When someone searches “dentist near me” or “best café in Raipur”, Google shows a map with three businesses. Those three get most of the calls. Here is how to become one of them.
The three things Google looks at
- Relevance: does your profile match what was searched?
- Distance: how close are you to the searcher?
- Prominence: how well-known and well-reviewed are you?
You can’t move your shop, but you can improve relevance and prominence.
The 12-step checklist
- 1. Claim and verify your Google Business Profile.
- 2. Choose the right primary category. “Dental clinic” beats “Health”.
- 3. Add secondary categories for every service you genuinely offer.
- 4. Use your real business name. Stuffing keywords into the name can get you suspended.
- 5. Keep name, address and phone identical everywhere: website, Justdial, Facebook, Instagram.
- 6. Fill every field: services, products, attributes, hours, holiday hours.
- 7. Upload real photos every month: storefront, interiors, team, work.
- 8. Post weekly with offers, updates and events.
- 9. Ask every happy customer for a review using a QR code and a WhatsApp link.
- 10. Reply to every review, good or bad, politely and quickly.
- 11. Answer the Q&A section with real customer questions.
- 12. Link to a fast, location-specific page on your website.
What not to do
- Don’t buy fake reviews. Google removes them and can penalise your profile.
- Don’t create multiple profiles for the same location.
- Don’t use a virtual office address unless staff are actually there during business hours.
How long does it take?
Most businesses see more profile views and calls within 4–8 weeks of doing this consistently. Competitive categories in central Raipur can take longer.
Google Business Profile management is included in every DigiApe India plan. See how we do it.
Want this done for your business instead of reading about it? Get a free audit or WhatsApp +91 70000 90374.