A customer in Harare looks up "plumber near me" on Google. They see a map, a few business names, and phone numbers. If your shop isn't there, they don't see you. If you don't own your Google Business Profile, someone else might own it for you. Or nobody owns it at all, and you're invisible.
Why Google is still your storefront
Search is changing. People use TikTok, Facebook Marketplace, and even ChatGPT to find things. But Google still powers over 95% of searches across African countries. That's the baseline. A Zimbabwean business owner needs to be where the customers actually look.
A Google Business Profile is a free, searchable listing for your business. Think of it like a shop sign on Google's map.
When someone searches for what you sell, Google shows them your profile. Name, address, phone, hours, reviews, photos. They call, visit, or message from the search result.
How to claim and set up your profile
You might not know you have a profile already. Google sometimes creates one automatically. Your job is to claim it and make sure it's yours.
- Go to google.com/business and click "Sign in"
- Search your business name
- If your profile exists, click "Claim this business"
- If it doesn't exist, click "Create your business" and enter your name, address, phone, and what you sell
- Google sends a postcard or a code to verify you own the business
That's it. No cost. No agency needed.
Fill it in completely. Keep it current.
A blank profile looks dead. A full profile gets found.
Add your opening hours. Add photos of your shop, your team, your work. Add your website if you have one. Write a short description of what you do.
Update your hours if they change. If you close on Sundays, say so. If you change your phone number, update it. When a customer sees your profile and calls an old number, they see someone who doesn't care about their business.
A profile that's ignored tells customers you're not paying attention.
Reviews matter too. When customers leave reviews, Google shows your profile higher in search results. Invite happy customers to leave a review. Respond to every review, even the bad ones. Thank the good ones. Address the bad ones with a short, kind answer.
Why this matters for your business right now
Many African businesses think search and "being found" is only for big companies with marketing teams. The truth is simple. A Zimbabwean plumber, baker, or mobile repair shop can reach customers who are actively searching for them right now. Today. Free.
The gap isn't talent or money. It's awareness. You don't need to hire a digital agency to be found. You need to claim, fill in, and maintain a Google Business Profile.
Start there. Test it. Measure what happens. Call come in. Visits increase. That's the feedback loop.
If you want help setting up your website or automating the way you manage customer questions and updates, Eka can help you build that foundation.
