Local SEO in Marseille: optimising your Google Business Profile
Appear on Google Maps when a customer searches for your trade in Marseille: the practical, step-by-step guide to optimising your Google Business Profile.
By Léo Chuzel · Published on · 2 min read
Type “plumber Marseille” or “restaurant Vieux-Port” on your phone: even before websites, Google shows a map and three businesses. This block, called the “local pack”, captures a large share of clicks on local searches. To appear in it, everything starts with your Google Business Profile.
Create or claim your profile
Your business may already have a profile, created automatically by Google or by a customer. Search for your business on Google Maps: if the profile exists, claim it; otherwise, create it from Google Business Profile. Google will ask you to verify that you’re the owner, by video, phone or post depending on the case.
The essential information to get right
The primary category
It’s the most decisive criterion. Choose the category that most precisely describes your main activity (“Criminal lawyer” rather than “Lawyer”, “Seafood restaurant” rather than “Restaurant”), then add relevant secondary categories.
Name, address and phone number
Use your business’s real name, without adding keywords: it’s forbidden and penalised. Check that your address and phone number are strictly identical on your website, your social media and in directories. This consistency reassures Google about the reliability of the information.
Opening hours
Wrong opening hours are one of the main causes of negative reviews. Enter your usual hours and remember special hours: public holidays, holidays, summer closure.
Description and services
Present your business, your specialty and your service area naturally. List your services or products: they help Google match your profile to the right searches.
Photos: an underrated lever
A profile with recent, good-quality photos inspires more trust. Publish photos of your shopfront (so people recognise you in the street), the interior, your team, your work or your dishes. Add them regularly rather than all at once.
Customer reviews
The number, rating and freshness of reviews count both for rankings and for your prospects’ decision. Systematically ask satisfied customers for a review, and reply to all reviews, including negative ones, courteously. We explain the method in our article how to get more Google reviews.
Keeping the profile alive
- Publish updates: new products, offers, events, recent work.
- Answer the questions users ask in the dedicated section.
- Update your photos and information with the seasons.
- Check the statistics: number of calls, direction requests, website visits.
The link with your website
The profile doesn’t do everything. Google also relies on your website to assess your relevance: a dedicated page for each service, clear mentions of Marseille and the neighbourhoods or towns you serve, your contact details in the footer and “LocalBusiness” structured data. An optimised profile linked to a fast, well-built website is the winning duo of local SEO.
Want to know how your profile is doing? We analyse it for free as part of our SEO services in Marseille. For Brussels and its language specifics, read our guide to local SEO in Brussels.