7 Google Business Profile Mistakes Nigerian Professionals Make (and How to Fix Them)

When someone in Ikeja searches for "family lawyer near me" or someone in Wuse searches for "dental clinic", Google often shows a map with a few local businesses before any website. Those listings come from Google Business Profile. If your practice is not there, or your profile is half-filled, that person calls someone else.

Here are seven common mistakes on the profiles of Nigerian practices, and what to do instead.

1. Adding keywords to your business name

It is tempting to list your practice as "Adebayo & Co. Best Property Lawyers Lagos". Google's rules say the name on your profile must match the name you use in the real world: on your signboard, letterhead and stationery. Extra keywords can get your profile suspended. Use your real name and put your services in the sections built for them.

2. Choosing the wrong primary category

You get one primary category and up to nine additional ones. The primary category matters most, so pick the one that describes your core work, such as "Law firm", "Dentist" or "Medical clinic". Add additional categories only for services you actually offer.

3. Leaving the description empty

You have up to 750 characters to explain who you help and how. Write it in plain English: what you do, who it is for, where you are and how to reach you. Clinics should describe the services the facility offers, not praise an individual doctor's skill, in line with MDCN guidance.

4. Wrong or missing opening hours

Nothing frustrates a client more than driving through traffic to a closed office. Set your regular hours, and add special hours before public holidays such as Christmas, Sallah and Independence Day.

5. Ignoring the services section

List each service with a short, plain description: "Tenancy agreement review", "Teeth whitening consultation", "One-to-one career coaching session". This helps both Google and clients understand exactly what you do.

6. Never checking for suggested edits

Anyone can suggest changes to your profile, including your phone number or address, and some of those edits can go live. Log in at least once a month and confirm that your name, address, phone number and hours are still correct.

7. Never asking for reviews

Reviews help people decide whether to trust you. Google allows you to ask your clients for honest reviews. It does not allow you to offer anything in return, or to have staff, friends or family post reviews. Send clients your review link after a good outcome, and reply politely to every review.

Do this today

• Search your practice name on Google Maps and look at what a stranger would see.
• If you have no profile, create one at business.google.com and start verification.
• If you already have one, fix your business name, primary category, description and hours.
• Set a monthly calendar reminder to check your profile for suggested edits.

If you want every section in one place, our Google Business Profile Setup Checklist walks you through setup, verification and each field step by step, with categories and services for each profession.