When someone in Riyadh, Jeddah, Makkah or Dubai searches for a service “near me”, Google shows three businesses on the map before any website. Those three spots are decided largely by the Google Business Profile. If your profile is incomplete, you are invisible to some of your best customers.
Use this checklist to make sure your profile is set up properly for the Saudi and UAE markets.
1. Get the Basics Exactly Right
- Business name: use your real trading name only. Adding keywords such as “Best Umrah Taxi Makkah” to the name breaks Google rules and can get your profile suspended.
- Address or service area: show your real address, or hide it and set service areas if you visit customers.
- Phone and WhatsApp: add a number customers actually answer, and add your WhatsApp chat link in the contact section using the international format (for example wa.me/9665XXXXXXXX).
- Website: link to the most relevant page, not always the home page.
2. Choose the Right Categories
Your primary category has a bigger effect on map rankings than almost anything else. Pick the category that matches your main service, then add up to nine additional categories for other services you really offer.
3. Write a Description in Arabic and English
You have 750 characters. Explain what you do, where you work and why customers choose you. Gulf customers search in both languages, so cover your main keywords in Arabic and English naturally. Do not add links or phone numbers in the description.
4. Add Services and Products
List each service with a short description and, where possible, a starting price. This helps Google match your profile to more specific searches.
5. Upload Real Photos Regularly
Add photos of your vehicles, team, office, projects and finished work. Profiles with fresh, real photos get more clicks than those with stock images or none at all. Try to add new photos every month.
6. Post Every Week
Google Posts show offers, updates and seasonal messages, such as Ramadan or Umrah season, directly on your profile. Weekly posts with an image and a clear button keep the profile active and give customers a reason to contact you.
7. Build a Steady Flow of Reviews
Reviews are one of the strongest local ranking signals. Ask every happy customer for a review, ideally soon after the service. Make it easy by sending your review link on WhatsApp. Never buy reviews or offer rewards for them, as this breaks Google policy.
Reply to every review in a polite, professional way, including negative ones. It shows future customers that you care.
8. Keep Hours and Holidays Updated
Update your hours for Ramadan, Eid and national holidays. Wrong hours lead to bad reviews and lost trust.
9. Support the Profile With Your Website
Your Google Business Profile ranks better when your website supports it, with the same business name, address and phone number, a page for each service, and content that mentions the cities you serve. Learn more on our Saudi Arabia and Dubai and UAE pages.
Need Help Ranking Your Profile?
Choudhary Globals optimises Google Business Profiles for transport, travel, construction and service businesses across Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Send us your profile link on WhatsApp for a free review.