How to Optimize a Google Business Profile in Saudi Arabia
- Use one real business name; Google's guidelines prohibit repeating it in Arabic and English or adding keywords.
- Match your national address and fix the map pin on your actual entrance.
- Use split hours for breaks, special hours for short closures such as Eid (about a week or less; check Google's current limit), and update regular hours for Ramadan.
- Ask every customer for reviews without incentives, reply in the review's language, and tag your website link with UTM parameters.
For Saudi clinics, restaurants, salons and showrooms, the Google Business Profile can be the first thing a customer sees: the listing on Maps, the call button, the directions, the reviews. This guide covers what to set up, what Google's rules actually say, and the details that trip up businesses in the Kingdom.
1. Claim and verify the profile
Search for your business on Google Maps first. If a listing already exists, claim it rather than creating a new one; a second listing for the same place is treated as a duplicate. Google decides which verification methods you are offered (phone or SMS, email, video recording, live video call, postcard and others) based on business type, public information, region and hours, and the method cannot be changed.
2. Business name: one real name, no keywords
Google's guidelines for representing your business require the name you use on your storefront, website and stationery. Two rules matter in Saudi Arabia:
- Do not repeat the name in two scripts. The guidelines explicitly list "repeated bilingual names / script transliterations" as not allowed, even when your signboard shows both Arabic and English. Pick the form customers actually use and keep it consistent.
- No keywords or locations added to the name. "Al Noor Dental Clinic" is fine if that is the real name. "Al Noor Dental Clinic | Best Dentist Riyadh Olaya" is keyword stuffing and can get the profile suspended.
3. Address, map pin and service area
Enter the address as it appears in your national address (building number, street, district, city, postal code), and include unit or floor details only if they are part of the official address. Many Saudi buildings sit on unnamed or newly numbered streets, so check the pin: in the address settings you can adjust the marker until it sits on your actual entrance, not the middle of the block or the mall car park. Google's guidelines do not allow virtual offices unless they are staffed during business hours, and P.O. boxes are never accepted.
If you go to customers (home cleaning, AC maintenance, mobile car detailing) and do not receive them at your address, set a service area and hide the address. The guidelines say the service area should not extend beyond roughly two hours' driving time from your base.
4. Phone and WhatsApp
Use a number the business controls directly, ideally a local line, not a call-centre or tracking number that redirects elsewhere. Google's own chat feature was switched off on 31 July 2024. In its place, verified profiles can add a WhatsApp click-to-chat link or an SMS number under Edit profile, Contact. Google says this option is available only in select regions, so check whether it appears on your profile; if it does not, put WhatsApp on your website and in posts instead.
5. Hours, including prayer times, Ramadan and Eid
- Regular hours: list customer-facing hours only. If you close between two periods, for example after Dhuhr until Asr or overnight split shifts, add two time ranges for the same day instead of showing one long block you do not keep.
- Prayer times: if your shop genuinely closes for each prayer, reflect the longer closures you can predict in split hours. Short closures that shift daily are better explained on your door and website.
- Ramadan and Eid: use special hours. Special hours are meant for short closures or changed hours of about a week or less; for longer closures, mark the business as "Temporarily closed". Google's help pages currently state the cut-off slightly differently (compare this page with this one), so check the current limit before you set Eid hours. Because Ramadan runs about a month, a practical approach is to update regular hours at the start of Ramadan and restore them afterwards, then use special hours for the Eid days. Set Eid dates once they are confirmed.
- More hours: if delivery, drive-thru or women's sections keep different times, use "More hours" rather than changing the main hours.
6. Categories, services, products and attributes
Choose the most specific primary category that finishes the sentence "this business is a...": Google's own example is "Nail salon" rather than "Salon". Add a few secondary categories only for what you genuinely are, not for every service you offer. Services and products go in their own sections, alongside attributes (for example accessibility or payment options) where Google offers them for your category. The business description is limited to 750 characters; write it plainly and mention the district and what you do without repeating keywords.
Arabic or English content?
If most of your customers read Arabic, write the description, service names and posts Arabic-first, adding English where your clientele is mixed. Your name must still follow the single-name rule above.
7. Photos, videos and posts
Upload real photos of your storefront from the street (this helps people find you), the interior, your team at work and actual products or dishes. Google's photo requirements are JPG or PNG between 10 KB and 5 MB, recommended 720 × 720 px, and videos up to 30 seconds and 75 MB. Photos should represent reality without heavy filters. Use posts for updates, offers and events, such as a Ramadan menu, a National Day offer or a new branch opening.
Q&A has been changing: Google discontinued the Q&A API in November 2025 while it updates the feature. If a Q&A section still shows on your profile, keep answers accurate; otherwise put common questions (parking, women's section, booking) in your description, posts and website.
8. Reviews: ask properly, reply in Arabic
Create a review link or QR code from "Get more reviews" and send it after the visit, by WhatsApp or on the receipt. Google's review policy prohibits:
- discounts, free items or any incentive in exchange for a review, or for changing or removing a negative one;
- selectively asking only happy customers, or discouraging negative reviews;
- pressuring customers to review while still on your premises, or asking for specific content, including naming a staff member;
- reviews from employees, owners or anyone with a conflict of interest.
Reply in the language of the review. Google advises keeping replies short, specific and conversational, not promotional. For a negative review, acknowledge the issue, apologise where appropriate and offer a direct contact. Never reveal a patient's or client's details in a reply. You can flag reviews that break Google's policies, but not ones that are simply unfavourable.
9. Multiple branches, duplicates and spam
Each branch that serves customers in person gets its own profile, with its own address, phone number and hours, all using the same brand name without the district added to it. Link each profile to that branch's page on your site. With 10 or more locations of the same business, you can request bulk verification. Check the Businesses list for duplicates: a duplicate does not show on Search or Maps, and Google recommends keeping the verified profile.
10. Track calls, directions and website clicks
The Performance section shows views, the searches people used, calls, directions requests, website clicks and, where available, messages and bookings. Google's metric counts button taps, not completed calls. To see what visitors do after clicking through, tag the website link with UTM parameters, for example ?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=gbp_olaya, using a different campaign value per branch. The link must still go to your own site, not a redirect.
Monthly checklist
- Hours correct, and special hours set for upcoming holidays
- No unwanted edits to name, pin, phone or category (anyone can suggest edits)
- All new reviews answered
- New photos added and at least one current post
- Performance and UTM data compared per branch
Eclipse offers digital marketing services, including SEO, for businesses in Saudi Arabia. If you want help with your profiles, contact us.
Frequently asked questions
Can I put my business name in both Arabic and English on Google?
No. Google's guidelines list repeated bilingual names and script transliterations as not allowed, even if your signboard shows both. Use the one name customers know you by.
How do I show Ramadan and Eid hours on my Google Business Profile?
Special hours are meant for short changes of about a week or less, which suits Eid; check Google's current limit, and use "Temporarily closed" for longer closures. For the month of Ramadan, a practical approach is to update your regular hours at the start and restore them afterwards.
Is it allowed to give customers a discount for leaving a Google review?
No. Google's review policy prohibits any incentive, including discounts or free items, for posting a review or for changing or removing a negative one. You may ask all customers for honest reviews.
Sources: support.google.com · support.google.com · support.google.com · support.google.com · support.google.com · support.google.com · support.google.com · support.google.com · support.google.com · support.google.com · support.google.com · support.google.com · developers.google.com · support.google.com · support.google.com · support.google.com · support.google.com · support.google.com · support.google.com · support.google.com · support.google.com