What to Actually Put in Your Google Business Profile Description
Most Google Business Profile descriptions read exactly the same: "We are a family-run business dedicated to quality and customer service since [year]." It's not wrong, it's just completely forgettable — and it wastes a genuinely useful piece of space most competitors are also wasting, which means getting it right is a real, available edge.
The actual character limit, and why it matters
Google gives you 750 characters. Most of that space goes unused or filled with generic filler. The description shows up when someone's actively comparing you against 2-3 other options on Maps — it's read at the exact moment a decision is being made, not idly browsed. That makes every sentence genuinely worth the space it takes up.
What actually belongs in it
- What you specifically do, not what category you're in. "Independent coffee shop roasting our own beans on-site" tells a reader something a generic "coffee shop" listing doesn't.
- A genuine point of difference. Not a superlative claim ("the best in town") — an actual, checkable fact. "Open until 9pm on weekdays" or "the only [category] within walking distance of the station" are things a reader can verify and act on.
- Natural mentions of your location and what you serve. Not keyword-stuffed ("best plumber plumber near me plumbing services"), just genuinely written the way you'd describe the business to a person, including your actual area.
What doesn't belong in it
No links, no promotional pricing, no phone numbers — Google explicitly disallows these and may reject or hide a description that includes them. Also worth avoiding: present-tense claims about currently-running offers, which read as stale the moment they end and you inevitably forget to update the text.
A real before-and-after
Generic: "We are a family-run business dedicated to providing quality service to our customers since 2015. Contact us today to find out more."
Specific: "Independent hardware shop stocking genuinely hard-to-find fixings and tools other local shops don't carry. Same-day cutting service for keys and glass. Family-run since 2015, still the same two people behind the counter."
The second version tells a reader something they can't get from the category label alone, and gives them a real reason to choose this listing over the next one down.
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Yes, but naturally — write it the way you'd actually describe the business to a person, not as a keyword list. Google's systems and real readers both respond poorly to obvious stuffing.
As often as you like — there's no penalty for updating it, though frequent, drastic changes are worth avoiding since consistency itself is part of what builds trust.