Tutorial: Optimise Your Google Business Profile for a Belgian Company

Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is a free, essential tool for any Belgian company that wants to be visible locally on Google. When a potential customer searches for "plumber in Brussels" or "Italian restaurant Liège", Google Business Profile listings are what appear first in the search results, alongside a Google Maps card. This tutorial guides you step by step through creating, completing and optimising your listing to maximise your local visibility in Belgium.

Why Google Business Profile is essential for a Belgian company

Key statistics

• 46% of Google searches have local intent ("near me", a city name, etc.)
• 76% of people who carry out a local search on their smartphone visit a business within 24 hours
• 28% of these local searches result in a purchase
• A complete Google Business Profile listing receives 7 times more clicks than an incomplete one

Specific benefits for the Belgian market

Belgium is a country where geographic proximity plays a major role in purchasing decisions. With its three regions (Brussels-Capital, Wallonia, Flanders) and four language areas, a well-optimised listing can target your local customers very precisely.

• Multilingualism: you can create your listing in French, Dutch, German or English depending on your catchment area
• Urban density: Belgian towns and cities are close to one another, which makes local SEO particularly competitive
• Search habits: Belgians use Google extensively (more than 94% search engine market share in Belgium)

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have:

• A Google account (Gmail): if you do not have one, create one at accounts.google.com
• Your company's physical address (or your service area if you travel to customers)
• A professional phone number
• Your CBE company number (useful for information consistency)
• Quality photos of your business, products or services
• Your website (recommended but not mandatory)

Step-by-step tutorial: creating your Google Business Profile listing

Step 1: Access Google Business Profile

1. Open your browser and go to https://www.google.com/business/
2. Click "Manage now" or "Get started"
3. Sign in with your Google account

Step 2: Search for or create your business

1. In the search field, type your company name
2. Two scenarios:
   • Your company appears in the suggestions: click on it to claim it
   • Your company does not appear: click "Add your business to Google" and enter your company's exact name

Tip: Use your company's official name as registered with the CBE. Avoid adding extra keywords to the name (e.g. "Dupont Plumbing – Best plumber in Brussels" does not comply with Google's guidelines and may lead to your listing being suspended).

Step 3: Choose your business category

1. Google asks you to select a primary category for your business
2. Start typing your activity and select the most relevant category from the drop-down list

Example categories for Belgian businesses:

Important: The primary category is the single most decisive factor for local ranking. Choose it carefully. You can add further categories later (up to 9 secondary categories).

Step 4: Add your address

1. If you have physical premises (office, shop, restaurant): enter the full address
   • Street and number
   • Postcode
   • Municipality
   • Country: Belgium
2. If you travel to customers (plumber, electrician, consultant): you can choose to hide your address and define a service area (e.g. "Brussels and surrounding municipalities within a 30 km radius")

Belgian tip: If you are active in several municipalities, list the names of the main ones in your service area. For example: "Brussels, Ixelles, Saint-Gilles, Uccle, Forest".

Step 5: Add your contact details

1. Phone number: use a Belgian number in the +32 format. Favour a local landline number (02 for Brussels, 04 for Liège, etc.) which builds local trust. A mobile number is also acceptable.
2. Website: enter your website's URL. If you do not have one, Google can create a free mini-site based on your listing's information.

Step 6: Verify your business

Google needs to verify that you are indeed the owner of the business. Several verification methods are offered:

Attention: Postcard verification is the most common method in Belgium. Be patient and do not change your listing's information before you have received and entered the verification code, or you risk having to start the process again.

Optimising your listing: the key elements

Once your listing is verified, it is time to optimise it to maximise your visibility.

1. Complete all the information

A complete listing ranks better on Google. Fill in every available field:

• Business description (750 characters max): write a clear, appealing description of your activity. Naturally include relevant keywords and your location.

Example of a good description:

"Dupont Plumbing is a family business active in Brussels and Walloon Brabant since 2015. We handle all your plumbing work: emergency repairs, bathroom fitting installation, leak repairs, water heater installation and bathroom renovation. Free quote and intervention within 24 hours. Registered in Belgium – VAT BE 0123.456.789."

• Opening hours: state your precise hours for each day of the week. Do not forget Belgian public holidays (1 January, Easter, 1 May, Ascension, Whit Monday, 21 July, 15 August, 1 November, 11 November, 25 December).

• Special hours: add special hours for public holidays and exceptional periods (summer closure, Christmas break, etc.)

2. Add quality photos

Listings with photos receive 42% more requests for directions and 35% more clicks through to the website.

Recommended photos:

• Cover photo: the front of your premises or an image representing your activity (1024 x 576 px minimum)
• Logo: your company logo (square format, 250 x 250 px minimum)
• Interior photos: show your workspace, shop or restaurant
• Exterior photos: the façade, the signage, the car park
• Photos of your products/services: your work, your dishes, your products
• Team photos: humanise your business

Tip: Add at least 10 good-quality photos. Refresh them regularly (at least one new photo per month) to show Google that your listing is active.

3. Manage customer reviews

Reviews are the number-one trust factor for Belgian consumers:

How to get more reviews:

• Ask every satisfied customer for a review (in person, by email or by SMS)
• Create a short link to your Google review page and share it
• Add a QR code pointing to your listing in your shop or on your business cards
• Include a review request in your follow-up emails after service

How to respond to reviews:

• Respond to ALL reviews, both positive and negative
• For positive reviews: thank the customer and personalise your response
• For negative reviews: stay professional, acknowledge the problem, offer a solution. Never delete a negative review (unless it is false or defamatory, in which case you can report it to Google)

Example response to a positive review:

"Thank you so much for your review, Marie! We are delighted that our repair of your boiler in Ixelles met your expectations. Feel free to contact us again for any plumbing needs. See you soon!"

