Linking your Google Business Profile to your website: the duo that brings in customers

For a shop, a tradesperson or a practice, the Google listing (the one that shows up in Maps and to the right of the search results) often brings in more customers than the website itself. The two aren't rivals: properly linked, they reinforce each other. Here is how to do it, in order, without paying a thing.

The listing attracts, the website reassures

The Google listing (officially Google Business Profile, formerly Google My Business) answers the urgent questions: is it open, where is it, what's the phone number, what do customers say. The website answers the next ones: what exactly do you do, at what price, who are you, how to contact you without calling.

A visitor who moves from one to the other and finds the same information feels confident. A visitor who finds different opening hours on the two becomes wary. The whole point of this guide comes down to that: a link in each direction, and identical information on both sides.

Step 1: add your website address to the listing

Sign in to your listing (search for your business name on Google while signed in to your account, or go through business.google.com). Under Edit profile → Contact information → Website, paste the full address of your website, including the “https://”. A “Website” button then appears on your listing, in Maps as well as in search.

If you don't have a listing yet, create one: it's free, and Google sends you a verification code (by post, phone or video depending on the case). Until the listing is verified, it doesn't appear.

Step 2: the same information, to the letter

Google cross-checks what it reads on your listing and on your website. Three pieces of information must be strictly identical on both sides — SEO specialists call this the “NAP”:

Name	The same spelling everywhere. “Martin's Bakery” on the listing and “Martin Bakery & Patisserie” on the website already counts as two entities for an algorithm.
Address	Same number, same street name, same postcode. Avoid an abbreviation on one side and the full name on the other.
Phone	The same number, in the same format. A number on the website should be tappable on mobile.

Add the opening hours: it's the most-viewed piece of information, and the one people most often forget to update on the website. When you switch to summer hours, change them in both places on the same day.

Step 3: the link back, from the website to the listing

Two simple means, to be combined: an embedded Google Maps map on the page (the visitor clicks and lands on your listing with directions), and a “Leave a review” link. The latter can be found in your listing: Ask for reviews gives you a short address to paste into a button. Reviews are the listing's number one lever: a satisfied customer who is handed the link leaves a review; a customer who is asked “to rate us on Google” almost never does.

What Leopar does for you

A Leopar website displays your contact details, your opening hours and a Google Maps map from the very first version: the link back to your listing is there by default. For the other direction, your website address (on HTTPS) is ready to be pasted into the listing; we even remind you of it in the e-mail sent the day after your site goes live.

To keep both sides aligned, just tell Léo: “we're closed on Mondays from now on”, “new number: 020 7…”, “add a button to my Google review link”. Opening hours, contact details and text are among the changes Léo applies even with a free website.

What we don't do: create or manage your Google listing on your behalf. It belongs to you, and Google requires that you be the one to verify it.

Frequently asked questions

My listing still shows my old website, how do I change it?
Simply edit the “Website” field of the listing. The change is visible within minutes, sometimes after a short check by Google.

Do I need a website to have a Google listing?
No, but a listing without a website converts less: the “Website” button is the first click of visitors who want to know more before making the trip.

Can the free website be put on the listing?
Yes, the address works like any other. With your own domain name, it's simply more readable and more memorable on the listing.

How many reviews do I need to rank well?
There is no threshold. What counts is regularity (a few recent reviews are worth more than a hundred from three years ago) and your replies, including to negative reviews.