Think about how people actually look for a shop. Very few type your name. They type what they want: "natural dog food near me," "indoor plants in Dallas," "vintage clothing Dallas," "record player store." Then they visit whichever shop seems to have it.
If your listings and website only say your name and address, you can be the best answer in town and still not show up. The fix is not a trick. It is making sure every place your shop appears says plainly what you are and what you carry, in the words your customers use.
Here is how to do that, one step at a time.
Step 1: Write down the words your customers use
Before you touch any listing, spend ten minutes on this list. Write down:
- What people ask for when they walk in or call ("Do you have grain-free food?" "Do you sell turntables?")
- The plain name for your type of shop ("pet store," "plant shop," "vintage clothing store")
- Words that describe how you are different, if they are true ("holistic," "natural," "secondhand," "locally made")
- Your neighborhood and city
Use the customer's words, not industry terms. If people say "record player" and you say "turntable," use both.
Step 2: Pick the right Google categories
Your Google Business Profile categories are one of the biggest signals for which searches you show up in. Google says the categories you pick affect your local ranking.
A few rules from Google's own guidelines:
- Choose a specific primary category. Google's example is picking "Nail salon" instead of "Salon." For a shop, that might mean "Pet supply store" or "Garden center" rather than just "Store."
- Finish the sentence "This business IS a ___." Categories describe what you are, not everything you sell.
- Use as few categories as you need. Add an extra category only for a real department. Google's example is a grocery store that also has a bakery and deli.
- Do not use categories as keywords. You cannot create your own category, and Google's guidelines say not to use categories just as keywords or to describe features of your business.
To change them, open your Business Profile, choose Edit profile, then edit Business category. Google notes that changing a category may ask you to verify your business again, so do this when you have a few minutes.
Step 3: Keep your shop name clean
It is tempting to rename your listing something like "Sample Street Pets Natural Dog Food Dallas" (a made-up shop we use as an example in this guide). Don't. Google's guidelines say your listing name must match your real-world name on your sign, and adding product or location words to it can get your profile suspended.
Put those words where they belong: your description, your products and your website.
Step 4: Rewrite your description in plain words
Your Business Profile description can be up to 750 characters, about one or two short paragraphs. Use it to answer "What can I buy here?" Google says the description should cover the products and services you offer, plus your history and mission.
A good description:
- Says what kind of shop you are in the first sentence
- Names your main product types using the words from Step 1
- Mentions your neighborhood
- Stays honest. Only say "holistic" or "organic" if it is true.
Google does not allow links in the description, and it should not be about sales or prices. Save those for posts.
Here is an example for a made-up shop:
Sample Street Pets is an independent pet supply store in East Dallas. We carry natural and grain-free dog and cat food, raw and freeze-dried diets, treats, toys and grooming supplies. Our staff can help you switch foods or find something for a picky eater.
Step 5: Add your products
If you run a retail shop in the US (or Canada, the UK or Ireland), Google lets you show products on your Business Profile. You can add them by hand with Google's Product Editor, or sync them from a compatible point-of-sale system with Google's Local Inventory app. Start with your 10 to 20 most asked-for items, with a clear name, a photo and a short description.
Name each product the way a shopper would search for it. "Grain-Free Salmon Dog Food, 4 lb" works better than an internal code. Our guide on writing product listings covers this in more detail.
Step 6: Give each main category a page on your website
Google says it can also pick up what your business does from your website and from mentions of your shop around the web. So your website should back up your listing.
You do not need a big site. A simple page for each main thing you sell is enough:
- A clear heading, like "Natural Dog Food in East Dallas"
- A few sentences on what you carry and the brands you stock
- A few real photos from your shelves
- Your address, hours and phone number, written the same as on Google
One page per category beats one long page that lists everything. It gives search engines and AI assistants a clear, specific answer to point to.
Step 7: Match your other listings
Apple Maps and Bing Places have their own category lists and description fields. Pick the categories there that come closest to your Google choices, and reuse your description so every listing says the same thing. Our guide on claiming Apple Maps and Bing Places walks through both.
If you are on Yelp, check your categories there as well. Yelp allows up to three, so pick the most specific ones that match what you mainly sell. The goal is for every listing to tell the same story about what you are and what you carry.
Step 8: Let reviews and photos fill in the rest
When customers mention what they bought in a review ("found great raw food for my dog here"), that adds real-world detail. You cannot write reviews for customers, and you should not offer anything in exchange for them, but you can make asking easy. Our guide on getting more Google reviews has simple ways to do that.
Photos help too. Post pictures of your actual shelves and products, not just your storefront, so shoppers can see you have what they searched for.
A quick checklist
- A short list of the words your customers use
- A specific primary Google category, and extras only for real departments
- Your shop name exactly as it is on your sign
- A plain description that names what you sell and where you are
- Your top products added to your Business Profile
- One website page for each main thing you sell
- The same categories and description on Apple Maps, Bing and Yelp
- Recent photos of your products and shelves
Start with one search
Pick the one search you most want to win, like "natural dog food near me" or "indoor plants Dallas." Work through these steps with that search in mind. Once your listing, description, products and website all clearly answer it, move to the next one.
The goal is simple: when someone nearby searches for something you carry, your shop should be one of the answers.
Onhand is building a way for AI assistants to check live, accurate info from local shops. Want your shop to be easy to find? Learn more at askonhand.com.
Sources: Google Business Profile Help, "Manage your business category," "Guidelines for representing your business on Google," "Edit your Business Profile" and "About product editor"; Apple Business help, Bing Places and Yelp for Business help pages. Checked Oct 30, 2026.