Optimising your Google Business Profile: a guide for Flemish businesses
For many customers, a Google Business Profile is their first contact with a local business. They may check its name, services, hours, directions or reviews before visiting the website. A complete profile helps answer practical questions, but it does not replace your own website or guarantee a higher position. Treat it as a public information card that deserves careful setup and regular checks.
Step 1: check ownership and basic details
Search for your business name first and see whether a profile already exists. Do not create a second listing without checking whether the existing one can be managed correctly. Follow the verification process Google provides and keep access with a business account your organisation controls. Avoid sharing a password widely with staff or suppliers. When a working relationship ends, you should be able to change access without losing the profile.
Enter the official business name as customers know it and as it is used in your real business activity. Do not add extra services, locations or search terms to the name for attention. Choose an accurate primary category and add secondary categories only when they genuinely describe your main work. A category is a summary, not a catalogue; use service fields and your website to explain the detail.
Step 2: select the right location setting
A staffed location that welcomes customers may show its address when that is accurate and complies with the platform’s guidelines. If you work at customer locations and do not receive customers at your address, set the profile up as a service-area business and hide a private address when appropriate. Do not use a virtual office or postal address as a shop to suggest a location people cannot visit. The profile must reflect how you actually do business.
Add an area you genuinely serve. A very long list of towns does not automatically make a profile more credible and may create expectations you cannot meet. Check the map and make sure the description makes sense to customers. If your offer or coverage changes, update both the profile and the website so they remain consistent.
Step 3: write a clear business description
Explain in everyday language who you help, what your main work involves and what the customer can do next. Avoid keyword stuffing, unsupported superlatives and promotions that will quickly go out of date. Use your own voice and keep the description consistent with your home and service pages. It should help someone decide whether they have found the right business, not present a long list of search phrases.
Complete available contact information carefully: phone, website and, where relevant, appointment or ordering options. Test every link on a phone and a computer. Send people to a page that actually helps them rather than a generic redirect. For a business planning a new website, Oryn’s website service offers a useful way to think about aligning profile details with your own online presence.
Step 4: keep hours and services current
Enter normal hours and update exceptions for holidays or temporary closures. Add a reminder to your calendar to check the profile before a planned change. If you do not have shop hours and work by appointment, say so instead of inventing hours. An inaccurate listing can send someone on a wasted trip and damage trust.
Add services with descriptions customers understand. Explain what is included or which situations a service suits when that matters, but do not make a profile field sound like a binding quote. Prices are appropriate only when current, clear and not misleading; leave them out when circumstances substantially affect the cost. A profile should help people orient themselves without pretending complex work can be assessed in advance.
Step 5: use photographs and updates thoughtfully
Use recognisable images of your real location, team, products or completed work for which you have permission. Keep photographs current and avoid showing private information or identifiable people without consent. A logo supports recognition, while work images add context. Avoid heavy editing that makes a situation appear different from reality. Check occasionally that your main photographs still reflect your current offer.
Posts are useful when you have a concrete update: changed hours, a new offer or practical information. You do not need to publish simply to fill an arbitrary schedule. Include dates and conditions when an update is temporary, and remove old messages. Be careful with sensitive customer information and do not publish guarantees or offers that do not exist.
Step 6: invite and answer reviews fairly
Ask customers at an appropriate time whether they would like to share their experience. Make it easy to leave a review, but do not write it for them, ask only satisfied customers or offer compensation for a positive review. A range of genuine experiences gives future customers different perspectives. You can also ask directly for private feedback; both forms can be useful.
Respond briefly, respectfully and without confidential details. Thank someone for specific feedback. If a customer is critical, acknowledge that the experience fell short and offer a private way to discuss it. Avoid a public argument or revealing information about a job. If a review appears to break platform rules, use the official reporting process; do not threaten someone to make it disappear.
Step 7: check the profile and website together
Compare the name, contact information, services and service area with your website. Your website has room for detailed explanations, evidence and frequently asked questions; the profile offers a quick summary and local actions. Check that links work and the destination matches what the profile promises. Businesses looking to organise their processes may also explore suitable digital systems, but a profile does not require complex automation.
Review the questions customers ask and the information they cannot find. Keep only the insights that help you improve the profile or website. A change in views does not prove that an edit caused success: seasonality, demand and competition matter too. Use observations to plan a next test, not to claim a guaranteed result.
A simple maintenance check
- Access is secure and tied to an account the business controls.
- Name, category, location setting and service area are accurate.
- Website, phone number and hours are current and tested.
- Services and photographs reflect the real offer.
- Reviews receive a human, privacy-conscious response.
- Old posts and temporary information have been removed.
A good Business Profile is reliable and easy to understand. Update it when the business changes, answer practical questions and invite honest feedback. That helps potential customers make an informed choice wherever your profile appears in search.