These days, when a customer is looking for a service or product, their first instinct is almost always the same: to search on Google. 97% of internet users search for local businesses on Google, making Google My Business essential for local SEO, especially for any brick-and-mortar business. In this context, having a Google My Business listing (now called Google Business Profile) is no longer an option but a necessity for any business that wants to increase its visibility and attract new customers.
Optimizing your Google My Business profile not only helps you appear in local search results and on Google Maps, but also builds trust and makes it easier to convert prospects into customers. This profile serves as the business’s online showcase and should contain reliable and engaging information to maximize its impact.
The Google My Business listing: a powerful tool for local visibility
When a user searches for a service near them—for example, “restaurant in Brussels, ” “plumber near me,” or “web design agency in Brussels” —Google usually displays a map showing several local businesses. This section, called the Local Pack, is directly fed by Google Business Profiles. Having a complete and up-to-date business listing in the correct category allows your business to appear in the relevant geographic area and effectively reach local customers.
A business with an optimized Google Business Profile is much more likely to appear in these local search results, which significantly increases its visibility to nearby customers. Choosing the right category for your business listing is essential for targeting the right area and boosting local visibility. The Google Business Profile serves as a key information hub for the business, making it easier for customers to get in touch and learn more about the company. It will also serve as a key differentiator for small businesses and self-employed individuals in 2026. Maintaining a complete and up-to-date business listing reassures website visitors of the reliability of the information provided.
In particular, this presence makes it possible to:
- to appear on Google Maps
- to appear in local search results
- to display key information immediately via the school profile
For many local businesses, a well-optimized Google My Business listing can generate more leads than a website alone.
Provide customers with all the essential information
A Google My Business listing acts as a mini digital storefront that’s accessible directly from search results.
It allows you to present:
- the company name
- the address
- Hours of operation (it is essential to clearly state opening and closing times, including on holidays, and to update them regularly)
- the phone number
- the website
- key information (hours, address, phone number, website, etc.)
- photos (there are different types of visual content you can add: main photos, secondary photos, interior photos)
- customer reviews
The entry can be validated via email, which confirms its creation and makes it publicly visible.
You can edit the information on your Google listing at any time after it has been created. It is strongly recommended that you keep the information up to date to reassure website visitors.
With this information, a prospective customer can quickly decide whether to contact the company, visit its location, or check out its website.
The more complete a Google My Business listing is, the more trust it inspires and the better the user experience becomes.
How to Create a Google My Business Listing
Creating a business listing on Google is an essential step for any company looking to boost its visibility on the Google search engine and on Google Maps. To get started, simply go to the website for creating Google My Business listings and sign in with an existing Google account, or create one if necessary.
The first step is to enter your business’s basic information: company name, exact address, hours of operation, and the categories of products or services you offer. It is crucial to ensure that this information is accurate, as it will be directly visible to internet users when they conduct searches. Clear and up-to-date information makes it easier to schedule appointments and builds trust among potential customers.
After you’ve filled out your listing, Google will ask you to verify your business. This verification is typically done by sending a code to the owner, thereby ensuring the authenticity of the listing. Once you’ve entered the code and confirmed the listing, your business will be publicly visible on Google and Google Maps. You’ll then be able to access your Google account to make regular updates, respond to reviews, and optimize your listing based on your business’s needs.
Creating a Google My Business listing is therefore a simple yet essential step for any business looking to improve its online presence and attract new customers through increased visibility in search results.
Customer reviews: a key factor in credibility
Customer reviews now play a major role in purchasing decisions. A business with many positive reviews on its Google My Business listing comes across as more reliable and professional.
It is essential to respond to all reviews, whether positive or negative, because the way you interact with your customers demonstrates your professionalism and commitment. A polite response to a negative comment can soften the impact of the review and build trust with potential customers. If you have any doubts about the legitimacy of a review, you can request that it be removed or report it through the Google My Business interface. You cannot delete a negative review directly, but you can follow these steps to address inappropriate reviews.
We also recommend encouraging your satisfied customers to leave positive reviews to avoid having an empty listing and to improve your online reputation. Google reviews have a significant impact on your listing’s visibility on the first page of Google and are essential for SEO. In addition, using relevant keywords in your responses to reviews can improve your business’s local search engine rankings.
There are many benefits:
- increased confidence among prospective customers
- improved local search engine optimization
- competitive differentiation
Google places great importance on the quality and number of reviews on a Google My Business listing, which can directly influence a business’s ranking in search results.
