High Street in Kew and Burke Road in Camberwell are two of the best-known shopping strips in Melbourne’s east. Walk along either and you’ll pass several cafes, clinics, real estate agents and specialty shops doing similar things, often within a few doors of each other.
Online, it’s the same. When someone in Kew searches for a dentist or a florist, Google shows three businesses in the map pack, and the other ten miss out. Very often, the difference isn’t the quality of the business. It’s the quality of the Google Business Profile.
Here are the ten mistakes we see most often in Kew, Camberwell and the surrounding suburbs, and how to fix each one.
1. The wrong primary category
Your primary category tells Google what you are. Pick something too broad (“Store” instead of “Florist”) or too narrow for what people search, and you’ll miss searches you should win.
Fix: search for your main service and see what category the top three businesses use. Choose the most accurate option, then add secondary categories for other things you genuinely do.
2. Keywords stuffed into the business name
“Smith Dental Kew Best Dentist Camberwell” might look like a shortcut. It isn’t. Google’s guidelines require your profile name to match your real business name, and stuffed names can be edited by Google or reported by competitors, and can lead to suspension.
Fix: use your real name, exactly as it appears on your signage and website. Put keywords in your services, description and website instead.
3. Hours that are wrong on holidays
Nothing loses trust faster than a customer arriving to a closed door that Google said was open. It happens most on public holidays and long weekends.
Fix: add special hours ahead of every public holiday. Set a reminder at the start of each month.
4. Photos from years ago, or none at all
A profile with three blurry photos from when you opened looks neglected next to one with recent, clear photos of the team, the space and the work.
Fix: add a few new photos every month. Shopfront (so people recognise you on Burke Road), interior, team, products or finished work.
5. Reviews left unanswered
Replies show you care, and future customers read them. Unanswered negative reviews look especially bad.
Fix: reply to every review within a few days. Thank people for positive reviews by mentioning what they liked. For negative ones, stay calm, acknowledge the issue and offer to fix it offline.
Our free audit checks your Google Business Profile against all ten of these mistakes and shows you what to fix first.
6. Asking for reviews the wrong way
Offering discounts or gifts in exchange for reviews breaks Google’s rules, and so does writing reviews for yourself or asking staff and family to do it. Not asking at all is the other mistake: most happy customers simply never think to leave one.
Fix: ask every happy customer, every time, with a short link or QR code. Never offer anything in return.
7. A missing or thin business description
You have up to 750 characters to explain what you do, who you help and where. Many profiles leave this blank or use one vague sentence.
Fix: write a clear description that mentions your main services, the suburbs you serve (Kew, Camberwell, Hawthorn, Balwyn) and what makes you different. Keep prices and offers out of it; those belong in posts.
8. No services listed
The services section is one of the most overlooked parts of a profile. It helps Google understand exactly what you offer and gives customers more reasons to choose you.
Fix: add every main service with a short description. A physio might list sports injuries, post-surgery rehab, pilates and dry needling separately, rather than just “physiotherapy”.
9. A website that says something different
If your profile says you’re open until 6pm and your website says 5pm, or your phone numbers differ, Google trusts both a little less. So do customers.
Fix: make your name, address, phone, hours and services identical everywhere: your profile, website, Facebook page and directories like Yellow Pages and True Local.
10. Setting it up and forgetting it
The most common mistake of all. Profiles that are never updated slowly lose ground to competitors who post, add photos and reply to reviews every week.
Fix: spend 15 minutes a week on your profile: one post, one photo, reply to new reviews, check your hours. Our Hawthorn local SEO guide has a simple weekly and monthly routine you can copy.
A quick self-check
Question
Yes / No
Is my business name exactly as it appears on my sign?
Is my primary category the most accurate option?
Have I added special hours for the next public holiday?
Have I added new photos in the last month?
Have I replied to every review?
Is my description complete and up to date?
Are all my services listed?
Do my website and profile match exactly?
Have I posted an update in the last week?
If you answered “no” to three or more, fixing those is likely the quickest win available to you.
Frequently asked questions
Can a competitor change my profile?
Anyone can suggest edits to a Google profile. Check your profile regularly and reject any changes that aren’t correct.
Should I have separate profiles for Kew and Camberwell?
Only if you have a real, staffed location in each. One business at one location should have one profile.
Does posting on my profile help?
It keeps your profile active and gives customers a reason to choose you, especially for news, offers and events.
