The Google Business Profile checklist for Surat clinics, cafés and showrooms

For any business that serves people nearby, your Google Business Profile is often seen before your website. It's what appears on Google Maps and in the local results when someone searches "dentist in Vesu," "cafe near Piplod" or "saree showroom Ring Road."

The good news: it's free, and most competitors leave it half-finished. Here's the checklist we use.

1. Get the basics exactly right

Business name: your real business name, as on your signboard. Don't stuff keywords into it; Google can suspend profiles that do.
Category: choose the most specific primary category (for example, "Dental clinic," not just "Clinic"). Add relevant secondary categories.
Address and service area: match the address on your website and other listings, word for word.
Phone and WhatsApp: use a number that's answered during business hours.
Hours: keep them updated, including festival and holiday hours. Wrong hours lead to annoyed customers and bad reviews.

2. Make the profile complete

Google tends to favour profiles that are complete and active. Fill in:

business description, in plain language, saying what you do and for whom
services or products, with short descriptions
attributes such as wheelchair access, parking or online appointments
a link to your website or a landing page built for local visitors

3. Add real photos, regularly

Photos help customers decide. Upload:

the outside of your building, so people can find you
inside your clinic, café or showroom
your team at work
products, dishes or before-and-after results where appropriate

Add new photos every month. Real photos usually work better than stock images.

4. Build a steady flow of reviews

Reviews influence both ranking and trust. Make asking for them a habit:

Create a short review link from your profile.
Send it on WhatsApp after a good visit or delivery, with a simple, polite message.
Reply to every review, good or bad, within a few days.

Never buy reviews or offer rewards in exchange for them. It breaks Google's policies and can get reviews removed.

Replying to a bad review: thank them, acknowledge the issue without arguing, and offer to fix it offline. Future customers read your reply more than the complaint.

5. Post updates

Use Google posts for offers, new arrivals, events or health tips. A post every week or two keeps your profile active and gives searchers a reason to choose you.

6. Answer questions before customers ask

Add common questions and answers to your profile and website: parking, payment methods, appointment process, delivery areas. It saves your front desk time and reduces drop-offs.

7. Track what it brings in

Your profile shows how many people called, asked for directions or visited your website. Check these numbers monthly. If calls are rising but bookings aren't, the problem is in how calls are handled, not in your listing.

The 30-minute version

If you only have half an hour this week:

Fix your hours and phone number.
Upload ten real photos.
Send your review link to your last ten happy customers.

That alone will put you ahead of many businesses on your street.