Google Business Profile Description Mistakes Losing You Sales

Many Google Business Profile descriptions are stuffed with keywords and tell customers nothing useful. Your description should explain why someone should choose you, not just repeat what you do.

There’s a locksmith in Pretoria whose description was “locksmith Pretoria, emergency locksmith, car locksmith, 24 hour locksmith, affordable locksmith”. Nobody calls a business that sounds like a spam bot.

What Makes a Good Google Business Profile Description

Your description has 750 characters to convince someone to call you instead of your competitors. Don’t waste it on keyword stuffing.

Google already knows you’re a plumber or a restaurant. That’s what your category is for. Your description needs to answer one question: why you?

The Biggest GBP Description Mistake

Stop writing for Google’s algorithm. Write for actual humans who are deciding whether to call you.

A car wash in Johannesburg had this description: “car wash Johannesburg, hand car wash, best car wash, professional car wash, car valet Johannesburg”. It said nothing about what made them different.

They changed it to: “We hand wash every car with pH-neutral products safe for all paint types. Most washes done in 30 minutes while you wait. We’ve been in Bryanston for 12 years.”

Their calls went up. Why? Because customers finally understood what they’d get.

How to Write Your Business Description Properly

Think about the last three questions customers asked before they bought from you. Answer those in your description.

Start With What Makes You Different

Don’t say you’re professional or affordable. Every business claims that. Be specific instead.

“Family-run bakery using my ouma’s recipes since 1987” is better than “professional bakery with quality products”. One tells a story. The other says nothing.

Answer Common Questions

If customers always ask about parking, mention it. If they want to know your turnaround time, say it. A printing shop in Cape Town added “same-day printing on orders before 10am” to their description. They stopped getting the same phone call ten times a day.

Include Practical Information

Trading hours are in their own section, but mention things like “open through lunch” or “Saturday mornings by appointment” if it matters. There’s a physio in Durban who mentions they have ground-floor access. Customers with mobility issues call them first.

What Not to Put in Your GBP Description Tips

Don’t list your services. That’s what the services section is for. Don’t stuff keywords. Google’s smarter than that now and it makes you look desperate.

Skip the “we strive for excellence” rubbish. I chatted with a restaurant owner who removed all the corporate-speak from her description and just wrote about their wood-fired pizza oven and her Italian nonna’s recipes. Bookings doubled in three weeks.

Business Description Optimization That Actually Works

Read your description out loud. Does it sound like something you’d say to a mate? Or does it sound like a robot wrote it?

A panel beater in Bloemfontein had “quality workmanship, competitive pricing, customer satisfaction guaranteed” in his description. Generic nonsense. He changed it to “Insurance-approved repairs. We work with all major insurers and give you a lift home while we fix your car.” That’s information customers can actually use.

Check What Your Competitors Are Saying

Search for businesses like yours. Read their descriptions. Most will be terrible, stuffed with keywords and meaningless claims. That’s your chance to stand out by being clear and helpful instead.

If everyone in your industry sounds the same, customers can’t tell you apart. Be specific about what you do differently.

Update Your Description Today

Your Google Business Profile description isn’t permanent. Change it whenever you want. Try something new. Check if your phone rings more.

Test different angles. Maybe customers care more about your experience than your speed. Or maybe they want to know about your guarantees. You won’t know until you try.

Most businesses write their description once in 2019 and never touch it again. Your business has changed since then. Your description should too.