Getting your business on page one of Google in Lagos

To get a Lagos business onto page one of Google's local results, claim and verify your Google Business Profile, choose the right primary category, keep your name, address and phone identical everywhere online, collect genuine Google reviews and reply to every one, and make sure your website loads fast on phones.

When people search for a service “near me” or in a specific area, Google shows local results first. Showing up there can bring a steady stream of enquiries.

This guide covers the steps that matter most for a Lagos business, in the order we recommend doing them.

How Google decides who shows up locally

Google names three things it weighs for local results: relevance, distance and prominence. Relevance is how well your listing matches the search. Distance is how far you are from the person searching, or from the area they typed. Prominence is how well known and well reviewed your business is.

You cannot change distance, but you can work on the other two. In a city the size of Lagos, distance matters a lot. Someone who searches for a printing shop in Ikeja will rarely see one in Ajah, which is why listing only the areas you serve is part of local SEO.

Start with Google Business Profile

Claim and verify your profile, choose accurate categories, add photos and opening hours, and post updates regularly.

1. Claim and verify. Search for your business on Google Maps. If a listing exists, claim it. If not, create one. Google will ask you to verify, often by video, phone or email.
2. Pick the right primary category. It is the most important choice on the profile. Choose the one that says what you are, such as “Software company” or “Hair salon”, then add a few secondary categories.
3. Use your real name, address and phone. Do not add keywords to your business name. Google can suspend profiles that do.
4. Set service areas if you visit customers. If customers do not come to your premises, hide the address and list the areas you serve instead.
5. Add photos and opening hours. Use real photos of your premises, team and work. Keep your hours up to date, including public holidays.
6. Post updates. Offers, new products and events keep the profile active and give searchers a reason to choose you.

Local SEO checklist

1. Consistent name, address and phone everywhere online. Your website, Google profile, Facebook page, Instagram bio and directory listings should match exactly. Different versions of the same address confuse Google and customers.
2. Location pages for each area you serve. If you have branches in two areas, give each one its own page with its address, map, opening hours and photos. Avoid copy-paste pages that only swap the area name.
3. Fast, mobile-friendly site that loads in under three seconds. Most local searches happen on phones, often on mobile data.
4. Genuine reviews, with replies to every one.
5. Helpful content answering local customers’ questions: prices, delivery areas, how long a job takes and what to bring to an appointment.

Reviews: how to get more of them

Reviews affect both your ranking and whether people call you. Businesses with recent, detailed reviews usually get the call.

1. Ask at the right moment. Right after a job is done or an order is delivered, when the customer is happiest.
2. Make it one tap. Copy the review link from your Business Profile and send it on WhatsApp with a short thank-you.
3. Reply to every review. Thank people by name. For complaints, apologise, say what you will do and move the details to a private chat.
4. Never buy or fake reviews. Google removes them and can suspend the profile. Offering gifts or discounts in exchange for reviews also breaks Google’s rules.

Make your website support your profile

Your Business Profile links to your website, and Google checks the two against each other. A few changes on the site make the profile stronger.

1. Show your name, address and phone on every page, usually in the footer, written exactly as on your profile.
2. Add a map and directions to your contact page, with landmarks people in Lagos know.
3. Use local words where they are true, for example “web design in Lagos” in a page title and heading, not repeated in every sentence.
4. Add LocalBusiness structured data, a small block of code that tells search engines your address, phone and opening hours in a format they read directly.
5. Link to your profile from the contact page so visitors can read your reviews.

Common mistakes

1. Duplicate listings. Two profiles for one business split your reviews. Ask Google to merge or remove the extra one.
2. Keyword-stuffed names. “Best Web Design Lagos Ltd” looks like spam to Google and to customers.
3. A pin in the wrong place. Map pins are often a street away from the real entrance. Move the pin to the right spot when you set up the profile.
4. Ignored messages and questions. Unanswered questions on your profile look like a closed business.
5. Old phone numbers in directories. Update or remove old listings after you move or change numbers.

How long it takes

Fixes to a profile often show results within weeks, while strong local rankings build over months as reviews, photos and links add up. Check calls, direction requests and website clicks in your profile’s performance report to see what is working.

If you would rather hand this over, our marketing team sets up and manages Google Business Profiles, location pages and review campaigns for Lagos businesses.