Why Google Business Profile is the number one priority
When someone searches "restaurant near me" or "dentist Agadir" on Google, the first results are not websites — they are Google Business Profile listings. These listings show your address, opening hours, photos, reviews, and phone number directly in search results. The visitor does not even need to click through to your site. The information is right there.
If your listing does not exist, is incomplete, or has not been updated in two years, you are invisible to those searches. And the invisible do not get customers.
The good news: creating and optimising a Google Business Profile is entirely free. It is one of the highest-ROI actions in digital marketing, and yet most Moroccan businesses either have a poorly filled-in listing or no listing at all.
Step 1 — Create or claim your listing
Go to business.google.com and sign in with a professional Google account (create one dedicated to your business if you do not have one).
Type your business name into the search bar. If a listing already exists (sometimes Google creates one automatically from public data), click "Claim this business". Otherwise, create a new one.
Google will ask you to verify that you are the owner, usually by sending a postcard with a code to your physical address. This process takes 5 to 14 days. Do not skip it — without verification, you cannot edit your listing or respond to reviews.
Step 2 — Fill in every field, no exceptions
Complete listings get significantly more clicks than incomplete ones according to Google data. Here are the critical fields:
- Business name: Use the exact name as it appears on your signage. Do not add artificial keywords to the name (it violates Google's rules and risks suspension).
- Primary category: Be specific — "Moroccan restaurant" rather than just "Restaurant". You can add up to 9 secondary categories.
- Address: Complete and consistent with what you use everywhere else (website, social media, directories). NAP consistency (Name, Address, Phone) is a local SEO signal.
- Phone number: Your direct number. Customers click to call — make sure someone answers or there is a professional voicemail.
- Website: If you do not have one, leave this blank rather than putting your Instagram page — Google prefers real websites.
- Opening hours: Keep them updated for Moroccan public holidays and Ramadan. Nothing frustrates a customer more than a listing that says "open" when you are closed.
- Description: 750 characters maximum. Explain what you do, for whom, and what sets you apart. Write like a human, not a robot.
Step 3 — Photos: the element 90% of businesses neglect
Listings with photos receive significantly more direction requests and calls than those without. That is no surprise — we eat with our eyes first.
Add at minimum:
- A profile photo: your logo or your facade, instantly recognisable.
- A cover photo: your best image — a signature dish, your interior ambiance, a smiling team.
- 5 to 10 well-lit interior and exterior photos.
- For restaurants: photos of your most popular dishes, in natural light if possible.
Add new photos regularly (at least one per month). Google rewards activity.
Step 4 — Customer reviews: your reputation in real time
Google reviews are a direct local ranking factor. But beyond SEO, they influence buying decisions. A listing with 40 reviews at 4.2 stars often beats one with 5 reviews at 5 stars — because volume builds trust.
How to get reviews: simply ask. After a successful meal, a satisfying appointment, a positive transaction — tell your customer: "If you were happy, a Google review would help us enormously." You can share the direct link to your review form via WhatsApp.
How to respond to reviews: respond to all of them — positive and negative. For positives, a personalised thank-you. For negatives, a calm, professional reply that shows you take the feedback seriously. Customers read the responses as closely as the reviews themselves.
What never to do: buy fake reviews. Google detects abnormal patterns and suspends listings. You would lose everything you have built.
Step 5 — Google posts: the underused lever
Google Business Profile lets you publish "posts" directly on your listing — special offers, events, news. These posts appear on your listing for 7 days. Very few businesses use this feature, which means those who do stand out immediately.
One post per week is enough. It takes 5 minutes and signals to Google that your listing is active.
In summary: the quick checklist
- Listing claimed and verified
- All fields filled in (name, category, address, phone, hours, description)
- At least 10 quality photos
- A process in place to regularly ask for reviews
- Response to every review within 48 hours
- At least one post per week
If you need help optimising your listing or managing your online reputation automatically, that is one of the services TechMative offers in its packs starting from 700 DH/month. Contact us to find out more.
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