When someone in your town types "pharmacy near me" or "tyre shop Kurunegala" into Google, the businesses that appear on the map did one thing: they claimed a free Google Business Profile. Most small businesses in Sri Lanka still have not. That is your opportunity — it costs nothing and it works whether or not you have a website.

What you need

  • A Gmail account (make a new one for the business if you like)
  • Your shop's exact address and phone number
  • Five or six photos: the shopfront, inside, your products, you
  • Access to the shop to receive a verification postcard or video-verify

Step by step

  1. Go to business.google.com and sign in.
  2. Business name: your real name as it appears on the board outside. Not "Best Cheap Pharmacy Kurunegala" — Google removes keyword-stuffed names.
  3. Category: pick the most specific one that fits (e.g., "Pharmacy", "Beauty salon", "Motorcycle repair shop", "Tutoring service"). You can add more later.
  4. Address: if customers visit you, add it and drop the pin on the exact building. If you go to customers (plumber, tuition at homes), choose "I deliver goods and services" and list your towns instead.
  5. Phone and hours: the phone that someone will actually answer. Set real hours, including Poya days if you close.
  6. Verify: Google may ask for a short video walk of the shop, a postcard by mail (7–14 days), or a phone code. Do it — unverified profiles do not show up.

The four things that make you rank above the shop next door

  1. Reviews. Ask every happy customer: "Could you leave us a Google review?" Send them the link from your profile (Share → Ask for reviews). Ten honest reviews beat a hundred followers on Facebook. Reply to every review, even a one-word "Thank you".
  2. Photos. Profiles with 20+ photos get many more calls. Add new ones monthly — new stock, a happy customer (with permission), the festive decoration.
  3. Complete every field. Description, services, products with prices, attributes (wheelchair access, card payment). Google rewards completeness.
  4. Post updates. The "Updates" tab is free advertising: "New Avurudu offers", "Closed on Monday", "Now we repair iPhones". Once a week is plenty.

Common mistakes

  • Letting a "marketing agency" create it under their Gmail. When you stop paying them, you lose the profile. Own it yourself.
  • Using a mobile number you change every year. Update it the day it changes.
  • Ignoring the "Questions" section — customers ask "Do you deliver?" and if you do not answer, a stranger will, wrongly.
  • Buying fake reviews. Google detects them, and the penalty is removal of the whole profile.

Do you still need a website?

For a small shop, the profile alone brings walk-ins. A website matters when you want orders online, when customers compare you with competitors who have one, or when you sell beyond your town. If you get there, a simple well-built site links to and strengthens the profile — that is exactly what I do in web design for Kurunegala businesses.