Example response to a negative review:

"Hello Jean, we are sorry to hear that your experience did not meet your expectations. We take your feedback very seriously. Could you contact us on 02 123 45 67 so we can find a solution? We want to put things right."

4. Publish Google posts

Google Business Profile lets you publish posts that appear directly on your listing. It is an excellent way to communicate with potential customers.

Types of posts available:

• Updates: general announcements, company news
• Events: time-limited promotions, open days
• Offers: discounts, promo codes, special offers
• Products: highlighting specific products or services

Recommended frequency: publish at least 1 post per week to keep your listing active. Posts expire automatically after 7 days (except events).

Example post for a Belgian restaurant:

"New winter menu! Discover our revisited carbonnade flamande and our fresh fish waterzooi. 3-course menu for EUR 35. Bookings on 04 123 45 67 or online on our website."

5. Add your products and services

Google Business Profile lets you list your products and services with:

• A name
• A description
• A price (optional)
• A photo

Example for an electrician in Namur:

• Emergency electrical repair – from EUR 75
• Electrical panel installation – on quotation
• Electrical compliance upgrade (RGIE inspection) – from EUR 350
• Electric vehicle charging point installation – on quotation

6. Enable messaging

Google lets customers send you messages directly from your listing. Enable this feature:

1. In the Google Business Profile dashboard, go to "Messages"
2. Enable messaging
3. Set up an automatic welcome message
4. Respond to messages within 24 hours (Google penalises slow responses)

7. Add attributes

Attributes are additional pieces of information specific to your sector:

• Restaurant: terrace, free Wi-Fi, wheelchair accessible, vegetarian options, bookings accepted
• Shop: click & collect, delivery, card payment, Bancontact accepted
• Service: free quote, emergency service, on-site visits

Belgian tip: mention "Bancontact accepted" as an attribute if applicable. It is the most widely used payment method in Belgium.

Local SEO: ranking factors in Belgium

Google ranks local listings based on three main criteria:

1. Relevance

How closely your listing matches the user's search. To improve it:

• Choose the right categories (primary + secondary)
• Write a description rich in relevant keywords
• List all your products and services

2. Distance

The geographic proximity between your business and the user's location. You cannot influence this factor, but you can correctly define your service area.

3. Prominence

Your business's overall reputation and online visibility. To improve it:

• Get positive reviews (both quantity and quality)
• Be present on other Belgian local directories: Pages d'Or (pagesdor.be), Yelp, TripAdvisor (for restaurants)
• Ensure your NAP information (Name, Address, Phone) is consistent across all directories
• Get links from Belgian local sites (local press, partners, chamber of commerce)

Belgian specificities to consider

Multilingualism

If your business is located in Brussels or a municipality with language facilities, consider:

• Creating your listing in both French AND Dutch (Google allows translations to be added for certain fields)
• Using keywords in both languages in your description
• Responding to reviews in the customer's language

Additional Belgian directories

To strengthen your local presence, also register on:

Belgian public holidays

Do not forget to set your special hours for Belgian public holidays:

• 1 January, Easter Monday, 1 May, Ascension, Whit Monday, 21 July (national holiday), 15 August, 1 November, 11 November, 25 December

Tracking performance

Google Business Profile provides detailed statistics. Check them regularly:

• Number of views of your listing (Google Search + Maps)
• Customer actions: calls, direction requests, website visits
• Keywords used by customers to find your listing
• Geographic origin of direction requests
• Photo performance: number of views compared with competitors

Tip: Analyse the keywords customers use to adapt your description and your posts. If many customers search for "emergency plumber Brussels", include this term in your description and create a post about your emergency service.

Common mistakes to avoid

1. Non-compliant business name: do not add keywords or a location to the name (risk of suspension)
2. Inaccurate address: the address must exactly match your real address. PO boxes are not accepted.
3. Incorrect hours: wrong hours generate negative reviews ("I came and it was closed")
4. Not responding to reviews: a lack of response gives an image of neglect
5. Poor-quality photos: blurry or dark photos harm your image
6. Incomplete listing: every unfilled field is a missed opportunity
7. Creating duplicate listings: only one listing per physical address. Duplicates can lead to suspension.

Useful resources

• Google Business Profile: https://www.google.com/business/
• Google Business Profile Help Centre: https://support.google.com/business/
• Google Business Profile app (iOS/Android): to manage your listing from your smartphone
• Pages d'Or: https://www.pagesdor.be/
• Google Trends: https://trends.google.be/ (to identify search trends in Belgium)

Conclusion

Google Business Profile is a free tool with considerable power for any Belgian business with a local customer base. By investing a few hours in creating and optimising your listing, you can significantly increase your visibility on Google and attract new customers without spending a cent on advertising.

The key to success lies in the completeness of your listing, the quality of your photos, active review management and regular posting. In a Belgian market where local competition is fierce, a well-optimised Google Business Profile listing can make all the difference between being invisible and being the first result your potential customers see.

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This article was written by the Espero-Soft team for the blog dedicated to entrepreneurs in Belgium. For the creation of your professional website and the optimisation of your online presence, contact Espero-Soft.