Google My Business listing: what it is and how to optimise it

What a Google My Business listing is

Your Google My Business listing — today called Google Business Profile — is your business's free profile inside Google. It is the card you see on Google Maps and in the so-called "local pack", with your name, address, phone, opening hours, category, photos and reviews. It appears when someone searches "how to get to…" or a keyword from your sector together with a specific area.

It is also the centrepiece of local SEO. Even with a spotless website, an unmanaged listing can cost you visibility right at the moment a customer decides who to call. We compare it in detail in our local SEO guide, but here we focus on the listing itself.

It is worth clarifying what it is not:

• It is not advertising. The listing is free; ads are a separate product paid per click.
• It does not replace your website. It complements it: the listing captures the local search and the site closes the sale.
• It is not a one-time setup. It needs upkeep: reviews, photos, posts and replies.

The key elements of your listing

A complete listing performs better than a half-finished one. These are the fields that carry the most weight when Google works out what you offer and who you serve:

• Name, address and phone (NAP). Your details must be exact and match your website and directories. Inconsistencies confuse Google.
• Primary and secondary categories. This defines which searches you are relevant for. Worth choosing carefully.
• Description. A short, clear text explaining what you do, for whom and where. No filler, no keyword stuffing.
• Opening hours. Up to date, including holidays and variations. Wrong hours generate avoidable bad reviews.
• Photos and videos. Storefront, interior, team and work. They are the visual proof that the business exists and is well cared for.
• Products and services. Each one with its own name and description.
• Questions and answers. Google lets people ask; you can post the answers to control the message.
• Attributes. Accessibility, payment methods, terrace, wifi… details that decide it for many people.
• Posts. News, offers and events that keep the listing alive and active.

How to optimise it step by step

If you are starting from scratch or from an abandoned listing, this is the order we follow when we work with a local business:

• Claim and verify your listing. If it already exists (Google sometimes creates it itself), claim it so nobody else can edit it. Merge any duplicates.
• Fill in every field 100%. The more data you provide, the more signals Google has to understand you. Here we also handle the Google My Business setup from scratch.
• Choose the primary category well. Try searching the way your customer would: the category that best matches that search is usually the right one.
• Upload photos with judgement. Realistic, current and well lit. A listing with photos builds more trust than an empty one.
• Post regularly. One or two posts a month already make a difference against stalled listings.
• Ask for and reply to reviews. Thank people for good ones and answer bad ones calmly and politely. It is a key part of your reputation.
• Measure and adjust. Check each month what people search and what actions they take. That information tells you where to improve.

Unoptimised vs optimised listing

The difference between a neglected listing and a well-worked one shows in how customers perceive it and what they ask Google to do:

Optimisation checklist

These are the points we review on every listing. Use them as a checklist for your own business:

Common mistakes that cost you customers

The mistakes we see most often on local business listings are not complicated, but they repeat constantly:

• Wrong category. The most expensive mistake: if your category does not match what your customers search, you can be invisible in those searches.
• Inconsistent NAP. An old phone here, a slightly different address there. Google is left with doubts and so is the customer.
• Listing with no photos. A listing without images looks abandoned. People trust what they can see.
• Not replying to reviews. Ignoring a complaint — or not even thanking positive ones — hurts credibility. Always reply, politely; it is part of the job.
• Leaving the listing dead. No posts, no changes, no news: you miss chances to appear and to connect.

How to measure whether it is working

A Google listing offers very useful information in its stats section. For a local business, these are the metrics that really matter:

• Calls. How many people have called directly from the listing.
• Directions. How many have asked for directions to your business, a strong intent signal.
• Website clicks. How many jumped from the listing to your page.
• Discovery and direct searches. These tell apart those who already knew you from those who found you.
• Message interactions. If you have messaging on, how many people write.

Compare these numbers month over month, not day by day. The trend is what tells you if you are on the right track. It is also worth crossing this information with the care of your Google Maps reviews, because together they shape your reputation.

Why Solaris

We work on Google listings for local businesses across the Costa del Sol and all of Spain:

• Fixed, published prices. 150€/month + VAT for local SEO, or 250€/month + VAT with articles. No "request a quote", no surprises.
• Local business specialists. We know the Marbella market and its surroundings, and tailor the listing to the customer you want.
• Help with Google Maps and reviews. We optimise the listing and work your reputation consistently.
• No lock-in. You stay because you see it working, not because a contract ties you down. See our local SEO plans.

How much it costs to optimise your listing

We work with two fixed plans, no lock-in and no small print:

Do the maths: a single new customer a month worth 150€ already covers the plan. Anything beyond that is direct return.