There are two separate places to appear: Google Maps and local listings, and the normal search results. You set them up differently, and neither one costs money.
1. Google Maps and local listings
Add or claim your Google Business Profile. Google says it is free of charge.
1. Go to business.google.com/add and add your business, or search for it on Google Maps and claim it if it is already listed.
2. Enter your details exactly as they appear everywhere else: name, address, phone number.
3. Complete Google's verification. It offers you the options when you get there.
4. Add your opening hours, services, areas you work in and real photos.
5. Ask customers for reviews once you have done good work for them.
2. The normal search results
Your website needs to be on Google's list. Google says it finds most sites by itself, though it can take a few weeks to notice a new site or a change to an old one.
1. Search for site:yourbusiness.co.za with your own address. If pages come up, Google has them.
2. If nothing comes up, add your site to Google Search Console. It shows you errors and lets you ask Google to look at your pages.
3. Ask other websites to link to you: suppliers, trade bodies and local directories. Google lists missing links as a reason it can miss a site. Don't pay for links, because Google warns that this can break its spam rules.
3. Appearing for what you do
Being on Google's list only means you can show up. To appear for a search like "pool repairs in Pretoria", you need a page about that service in that town.
- Give each service its own page, with its own title and heading.
- Say which towns you work in, and write something true about each one.
- Put your prices or a price range on the page. People search for prices, and it is what they want to read.
- Answer the questions customers ask you. "How long does it take?" and "Do you deliver to Stellenbosch?" are real searches.
- Make it load fast on a phone. Google's free PageSpeed test shows you how it does.
Can I pay to be first?
Google Ads puts you in the paid spots for as long as you pay. The normal results can't be bought. Be careful of anyone who promises you first place on Google, because Google decides the rankings.
If you would rather have it done
Every Paxal website is built for this: page titles, a sitemap and Search Console at launch, and you can edit the text yourself. Plans start at R599 a month.