A step by step for the free listing that decides whether you appear in the local pack, including the fields most businesses skip.
The local pack sits above every organic result for location based searches. Getting into it is free, and mostly a matter of filling in a form thoroughly, which surprisingly few businesses do.
Setting it up
- Search for your business first. A listing may already exist that you can claim rather than duplicating.
- Verify. Usually by postcard to a physical address, sometimes by phone or video. Postcards to New Zealand addresses can take a fortnight.
- Set your primary category as specifically as possible. 'Website designer' beats 'Business service'.
- If you visit customers rather than them visiting you, set a service area and hide the street address.
The fields most businesses leave empty
- Services, listed individually with descriptions. This is a large free text area that many listings ignore entirely.
- Products, which display as cards and take up a lot of space in your listing.
- Attributes: accessibility, payment methods, whether the business is locally owned.
- Opening hours including public holidays. New Zealand has several that catch listings out.
- Questions and answers, which you can seed yourself with genuine common questions.
Reviews
Volume, recency and your replies all matter. A steady trickle beats a burst, which can look manufactured. Ask in person at the point the customer is happiest, and make it easy by sending the direct review link rather than expecting them to find it.
Reply to negative reviews calmly and factually. The reply is not for the reviewer, it is for the next person reading. A measured response to an unfair review does more good than the review did harm.
Posts and updates
Google Business Profile supports short posts. They expire after a week, so they are not a content strategy, but a business posting regularly signals an active listing. Ten minutes a week is enough.