I open a random Google listing for a business in Tomaszow. Read the description: "We are a company with many years of experience offering a wide range of services at competitive prices. Contact us today."
Nothing. Zero information. Could be a plumber, dentist, or funeral home. The same description fits everywhere. Which means it fits nowhere.
Your Google Maps business description is one of the most commonly ignored spots that customers actually read. 750 characters that can decide whether someone calls you or scrolls past.
Why the description matters
A customer searches "dentist near me." Google shows 3 map results. All have similar ratings — 4.5, 4.6, 4.7. All have photos. What sets them apart?
The description. Because it's the only place where you can say what makes you different. And most businesses waste this opportunity by copying templates from the internet.
Google officially says the description doesn't affect ranking. And that's probably true in terms of the algorithm. But it affects clicks. And that's key for local SEO. And clicks affect ranking. So indirectly — yes, the description matters for SEO.
Bad descriptions — a horror collection
I reviewed 50 business listings in my area. Here's what I found:
- "Company X — professionalism, quality, competitive prices" — three empty words. What does "professionalism" even mean? Every business says that about themselves
- "We invite you to explore our offer" — but what is the offer? They didn't say
- "Operating since 2005" — okay, and? 18 years of doing what?
- Description copied from the website, cut off mid-sentence because it exceeded the character limit
- Description in a language most local customers don't search in
The most common sin? Talking about yourself instead of the customer. "We are the best" instead of "You'll get X from us."
A description formula that works
I tested this across dozens of client listings. The framework is simple:
- Sentence 1: What you do + for whom + where. Be specific. "We repair plumbing systems in homes and apartments within 20 miles of downtown."
- Sentences 2-3: What makes you different. Not "professionalism." Specifics. "We arrive within 2 hours of your call. Every repair comes with a 2-year warranty."
- Sentence 4: Call to action. "Call us — estimates are free and take 5 minutes."
That's it. 3-4 sentences. No "years of experience." No "wide range of services." Specifics that help the customer make a decision.
Examples: before and after
Client — a renovation company.
Before: "Company X offers comprehensive renovation and construction services. Years of experience, professional staff, competitive prices. Welcome."
After: "Home and apartment renovations within 25 miles. Kitchens, bathrooms, flooring, painting — from design to post-renovation cleanup. We give you a completion date at the first meeting and we stick to it. Free on-site estimate — call now."
Result after 3 months: "Call" clicks on the listing went up 34%. We changed nothing else. Just the description.
Another example — a beauty clinic.
Before: "Welcome to our beauty clinic. We offer face and body treatments in a pleasant atmosphere."
After: "Certified cosmetic treatments — HIFU lifting, mesotherapy, microdermabrasion. Consultation before every procedure because every skin is different. Located downtown, parking behind the building. Book online or by phone."
The difference? The first version says nothing. The second says: what exactly I do, that I take an individual approach, where I am, how to book. The customer knows everything before calling.
What to avoid
- Buzzwords: "professionalism," "quality," "competitive prices," "individual approach." Every business writes this. It means nothing
- Hashtags and emoji. This isn't Instagram
- Links to your website (Google doesn't make them clickable in descriptions)
- Listing every single service. You have 750 characters — pick the 3-4 most important
- Writing in ALL CAPS. DON'T SHOUT AT CUSTOMERS
How this connects to your full listing
The description is one element. But it works best when your entire listing is dialed in: current hours, photos from the last 3 months, regularly collected reviews, Google posts (yes, they exist and almost nobody uses them). And it's worth knowing how to respond to negative reviews too.
It's also worth crafting a compelling Google Maps description that attracts instead of repels. If you want to learn more about optimizing your Google Business Profile — from zero to full setup — I wrote a free e-book about it. You'll find it on my website. Everything step by step, with screenshots.
Your Google Maps description is a 15-second conversation with a customer. Don't waste it on "years of experience and a wide range of services." Say what you do, why you're good at it, and how to reach you.