Reading time: 6 minutes · For owners of small and medium-sized businesses in Switzerland
When someone in Switzerland searches for a hairdresser, a garage, a fiduciary or a restaurant today, they Google. And in 9 out of 10 cases they don’t click on the website — they click on the map with the star ratings. They click on the Google Business Profile. If you’re not there, you essentially don’t exist for that search.
The good news: you can set up your profile entirely on your own. It’s free, takes about two hours the first time, and the impact is measurable. This guide explains what a Google Business Profile is, what concrete benefits it brings you, and how to set it up in seven steps so it actually attracts new customers — not just “exists”.
What is a Google Business Profile?
A Google Business Profile (formerly “Google My Business”) is your listing on Google Maps and in local Google Search. When someone types “hairdresser Zurich” or “fiduciary Lucerne”, they don’t see classic websites first — they see a list of businesses on the map with photo, star rating, opening hours and a call button. That listing is your Google Business Profile.
For an SMB with a local catchment area, it is the most important online shop window. More important than Instagram, more important than your own website — because it appears in the exact moment someone is actively searching for what you offer.
What does an optimised profile concretely deliver?
Three effects show up consistently in practice — for an SMB in an average Swiss market that maintains its profile seriously:
More profile views. A fully optimised profile gets, on average, 3 to 5 times more views in Google Maps than a profile set up only with name, address and phone number. The difference isn’t luck — it’s categories, description and photo variety.
More direct actions. Calls, route requests and website clicks are what Google calls “Customer Actions” — and they are the most direct connection to real business. On actively maintained profiles, these actions typically double within 90 days.
More trust through reviews. Studies consistently show that consumers are four times more likely to contact a business with 4.5 stars and 30 recent reviews than one with 4.0 stars and 8 reviews — even if the service is identical. Reviews are the only social signal Google displays prominently in search results.
For an SMB with an average order value of CHF 200 and 5 additional calls per week thanks to a better profile, that conservatively adds up to a few thousand francs in additional monthly revenue. Without a single franc spent on advertising.
In 7 steps to a profile that works
Block out two hours. Coffee ready, logo at hand, go.
1. Create or claim the profile
Go to business.google.com and sign in with the Google account that officially belongs to the business (not your private Gmail). Enter your business name. If the profile already exists (which is the case for most established Swiss businesses), claim it. If not, create it new. Google then requires a verification — usually by postcard to the business address, sometimes by video. Plan for 5 to 14 days until verification is complete.
2. Choose categories carefully
The category is the single most important factor for whether you appear in search results at all. Choose one primary category that exactly describes what you mainly do. Type your main service and look at what Google suggests — the right category is usually the one with the highest search volume. You can add up to nine secondary categories, but only those you actually offer. Aggressive category choice is the most common cause of profile suspensions.
3. Complete business information
Sounds banal, but it’s the second-biggest lever: address, phone number, website, opening hours. The latter without gaps and with all Swiss public holidays for the next 12 months. If you’re closed today on Ascension Day and your profile doesn’t show it, the customer comes for nothing — and may give you a star rating for it.
If you work mobile (tradespeople, coaches), enter a service area instead of a fixed address. If you offer online appointments, add the booking link directly in the profile.
4. Description with substance
You have 750 characters. The first 250 are the most important — they appear in the mobile preview. The formula that works in practice: Who you serve + What you do + Why someone chooses you + Where you operate + a clear call to action. Don’t link to anything in the description — Google removes links in description text and may penalise the profile for it.
5. At least ten real photos
Profiles with ten or more photos are demonstrably clicked more often than those with three. Take half an hour with your smartphone and shoot photos in four categories: exterior (2 photos), interior (3), team in action (3), and concrete results of your work (5). Daylight, no filters, JPG format. Add short captions — that helps Google file the photo correctly.
6. List services or products individually
List each service individually, with a short description and either price or “on request”. Use search-friendly names — “women’s haircut with blow-dry” finds more matches than “HC + BD”. This list has an underestimated effect: Google shows your services as separate entries in search results, with a direct “Book appointment” button.
7. Actively collect reviews
Reviews don’t come on their own. They come when you actively ask for them. The best system: a QR code on an A6 card at the reception counter, plus a short email or SMS one day after the appointment. Train your team for the right moment — that’s exactly when the customer says “thank you, that worked great”. Not earlier, not later. Those who don’t ask, get nothing. Those who ask respectfully get, on average, a review from 15 to 25 percent of satisfied customers.
And very important: never offer anything in exchange for a review. Google removes such reviews and may suspend the profile for it.
The most common mistakes SMBs make
In practice I keep seeing the same three stumbling blocks that weaken an otherwise good profile:
Letting the profile sit untouched. A profile that was set up once and then left alone loses visibility over the months. Google favours profiles where something happens regularly — new photos, new posts, new reviews.
Leaving negative reviews unanswered. A critical review is not the problem. A critical review without a professional response is. Whoever responds in four sober sentences, expresses regret and moves the conversation to private wins back the trust of all later readers.
Ignoring posts. Google offers a posting function in the profile — comparable to short social media posts, but visible directly in search results. One to two posts per week is plenty. Content: a new service, a seasonal tip, an employee portrait, a small promotion.
What we measure, what we don’t measure
The biggest advantage of the Google Business Profile compared with most other marketing channels is transparency. In the “Insights” area (or via Google Looker Studio for deeper analyses) you see exactly how many people viewed your profile, with which search terms, how many called, how many opened the route. That’s more clarity than most websites deliver.
What Google doesn’t show: why people don’t click or don’t come. That requires experience — the comparison with similar profiles in the region, the understanding of which levers actually work in your industry.
When does it make sense to get help?
The Google Business Profile is one of the few marketing tools that an SMB can honestly operate itself — if the owner is willing to take those two hours and then establish a short monthly routine.
If, however, the time isn’t there, or the business has multiple locations, or you have the feeling you simply “don’t stand out” in your region and don’t know why — then it makes sense to talk to someone about the concrete situation. Sometimes it’s two or three small adjustments (a wrong category, missing seasonal opening hours, an empty photo area) that make a big difference.
Whoever lands at marketing-march.ch gets an honest look at the current profile and a clear suggestion as to whether it’s worth doing something together — or whether you’re well served by the 7-step guide above on your own. You can book a free 15-minute conversation here.
In any case: a Google Business Profile that is actively maintained is the most effective local marketing investment you can make without an advertising budget. Start this week.
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30 minutes, no pitch — just clarity on your next marketing move.