Google Business Profile
Google Business Profile Setup and Optimisation
The listing people see on Google Maps, set up properly and kept alive.
Last updated
Trusted by businesses across South Africa and beyond
Social Agencies offers Google Business Profile setup and optimisation for South African businesses. We create or claim your listing, get you verified and onto Google Maps, set the right categories, services and areas, and build a habit of asking for and replying to reviews. The profile stays in your business's name throughout.
The problem
Why doesn't my business show up on Google Maps?
The usual reasons, and every one of them can be fixed.
-
The listing was never claimed
Someone else controls it, or nobody does. The hours and phone number are out of date, and you cannot reply to the reviews.
-
The wrong primary category
The main category tells Google which searches you belong in. Choose a vague one and you are left out of the searches that matter.
-
Few, old reviews
A handful of reviews from years ago, some unanswered. Buyers compare listings, and a quiet one loses to a busy one.
-
A service area that doesn't match
Trades that visit customers need a service area rather than a home address, and it has to match where they really work.
Getting on the map
How do I get my business on Google Maps?
You get on Google Maps by creating a free listing and then verifying that you run the business. Google chooses the verification method, which can be a video, a code by phone or email, or a postcard, depending on the business.
Once verified, the listing can appear on Maps and in the local results on Search. Social Agencies handles the setup with you, including a service area for businesses that go to their customers rather than receive them.
- Create the listing, or claim an existing one
- Verify ownership with Google
- Show a service area instead of a home address
- Name, address and phone that match your website
Map and listing
Changan Table View: the site's map opens the dealership's own Google listing.
Social Agencies pinned the Changan Table View contact map and address links to the dealership's exact listing, so a buyer who taps for directions reaches the real profile, with its reviews and hours.
Read the Changan Table View case study Visit changantableview.co.za ↗
What you get
What does Google Business Profile optimisation include?
Three parts: getting the listing right, filling it properly, and keeping it active after the first week.
-
Part 1
Setup and verification
The listing created or claimed, verified and registered to you.
- Listing created or claimed
- Verification handled with you
- Service area or address set correctly
- You as owner, us as manager
-
Part 2
The listing itself
Every field Google uses to decide which searches you appear in.
- Primary and secondary categories chosen
- Services and products listed
- Opening hours, including public holidays
- Real photos of your work and premises
-
Part 3
Reviews and upkeep
A listing that stays active instead of going quiet after launch.
- A short review link and a routine for asking
- Every review replied to
- Regular posts and new photos
- Calls, direction requests and website taps reported
One team. One system. One monthly partner. Built, run and improved by Social Agencies.
Book a callReviews
How do you get more Google reviews?
Ask every happy customer on the day the job is done, and send the link that opens the review box. Customers rarely go looking for where to leave one, so the ask has to arrive with the link.
Then reply to every review, good or bad, calmly and specifically. Future customers read the replies as closely as the reviews. Social Agencies sets up the link, the wording of the ask and the reply routine.
- A short review link for WhatsApp and email
- A message template for the ask
- Replies that answer, never argue
Local search
Vics Plumbing: found by the people nearby who need a plumber.
Social Agencies built the Vics Plumbing website and handled its SEO, so a Helderberg homeowner searching for a plumber can find the team and call it.
Listing or website
Do you need a Google listing and a website?
Yes, and each does a different job. They work best linked to each other.
| Your Google listing | Your website | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it shows | Google Maps and local results | Search results, ads and anywhere you share it |
| What it holds | Hours, reviews, photos, directions | Your services, proof and enquiry forms in full |
| Who controls the layout | You | |
| Strongest at | Being found nearby and called | Being chosen once people compare |
No surprises
What can you count on?
A fixed quote in writing first
Social Agencies looks at your listing as it stands, then sends a fixed, itemised price. Nothing starts before you have agreed to it.
The listing stays yours
Your business is the owner. We are added as a manager, and you can remove us any day without asking.
Google's rules only
No fake reviews, no keywords stuffed into your business name, and nothing that gets listings suspended.
A report you can read
Each month, the calls, direction requests and website taps that came from your listing, in plain language.
The Social Agencies method
How does working with Social Agencies work?
- 01
Discover
A short call about your business, where enquiries come from today and where they get lost.
- 02
Plan and quote
A written plan and a fixed, itemised quote. Nothing starts until you agree to it.
- 03
Build
You get a live preview link from early on and watch it take shape, instead of waiting for a reveal.
- 04
Launch and grow
It goes live on accounts in your name, then we host, support and keep improving it every month.
“BEST website company ever. From the start they have been so helpful designing a company website for me. Great pricing, very helpful, wil definitely recommend them to everyone i know. Great Team to work with Social Agencies. Thanks Team for the great work”
Ievan VictorVics PlumbingGoogle review
Professional, efficient, and delivered exactly what we needed. The website is clean, modern and easy for our customers to use, and communication was clear throughout.
I am extremely excited & proud of our new look website. Jared's knowledge, ingenuity & understanding of our needs, wants & desires falls nothing short of BRILLIANT. Jared & James are a formidable team with amazing ideas. Highly recommended.
It was an absolute pleasure working with James. He created an amazing website for us, maintained clear communication throughout the process, and ensured that all of our needs were met. He was professional, easy to work with, and delivered exactly what he promised. I would highly recommend him to anyone looking for website design or advertising services.
This young dynamic company has really impressed me with my requirements on a complete website design/development. Highly recommended.
I had an absolutely outstanding experience with Social Agencies for the web design and marketing support of my business. Jarred was incredibly professional, attentive, and patient throughout the entire process. … The final result exceeded all my expectations: the website is more beautiful and functional than I could have ever imagined.
Great service, thank you for your help with Dr van der Poel's website.
Free demo site
Your business. Your free demo.
See your new website before you pay a cent. Social Agencies builds a demo of your homepage, free, so you judge the work first.
- A real demo of your homepage, built for your business
- What your competitors are doing online, in plain words
- Where your current site is losing enquiries
- 1
Tell us about your business
Two minutes on the form, or a quick call.
- 2
We build your homepage demo
Your name, your services, your area. Not a template.
- 3
You decide
Like it? You get a fixed quote in writing. If not, you owe nothing.
Get your free demo
No cost, no obligation.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Google Business Profile setup cost?
Creating the profile itself is free from Google. What you pay an agency for is the setup, optimisation and upkeep, and Social Agencies quotes that as a fixed fee in writing after looking at where your listing stands.
How long does Google verification take?
It depends on the method Google chooses for your business. Some methods are quick, while a postcard or a review of a video can take longer. We handle it with you and follow up until it is done.
Can I be on Google Maps without a shop?
Yes. Businesses that visit their customers, like plumbers and electricians, can hide their address and show the areas they serve instead.
Is Google My Business the same as Google Business Profile?
Yes. Google renamed Google My Business to Google Business Profile. The listing, the reviews and your place on Maps are the same thing under a new name.
Why was my listing suspended?
Common causes are a business name with extra keywords added, an address that is not a real place of business, or details that do not match. Social Agencies checks the listing against Google's guidelines and helps you request reinstatement.
Will you need my Google password?
No. You add Social Agencies as a manager on the listing and stay the owner yourself. You can remove our access at any time.
Let's talk
Your next customer is searching right now. Let's make sure they find you.
One short call with a director. You get a plan and a fixed quote in writing before anything is built.
- You speak to a director, not a call centre
- A fixed quote in writing, no obligation
- A reply within one working day
How would you like to talk?
Call us+27 66 287 5186 WhatsApp usUsually the fastest reply