#CoffeeClip008: Boost your local listing on Google Maps
Every week at Pixelhaze Academy, we tackle one small fix that makes a world of difference for business owners trying to get noticed online. Today’s Coffee Clip targets one of the biggest missed opportunities I see: putting your business on the local map, quite literally. Nothing’s more frustrating than pouring hours into your website, only to find you’re still invisible to people a few streets away.
If you’ve ever typed your business name into Google from your own town and vanished like a magician, or if you’re plain fed up with competitors hogging the limelight when you know your service is better, grab a cup and let’s dig in.
Why This Matters
Here’s the plain truth. If you’re not showing up on Google Maps when local customers search for your service, your website might as well be locked in a drawer. These days, when someone googles, “best plumber near me” or “dog-friendly cafe in [your town],” the first results they see aren’t websites. They’re Google Map listings. They get a neat little map, star ratings, reviews, all before they even scroll to proper search results.
If you miss out here, you are sending easy business straight to your nearest competitor. You might offer better pricing, a better product, even a nicer smile, but you’re losing because you’re invisible at the exact moment it matters. And since most people trust those map results, appearing in those listings is the difference between a full calendar of bookings and wondering where everyone’s gone.
I’ve helped plenty of business owners on Squarespace who polish their websites for hours, but get about as much local Google traffic as a phone box in the Highlands. That painful gap usually happens when their Maps listing isn’t doing the heavy lifting. This Coffee Clip is about changing that.
Common Pitfalls
Let’s name and shame the most common blunders that keep good businesses buried:
- Believing “set and forget” will work. Loads of owners claim their Google listing once, check a few boxes, and wander off thinking the machine does the rest. Meanwhile, their rivals keep theirs fresh and climb higher.
- Forgetting to ask for reviews. Some folks think reviews will trickle in naturally. Wrong. The cold truth is, you have to ask, nicely and at the right moment.
- Messy information. You’d be surprised how many listings have outdated phone numbers, weird opening times, or blurry photos from 2007. One dodgy detail and the trust evaporates.
- Ignoring the ‘local’ factor. Your site might rank OK for wider searches, but without a tuned Google Maps listing, your neighbours still won’t find you.
- Assuming a slick site does it all. A beautiful Squarespace homepage means nothing if your business can’t be found when people need you right there, right then.
If you’re ready to buck the trend, the following steps are simple, practical, and battle-tested. No jargon, no fluff, just tried-and-true guidance anyone can use.
Step-by-Step Fix
Step 1: Claim and Verify Your Google Maps Listing
Before you do anything clever, you need control of your Google Business Profile. If you’ve never claimed your listing (or aren’t sure), head straight to Google Business Profile Manager. Search for your business. If it pops up, great. Click ‘Claim this business.’ If it doesn’t, hit ‘Add your business.’
You’ll need to verify you actually own the place, usually by receiving a postcard from Google (they love a bit of old-fashioned post), or sometimes a call or email.
Practical Example:
You run a yoga studio in Bristol. You search for “Peaceful Pose Yoga Bristol” on Google Maps. Is your business there? If yes, claim it. If not, add it with correct address, name, and details now.
Don’t skip this step. We’ve seen businesses struggle for months, trying clever SEO tricks while someone else is sitting on their Google listing—or worse, there’s a duplicate floating around splitting your reviews. Claim early, tidy up duplicates, and you’re already miles ahead.
Step 2: Complete Every Section With Utter Precision
It’s tempting to breeze through inputs like ‘hours’ or ‘attributes’. Bad move. The more detailed and accurate your listing, the more Google will trust and promote it.
What you should fill in:
- Full address, including postcode (no typos, please)
- Precise business category (choose the closest fit, not just ‘Shop’)
- Opening hours (update for holidays and special days)
- Contact info: working phone, correct website URL, up-to-date email
- Description: two to three punchy lines about your core services. Don’t keyword-stuff. Write like you’d tell a neighbour.
Practical Example:
Instead of “We are a shop,” use “Independent florist in Cardiff specialising in bouquets for weddings and events.”
Triple check your info matches exactly across your website, social accounts, and directories. Even small inconsistencies (“Street” vs “St.”) can confuse Google’s robots and tank your ranking.
Step 3: Add Fresh, Authentic Photos (Your Phone Is Fine)
Listings with original, lively photos stand out. Empty, dimly lit, or old images make your business look forgotten. These don’t need to be professional studio shots. Photos snapped on a recent smartphone are plenty, as long as they’re clear and actually show your real space or work.
What to add:
- High-quality exteriors and interiors (helps new customers find you)
- Team photos (wave, smile, prove you exist!)
