What is local SEO?
Local SEO is the work that makes you appear in searches tied to a place: “pharmacy on duty Ariana”, “caterer Sousse”, “plumber near me”.
For these searches, Google shows a block with a map and a few business profiles, before the regular results. On a phone, this block often fills the whole screen. Customers call, ask for directions or read reviews straight from the profile, without visiting a website.
Google ranks these profiles on three criteria it describes itself: relevance to the search, distance from the person searching, and the prominence of the business, which takes reviews into account among other things.
How do you create and verify a Google Business Profile?
The profile is created for free from a Google account, then has to be verified to appear fully.
First check whether a profile already exists for your business: Google sometimes creates one from public information. If so, claim it rather than creating a second one. Otherwise, create it with the real business name, the right category, the address or service area, the phone number and the website.
Google then asks for verification, which can take different forms: a video of the premises, a call, an SMS or something else. Follow the method offered. Use a Google account belonging to the business, not a provider's, and add the provider as a manager if needed.
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Request a quoteHow do you fill in your Google profile properly?
A complete and accurate profile ranks better and converts better than a minimal one.
- The real business name, with no added keywords
- The most precise primary category, then a few secondary categories
- Opening hours, including Ramadan hours and public holidays
- Real photos: storefront, interior, team, completed work
- The list of services or products, with a clear description
- A link to the most useful page of the website, and a WhatsApp link if you use it
Post an update or an offer from time to time. Answer the questions asked on the profile.
How do you get Google reviews honestly?
The most effective way is simply to ask each satisfied customer, at the right moment.
Create the direct link to the review form from your profile, and send it on WhatsApp after a successful delivery, job or appointment. A QR code at the till or on the invoice works too.
Reply to every review, positive or negative, politely and sticking to the facts. Never buy reviews or have friends and family write them: it breaks Google's rules, and Google can remove those reviews or penalise the profile. Do not offer a discount in exchange for a review either.
How does your Google profile relate to your website?
The profile and the website reinforce each other, as long as they give exactly the same information.
The name, address and phone number must be identical on the profile, the website, Facebook and in directories. On the website, one page per important service, with the city in the title and content, helps Google understand where you work. A contact page with the map and opening hours completes the picture.
Structured data (LocalBusiness) on the website clearly tells Google your business, address and opening hours. If you target several cities, do it with useful, honest pages, not with made-up addresses.