When customers look for a service nearby, your Google Business Profile is often their very first contact with your company. It shows your opening hours, phone number, reviews and directions to your door. Yet many Belgian SMEs leave their Business Profile half-finished. Here is how to optimise it, setting by setting, so that it attracts more customers in your area.
Why your Business Profile matters for local search
For local searches, the search engine displays the Local Pack: the three most relevant companies, with a map, opening hours and reviews. Appearing in this trio is therefore a major growth lever, whether your office is in Brussels, Lille or elsewhere. Moreover, the Business Profile costs nothing, so leaving it unoptimised simply hands those customers to your competitors.
The basics of a complete Google Business Profile
Accurate information
Fill in every available field: exact company name, address, phone number, website and opening hours. Also add special hours for public holidays, because customers who find a closed door rarely come back. If you serve clients at their premises, hide your address and define a service area instead. Finally, never add keywords to your company name, since the platform's guidelines forbid it.
Primary and secondary categories
Choose your primary category carefully, because it determines which searches you appear in. Then add a few relevant secondary categories. For example, a web agency can pick “Website designer” as its primary category and “Computer consultant” as a secondary one.
A useful description
Write a description that uses the 750 characters available and naturally includes your local keywords. Mention your neighbourhood or city, your main services and what sets you apart. However, leave out links and promotional offers, which the platform's guidelines do not allow in this field.
Advanced levers for your Business Profile
- Photos and videos: regularly publish quality images of your premises, your team and your work, since a well-illustrated Business Profile inspires more trust.
- Posts: share news, offers or events so that customers see you are active.
- Attributes: fill in accessibility, payment methods and specific services, for instance.
- Tracking link: add UTM parameters to your website link, then measure visits from your Business Profile in your analytics.
That link should also lead to a fast, clear website. At Espero-Soft, a showcase website designed for local SEO starts from €29/month.
A review strategy that works
Reviews weigh heavily in Local Pack rankings, and also in the customer's decision. Here is how to collect and manage them:
- ask for a review after every successful job;
- make it easy with the direct link to the review form of your Business Profile;
- reply to every review, positive or negative, politely and in the customer's language;
- never buy fake reviews or offer anything in return, because the platform's rules forbid it.
NAP consistency
NAP stands for Name, Address, Phone. These details must stay strictly identical on your Google Business Profile, your website, directories such as Golden Pages or Yelp, and your social media. In Brussels, for instance, pick one language version of your street address and use it everywhere. Indeed, an abbreviated address here and a full one there creates doubt for the algorithm. Also update these details everywhere after a move or a new phone number.
Track the results of your Business Profile
The performance section shows how many people called you, requested directions or visited your website from your profile. Check it every month, then compare the figures after each change: new photos, a new category or a review campaign. As a result, you will know which settings actually bring in enquiries.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Creating several profiles for the same location, which splits your reviews and can lead to a suspension.
- Using a PO box or a virtual office without customer reception as your address.
- Leaving a former provider or ex-employee as owner of the profile: always keep the owner role yourself and add your agency as a manager instead.
- Forgetting to update opening hours during holidays, although customers rely on them.
Conclusion
Your Google Business Profile remains a free tool with considerable power for local SEO. By optimising it methodically, you increase your visibility, your credibility and your contact requests. Espero-Soft can audit and then fine-tune your Business Profile to strengthen your presence in Brussels and Lille: request an audit of your profile.
