Why should you register for a Google Business Profile now? A significant number of people looking for stores before coming to Korea, or searching for Korean brands from overseas, open Google Search and Google Maps rather than Naver. A Google Business Profile is a free tool that displays your store name, location, business hours, photos, and reviews on that screen. If you do not register, your store will not appear on their screen.

Domestic small business owners Naver PlaceIt is common to put a lot of effort into [other areas] while leaving Google blank. If you consider only domestic customers, this is not a wrong judgment. However, if you consider international visitors, overseas buyers looking for Korean products, and foreign language speakers living in Korea as customers as well, the Google screen is your store's second signboard. There is no reason to leave a signboard that costs nothing blank.

First, start with accurate basic information.

The starting point for registering a Google Business Profile is the business name, address, phone number, and business hours. These four details must match your Naver Place, website, and Instagram profile down to the last character. Search engines trust a business when information scattered across various locations is consistent. Adding promotional phrases or search terms to the business name may violate Google guidelines, so please use only the actual business name. Once registration is complete, the profile must undergo a verification process set by Google before it officially appears in search results.

Basic information is an area for matching, not for decorating.

Second, write the industry and description in the user's language.

For the business category, select the one that is closest to what customers actually search for. In the description, briefly write what you sell, who it is suitable for, and what makes it different. If you are considering international customers, it is better to write the description in English from the start. Even a single sentence of natural-sounding English inspires trust, rather than a sentence translated by a machine translator. Fill out the menu, service, and product sections using the same criteria.

One paragraph of the explanation section Overseas guestsThis is the first introduction to our store.

Third, the photos are filled with actual spaces and actual products.

Customers decide whether to visit based on photos. Take exterior photos so first-time visitors can find the entrance, interior photos to convey the atmosphere, and product photos to show what you will receive. Fabricated images or photos taken by others undermine credibility. Rather than uploading photos all at once, adding them whenever the season or menu changes serves as a signal that your profile is active.

A single picture guides you faster than ten lines of explanation.

Fourth, we respond to feedback and continue with updates.

Google Reviews are posted in other languages. Shops that reply, whether with thanks or complaints, demonstrate their attitude toward customers in advance. It is better to respond in the original reviewer's language, even if it is brief. Using the posting feature to share news about new menu items, closures, or events shows that your profile is active.

The review reply is a customer service manual for the next customer to read.

Who benefits from this screen?

There is no cost for registering a Google Business Profile. Therefore, the difference between a store that organizes its listings first and one that leaves them blank lies in order, not budget. Even within the same alley and industry, a store equipped with photos, English descriptions, and reviews is selected first on the map. In particular, for people searching for Korea from overseas, this profile often appears before the website.

Then what should be done?

There are three tasks to complete today. First, search for your store name on Google Maps to check if a profile already exists. If someone has already created a profile, request ownership first. Second, organize the business name, address, phone number, and business hours listed on Naver Place and your website into a single line and register it with the same content. Third, prepare a paragraph of description in English and five actual photos.

Mrs. Lorraine designs Google Business Profiles, English websites, and multilingual social media as a seamless workflow to create the first screen where your brand meets the world. If you feel overwhelmed about starting on your own, search for 'Mrs. Lorraine' on KakaoTalk. Please request a consultation..