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Getting found on Google: the basics for a small business in Ireland
Five things that help people nearby find you, none of which need a specialist.
When someone searches for what you do, Google tries to show the business that best answers them, nearby and trustworthy. You cannot buy a place in the ordinary results, but you can make it easy for Google to understand you. Here is where to start.
Set up your Google Business Profile
Your Business Profile is the box with your hours, phone number, photos and reviews that shows up in Google Search and Maps. It is free. Claim it, verify it, choose the categories that fit, and keep your hours right, bank holidays included. Point its website link at your home page, or at the page for the service people search for most.
Say the same thing everywhere
Use the same business name, address and phone number on your website, your Business Profile and the directories you are listed in. Put your Eircode on your contact page. Small differences make it harder for search engines to be sure they are all you.
Give each service and area its own page
A single page that lists everything you do gives Google little to match a search to. A page for each service, and for each area you cover, with a clear heading and a few plain paragraphs, gives a search for "boiler service in Swords" a page that answers it.
Write a title and description for every page
The page title is the blue link in search results, and the description is often the text under it. Keep the title short and specific: what the page is about, and where. Write the description for a person deciding whether to click.
Ask real customers for reviews
Reviews on your Business Profile help people choose you. Ask happy customers, make it easy with a link, and answer every review, good or bad, politely. Never buy reviews or write your own: it breaks Google's rules and customers can usually tell.
Then, check what Google sees
Google Search Console is free and shows which searches your site appears for, and any pages Google cannot read. Every Webseer site comes with a search visibility score in the Studio, and a short list of what to fix in plain words.