When someone in Mernda needs an electrician or a family in Epping is looking for a new dentist, most of them start with a search on their phone. If your business doesn’t show up, or shows up with the wrong phone number, that customer goes to someone else. The good news is that the basics of getting your local business found online are free. Here’s where to start.
1. Set up your Google Business Profile
Your Google Business Profile is what appears in Google Maps and the local results at the top of a search. It’s free, and for most local businesses it’s the single most important listing you’ll have. Fill in every section: your category, service area, opening hours, phone number, website and a short description of what you do. Then verify it so Google knows the business is real.
2. Keep your details the same everywhere
Your business name, address and phone number should match exactly across your website, Google, Facebook and any directories you’re listed in. Different versions (an old phone number, a previous address, “St” in one place and “Street” in another) make it harder for search engines to trust your details, and they confuse customers.
3. List your business in local directories
Local directories give you another place to be found and another consistent reference to your business. Local Business Near Me is free for businesses in Melbourne’s northern suburbs. Every listing gets the same features, with no paid plans or upgrades. You can add your business in a few minutes, or, if it’s already listed, claim the listing so you can keep it up to date.
4. Show customers you’re open
Out-of-date opening hours are one of the quickest ways to lose a customer’s trust. Update your hours on Google and in your directory listings whenever they change, including public holidays and Christmas closures. If you offer after-hours or emergency work, say so clearly.
5. Ask happy customers for reviews
Reviews help people choose between businesses they’ve never used before. The easiest way to get them is to ask at the right moment, such as when a job’s finished and the customer has just thanked you. Send them a direct link to your Google review page so it only takes a minute. Reply to reviews too, including the occasional bad one. A calm, helpful reply often says more about your business than the review itself.
6. Add real photos
Photos of your shopfront, your team, your vehicles and your finished work make a listing feel real and trustworthy. They don’t need to be professional, just clear and current. Stock photos don’t do the same job.
7. Make sure your website works on a phone
Most local searches happen on mobile. If your website is slow, hard to read on a small screen or hides your phone number, people will leave. At a minimum, your site should clearly say what you do, which suburbs you serve and how to contact you, with a phone number people can tap to call.
Get started today
You don’t have to do everything at once. Start with your Google Business Profile and a free listing on Local Business Near Me, then work through the rest over the next few weeks. If you’d rather have someone handle your website or online marketing for you, you’ll find local specialists under web design and digital marketing.