A free but extremely powerful tool
One of the major advantages of a Google My Business listing is that it’s completely free. Yet it is one of the most powerful marketing tools for a local business.
With Google My Business, you can generate direct calls from Google, making it easy for customers to contact your business. Brick-and-mortar stores would be well advised to use Google My Business to attract local customers and digitize their retail locations. The tool also allows you to publish posts, special offers, and events to keep customers informed and engaged. Posting high-quality photos, news, events, and products regularly on your business page allows you to interact directly with users and attract more customers. It is also recommended to respond promptly to messages sent via Google Maps to maintain a high level of engagement.
By properly optimizing its Google My Business listing, a business can:
- increase your visibility on Google
- generate more calls and contact requests
- attract more in-store visits
- enhance its local presence
Few tools offer such a big impact for such a small investment.
Optimizing Your Google My Business Listing for Local SEO
The first thing you need to do is create your listing at google.com/business or through the Google My Business mobile app. After creation, a verification code is sent to confirm ownership of the record. Company verification can also be done via video by demonstrating access to the premises. It is important not to create two Google My Business listings for the same business. If a listing already exists, you’ll need to prove to Google that you’re the owner in order to claim it.
Just creating a record isn’t enough. To achieve real results, it’s essential to optimize it properly for local SEO. The way information is organized on the listing plays a key role in optimizing local visibility and enhancing the impact of the online profile.
Best practices include, among others:
- Choose the right activity categories and manage duplicate entries
- Add professional photos and videos to attract more customers
- Write an SEO-optimized description
- Regularly publish news, offers, and events to encourage engagement and maintain visibility
- Respond to customer reviews and read feedback to build credibility
- keep the information up to date
- Use the insights provided by Google My Business to understand how customers find your business (search terms, interactions, etc.)
It is also recommended to use social media to increase the listing’s visibility, even though this does not directly affect search engine rankings.
To assist you, there are many guides and forums available to help you create and optimize your listing. Seeking specialized assistance or using support tools can also be helpful when optimizing or auditing your Google My Business profile.
An optimized Google My Business listing then becomes a real driver of growth for the business.
Google My Business Listing and Website: A Winning Combination
Linking your Google Business Profile to your website creates a powerful synergy that maximizes your business’s visibility and reputation. The Google My Business listing serves as a quick entry point for internet users, giving them immediate access to key information about your business: address, hours, products or services, and customer reviews.
By adding a link to your website on your listing, you allow users to explore further and learn more about your offerings, news, or projects. This bridge between the listing and the website drives qualified traffic and increases the chances of conversion, as interested users can easily move from discovery to action (making contact, booking, or purchasing).
In addition, ensuring consistency between the information on your listing and that on your website enhances your business’s credibility in the eyes of Google and internet users. This helps improve your local search engine rankings and build your business’s reputation in your industry.
To take full advantage of this synergy, we recommend keeping both your listing and your website up to date, while ensuring the quality and relevance of the information you provide. This way, you provide an optimal user experience and maximize your chances of attracting and retaining new customers.
Analyze the performance of your Google My Business listing
Tracking and analyzing the performance of your Google Business Profile is essential for understanding the impact of your online presence and adjusting your strategy. Through the management interface accessible via your Google account, you have access to a comprehensive dashboard that lets you view detailed statistics on how users interact with your listing.
This allows you to view the number of views your listing has received, the number of clicks to your website, the number of calls made using the listed phone number, and the number of reservations made. This data provides you with a concrete overview of your institution’s visibility and the effectiveness of your information.
Analyzing the comments and reviews left by internet users is also valuable: it allows you to identify your company’s strengths, as well as areas for improvement in your products or services. For example, if you notice that many users are contacting your business by phone, it might be a good idea to highlight this contact method more prominently or simplify the appointment-making process.
By regularly monitoring these metrics, you can update the content of your listing, optimize your hours of operation, or adjust how you present your services to better meet your customers’ expectations. This proactive approach helps strengthen your business’s reputation and continuously improve your visibility on Google and Google Maps.
Conclusion
In a world where local search drives consumer behavior, the Google My Business listing has become an essential part of a company’s digital strategy.
It helps improve visibility, build credibility, and generate more qualified leads.
Any business looking to expand its online presence and attract local customers should consider optimizing its Google My Business listing a strategic priority.
