nine additional categories, so pick the primary one that best describes what you mainly do.
If customers visit you, add your address and pin location. If you do not serve customers at your address, Google lets you hide it, and you can set a service area by the places you serve. Google asks you to be as specific and accurate as possible. Moving premises after verification means verifying again.
Step 3: hours and contact details
Set your main opening hours, then add special hours for public holidays and any temporary changes. This is one of the most useful habits to build, because customers rely on these details to know when you are open.
Google allows one primary phone number plus up to two more, and a website address entered in full, including the https:// at the start. Check that each one works by trying them yourself.
Step 4: description and photos
The business description can be up to 750 characters, with no web addresses or HTML. Google suggests focusing on your business rather than on promotions or prices, so describe what you do, who you do it for and where.
For photos, Google mentions storefront, product and service images, and notes that exterior photos help customers recognise your location. Use real photos of your own premises and work.
Step 5: reply to reviews
Google says that replying to reviews shows customers you value their feedback and can help your business stand out. Set a regular time each week to read new reviews and reply in a calm, polite and specific way.
Keep it current
Google says it reviews your changes before they go live on your profile, so allow a little time after any edit. Put a reminder in your calendar each month to check the hours, phone number and photos, and again before long weekends and the holiday period.
How Conciergia handles it
Conciergia is a done for you online system run by one provider. Your Google Business Profile is included alongside a custom built website with unlimited pages and revisions, plus hosting, maintenance, professional email and a logo. Front Desk, the on site assistant, captures and qualifies enquiries and supports bookings, and the enquiries your site collects belong to you. Search covers SEO, AEO and GEO with keyword research and articles, and social content is planned, made, scheduled and published. There is no lock in and you can cancel anytime. See the pricing page and send an enquiry if you would like to talk it through.
Sources: Tips to improve your local ranking on Google, Google Business Profile Help; Verify your business on Google, Google Business Profile Help; Edit your Business Profile, Google Business Profile Help.