Google Business Profile: 9 Settings Most Local Businesses Never Touch
Subhadeep Saha 
When someone searches for “salon near me” or “best biryani in Kolkata”, the first thing they usually see isn’t your website. It’s your Google Business Profile. In a few seconds, that profile decides whether they call you or the shop next door.
Most local businesses claim their profile, add an address and phone number, and stop there. The settings that actually win customers stay untouched. With the festive rush around the corner, now is the time to fix that.
Here are nine Google Business Profile settings worth your time. Each takes only a few minutes, and together they decide who gets the call.
1. Primary and Secondary Categories
Your primary category is the single biggest signal Google uses to decide which searches you appear in. “Beauty Salon” and “Hair Salon” are not the same, and neither is “Restaurant” versus “North Indian Restaurant”.
Choose the most specific primary category that describes your core business. Then add secondary categories for everything else you genuinely offer. A clinic might use “Physiotherapist” as primary and “Sports Massage Therapist” as secondary.
2. Services and Products
This section is one of the most overlooked parts of Google Business Profile optimization. Listing each service, ideally with a short description and starting price, helps Google match you to specific searches like “keratin treatment” or “root canal”.
Products work the same way for shops and restaurants. Add your bestsellers with photos and prices. It turns your profile into a mini catalogue.
3. Business Hours, Including Festive Hours
Nothing loses a customer faster than arriving at a closed shutter. Wrong hours also lead to angry reviews.
Beyond regular hours, use the special hours setting for Durga Puja, Diwali, Eid, Christmas and other holidays. Set them in advance, not on the day. If you open late for festive shopping, say so. Google highlights special hours to searchers, which builds trust.
4. Photos That Show the Real Experience
Profiles with fresh, high-quality photos tend to get more clicks, calls and direction requests than profiles without them. Customers want to see what they’re walking into.
Upload your logo and cover photo, then add regular pictures of your storefront, interiors, team, and real work: finished hairstyles, plated dishes, treatment rooms. Avoid stock images, and add new photos at least twice a month.
5. Google Posts and Offers
Google Posts let you publish updates, events and offers directly on your profile. Most businesses never use them, which is exactly why they stand out.
Before the festive season, create an Offer post with a clear title, dates and a call-to-action button like “Call now” or “Book”. Follow it with posts on new services, seasonal menus or festive packages. Posting weekly keeps your profile active and gives customers a reason to choose you today.
6. Business Description: Your Answer to the Missing Q&A
Google has removed the Questions and Answers feature from Business Profiles in India and several other regions. Instead, Google’s AI now answers customer questions using the information already on your profile.
That makes your business description more important than ever. Use your 750 characters to cover what customers actually ask: what you specialise in, your areas served, parking, payment options and whether walk-ins are welcome. If your profile doesn’t contain the answer, Google can’t give it.
7. Replies to Every Review
Reviews influence both rankings and decisions, yet many businesses never reply. Every review, positive or negative, deserves a response.
Thank happy customers by name and mention the service they used. For negative reviews, stay calm, apologise where appropriate and offer to resolve the issue offline. Future customers read your replies as closely as the reviews themselves. A thoughtful reply to a complaint often builds more trust than ten five-star ratings.
8. WhatsApp and Booking Links
Most Indian customers would rather send a WhatsApp message than make a phone call. Google Business Profile lets you add a chat link, so customers can message you on WhatsApp straight from your profile.
If you take appointments or table bookings, add a booking link too. Every extra step between “interested” and “booked” loses customers, so make the next step one tap away. Then make sure someone actually replies quickly, especially during the festive rush.
9. Attributes
Attributes are the small tags that appear on your profile, such as “Wheelchair accessible”, “Women-led”, “Free Wi-Fi”, “Accepts UPI” or “Outdoor seating”. They help customers filter and decide, and they can help you appear in more specific searches.
Go through every attribute available for your category and switch on the ones that are true. Most of your competitors haven’t.
How to Get the Festive Rush Working for You
Run through this quick checklist before the season peaks:
A complete, active profile tells Google you’re open, relevant and trusted. That combination is what moves you up in local search results and the map pack.
If you’d like a deeper look, our guide to local SEO for small businesses explains how your profile works together with your website. For businesses running ads alongside, our post on Google Ads landing pages covers how to turn clicks into customers.
Need a Hand?
At KM&N Media, we manage and optimise Google Business Profiles for salons, clinics, restaurants and retail stores across Kolkata. From category research and festive posts to review management and monthly performance reports, we handle it so you can focus on serving customers.
Book Your Free 30-Minute Growth Strategy Session and let’s make sure customers find you first this festive season.
Subhadeep Saha
Performance Marketer