- Real product or service images. Don’t use stock nonsense
Practical Example:
A photographer adds shots of their studio, editing suite, and a couple of finished prints. A bakery posts its latest pastries, that morning’s carrot cake, today’s team selfie.
Update photos at least every quarter. Try tying them to an offer or event, such as “Valentine’s Day bouquets in stock,” and watch engagement pick up. Clients trust business listings that feel alive.
Step 4: Actively Ask for (and Respond to) Google Reviews
Reviews make all the difference. Without them, you’re just another dot on the map. With them, you’re a trusted local choice. Most happy clients will not review you unless nudged. Make it dead easy for them.
How to do it well:
- Ask at the right moment: after a sale, a successful project, or when a client is clearly happy
- Send a friendly follow-up email or SMS with a direct “Write a review” link (Google makes these for you—just copy from your GMB dashboard)
- Respond promptly: Thank everyone, handle criticism lightly, and never get into a scrap online
Practical Example:
A dog groomer sends each customer a ‘Thank You’ text with the Google review link after every appointment. Replies personally whether review is glowing or grumpy.
Don’t bribe or pressure people. That will backfire. A simple, genuine request (“If you’ve enjoyed your visit, a quick review makes all the difference!”) sent soon after the experience works wonders. Anyone who wants to help you probably just needed reminding.
Step 5: Keep Your Listing Active With Regular Updates
Google values freshness. An abandoned listing slides down the pecking order quickly.
What to post:
- Updates on offers, new services, changes to hours, or seasonal specials
- Events you’re running (sales, workshops, markets)
- Short newsy posts (a recent job, a new staff member, a fun behind-the-scenes snap)
Practical Example:
A craft beer bar adds a post about their live music night every Friday, or a cake shop teases a new cupcake flavour each week.
Treat your Google Maps profile like your shop window or, even better, as a community board. Small, regular updates remind both Google and humans that you’re active and open for business.
Step 6: Tidy Up Your Online Footprint Elsewhere
Google checks if your business info matches across the web. If your website, Facebook page, or directory listings say different things, it’s a red flag.
To do:
- Audit your main listing details (name, address, phone, URL) everywhere they appear
- Correct any out-of-date or inconsistent entries (even on businesses you forgot you signed up for)
- Use exactly the same spellings and abbreviations throughout
Practical Example:
A Pilates studio used “Harbour Road” on Google but “Harbour Rd.” on their Squarespace site. Google got confused. They updated both to “Harbour Road.” This consistency solved the problem and increased their ranking.
Once a year, put “your business name + address” into Google in quotes, and check every single result on the first page for errors or old info. It takes 30 minutes and prevents surprise drops in local ranking.
What Most People Miss
The difference between listings that hover in obscurity and those that rise to the top lies in consistent, low-effort updates and genuine customer engagement. Chasing slick slogans or overthinking keywords rarely moves the needle.
Google’s robots are trained to mimic what people actually want. A business with up-to-date hours, cheerful recent photos, and current reviews is seen as active and trusted in the community. Simple, ongoing activity beats clever SEO tricks.
Another trick is to ask three customers to leave you reviews in the next week, then add a new post with a real photo if you notice your ranking is lower than you expect. In most cases, your position will improve before the month ends.
If you remember one thing, it’s this: Google rewards listings that look and act like bustling, well-loved local assets. Silent, outdated information or anonymous big brands lose out.
The Bigger Picture
Mastering this approach provides a steady flow of warm, local leads—people searching with intent, right now, on their phones, within a short walk or drive.
Over time, building credibility through Maps listings helps in ways that a nice website alone can’t. Locals begin to recognise your name, reviews attract more business, and you become the default choice for your service in the area. You spend less time hustling for cold leads, save money on ads, and can focus more on the work that actually grows your business.
When clients say, “I didn’t have to chase bookings this month for the first time in years,” their results usually come from a solid Google Maps presence that’s finally doing its job.
Wrap-Up
If your business isn’t shining bright on Google Maps yet, this is the perfect time to sort it. Start with the basics: claim your listing, fill it out as you would expect from a shop you love, add fresh photos, and nurture those reviews. Check back monthly and treat it as you would any vital tool, since it’s your digital shopfront for the whole neighbourhood.
As always, if you want deeper guidance, our Pixelhaze Academy Masterclass is free for members, with straightforward tutorials for Squarespace and every other digital tool you’ll ever need.
Want more helpful systems like this? Join Pixelhaze Academy for free at https://www.pixelhaze.academy/membership.
It’s time to get yourself on the map.