The Complete Google Business Profile Guide for George Businesses

When someone searches "electrician George" or "best coffee shop near me" on Google, the first thing they see isn't a website — it's the Google Maps pack. Your Google Business Profile (GBP) is your ticket into that prime real estate.

Setting up your GBP:

1. Go to business.google.com and claim your listing 2. Verify your business (usually via postcard or phone) 3. Fill out EVERY field — Google rewards completeness

Optimization checklist:

• Business name — Use your real name, don't stuff keywords
• Category — Choose the most specific primary category available
• Description — 750 characters. Include your services, location, and what makes you different
• Photos — Upload at least 10 high-quality photos. Businesses with photos get 42% more direction requests
• Hours — Keep these accurate, especially during holidays
• Services/Products — List everything you offer with descriptions
• Attributes — Mark all applicable attributes (wheelchair accessible, free WiFi, etc.)

Getting reviews:

• Ask every satisfied customer to leave a review
• Make it easy — send them a direct link
• Respond to EVERY review within 24 hours
• Never buy fake reviews — Google will penalize you

Posting updates:

GBP has a "Posts" feature. Use it weekly to share: - Special offers - New services - Events - Blog post snippets

George-specific tips:

• Add "George, Western Cape" and "Garden Route" to your description naturally
• Upload photos of your actual George location
• Respond to reviews mentioning George by name
• List all areas you serve (Wilderness, Herolds Bay, Blanco, etc.)

The payoff:

A well-optimized GBP can drive more leads than your website — especially for local services. It's free, it's powerful, and most of your competitors aren't doing it properly.

Need help with your online presence? We set up and optimize Google Business Profiles as part of our website packages.