Most people looking for a local business start with Google. If your business doesn’t show up, or shows up with the wrong phone number, you lose work to the business that does. The good news is that most of the groundwork is free. It just takes a few hours and some care.
This checklist is written for New Zealand small-business owners and sole traders. Work through it in order. Each step makes the next one easier.
1. Claim and set up your Google Business Profile
Your Google Business Profile is the listing that appears in Google Maps and in the local results on Google Search. It is free to create. You will need to verify that you run the business before your profile goes fully live, and Google offers several verification methods depending on your business.
Google has clear rules about what a profile can contain. Follow them, or your profile can be suspended:
- Use your real-world business name. It should match your signage, stationery and website. Don’t add keywords, suburbs or taglines. “Smith Plumbing” is fine. “Smith Plumbing Best Plumber Auckland” is not.
- Use a real address. PO boxes and virtual offices are not allowed. Each location gets one profile.
- Hide your address if customers don’t visit you. If you travel to customers, such as a builder, cleaner or mobile mechanic, set up a service area and hide your home address.
- Use a phone number you control. A local number is preferred over a call centre line.
- List your real opening hours. If you work by appointment only, Google’s guidance is that some businesses should not list hours at all.
Once you are verified, fill in every section that applies: categories, services, a short description and real photos of your work, premises or team. Keep it up to date. If you change your hours over the summer break or a public holiday, update the profile.
2. Get your NZBN and keep it current
The New Zealand Business Number (NZBN) is a free, 13-digit identifier available to every Kiwi business. If you have a company registered with the Companies Office, you already have one. You can look it up on the NZBN Register.
Sole traders, partnerships and trusts can apply online through nzbn.govt.nz. Sole traders with a New Zealand driver licence or passport are usually approved straight away. Partnerships and trusts can take up to three working days.
Your NZBN is linked to your Primary Business Data. That includes details such as your trading name, phone number and email. Other businesses can see this information on the NZBN Register. Check it matches what you use everywhere else.
3. Make your name, address and phone number consistent
Your business name, address and phone number appear in a lot of places. Your website. Your Google profile. Facebook. Your NZBN record. Industry bodies. Directories. Quote templates and invoices.
When these details don’t match, customers get confused. They ring an old number or drive to an old address. Pick one exact version of each detail and use it everywhere. Small things matter:
- Is it “Ltd” or “Limited”? Pick one.
- Is it “Unit 3, 12 Main Road” or “3/12 Main Road”? Pick one.
- Do you use a mobile or a landline as your main number? Pick one.
Make a simple list of every place your business is listed. When something changes, such as a move or a new phone number, work through the whole list. It is easy to forget the old Facebook page or a directory listing you set up years ago.
4. Ask for reviews the right way
Reviews help new customers decide whether to trust you. Google makes it easy to ask. In your Business Profile you can create a review link or QR code to share with customers. Put it in your follow-up email, on your invoice or on a card you leave after a job.
There are firm rules here too. Google’s policy says offering free or discounted goods or services in exchange for a review is not allowed. That includes asking someone to change or remove a review. So:
- Ask every customer, not just the happy ones.
- Don’t offer discounts, prizes or freebies for reviews.
- Don’t write reviews yourself or ask friends and family to post fake ones.
- Reply to reviews politely and briefly. Sign off with your name or initials.
- For negative reviews, look into what went wrong, apologise where it is fair to, and invite the person to contact you directly. Never share a customer’s private details in a reply.
Google itself notes that a mix of positive and negative reviews often looks more trustworthy than a wall of five-star ratings. One honest bad review handled well can do you more good than harm.
5. Get your website basics right
A Google profile works best when it links to a website you control. Your site doesn’t need to be fancy. It does need to answer the questions a customer has before they call. At a minimum:
- Say clearly what you do and where. Put your main service and the areas you cover near the top of the home page, in plain words.
- Give each main service its own page. A page about “heat pump installation” is more useful to a searcher than one long list of everything you do.
- Show your contact details on every page. Use the same name, address and phone number as your Google profile.
- Make it work on a phone. Many people will find you on a mobile. Check that your phone number can be tapped to call, and that pages load without a long wait.
- Write a unique page title for each page. The title is often what shows in Google’s results, so make it describe the page.
- Use a domain name you own. If you are choosing one now, read up on .nz domain options before you register.
Avoid making claims you can’t back up, such as “Auckland’s number one” or “cheapest in town”. Under the Fair Trading Act you need a reasonable basis for the claims you make.
6. List in relevant local and industry directories
Beyond Google, customers also search on other platforms and in directories. A handful of good listings is better than dozens of poor ones. Focus on:
- Your industry or trade association. Many have a “find a member” page that customers trust.
- Your local business association or chamber of commerce, if you are a member.
- Reputable general directories that check listings and show accurate details.
Be wary of anyone offering hundreds of directory listings for a fee. Low-quality directories rarely send customers, and they are hard to update or remove later.
NZ Webz is one option. It is an independent New Zealand website directory where every listing is checked by a person before it goes live. A basic listing is free. You can read how listings are reviewed or submit your website. Whichever directories you use, enter exactly the same name, address and phone number as everywhere else.
7. Check in every few months
Getting found is not a one-off job. Set a reminder every three months to:
- Search for your business name and check what comes up.
- Review your Google Business Profile for suggested edits from the public.
- Reply to any new reviews.
- Check your NZBN details, website and directory listings still match.
- Add fresh photos or update your services if anything has changed.
Key points
- Claim and verify your free Google Business Profile, and follow Google’s rules on names, addresses and hours.
- Get your free NZBN, or find the one your company already has, and keep its details current.
- Use one exact version of your business name, address and phone number everywhere.
- Ask every customer for a review, but never offer incentives.
- Keep your website clear, mobile-friendly and honest.
- Choose a few relevant, well-checked directories over many low-quality ones.
Sources
Google Business Profile Help: Guidelines for representing your business on Google, Verify your business on Google and Tips to get more reviews. NZBN: About the NZBN and Applying for an NZBN. Commerce Commission: Selling online.