10 Common Mistakes to Avoid When Listing Your Business Online

Updated 22 Oct 20264 min read

In this article

1. 1. Inconsistent name, address and phone number
2. 2. Stuffing keywords into the business name
3. 3. Choosing the wrong or too-broad categories
4. 4. Leaving the listing incomplete
5. 5. Using poor or stock photos
6. 6. Duplicate listings
7. 7. Ignoring reviews
8. 8. Buying or faking reviews
9. 9. Not updating hours and holidays
10. 10. Set-and-forget
11. Quick checklist
12. Frequently asked questions

A business listing is often the first thing a customer sees. Small errors — a wrong phone number, an old address, missing hours — send them straight to a competitor. Some mistakes also hurt your search rankings or get listings suspended. Here are the ten most common ones and how to fix them.

1. Inconsistent name, address and phone number

Search engines compare your business details across Google Business Profile, directories, social profiles and your website. If one says "Sharma Electricals, Sector 18" and another says "Sharma Electric Works, Sec-18 Noida" with a different phone number, they are less sure which is right.

Fix: write one master version of your name, address (with PIN code) and phone number, and use it everywhere. Keep a sheet of every listing so you can update them all when something changes.

2. Stuffing keywords into the business name

"Best Dentist in Delhi – Smile Clinic" is not a business name. Google's guidelines prohibit it, and listings can be suspended for it. Directories, including GetBusiness, may reject or edit such names.

Fix: use your real name. Put keywords in your categories, services and description instead — our guide to using keywords effectively shows how.

3. Choosing the wrong or too-broad categories

"Services" or "Shop" tells nobody anything. Customers browse specific categories, such as digital marketing or construction and building.

Fix: choose the most specific primary category, then add related secondary ones.

4. Leaving the listing incomplete

Missing hours, no photos, no description and no services make a listing look abandoned. Customers skip it, and platforms show complete listings more often.

Fix: fill in every field the site offers, including amenities like parking, UPI accepted or home delivery.

5. Using poor or stock photos

Blurry images, stretched logos and stock photos reduce trust. Customers want to see your actual premises, team and work.

Fix: take clear photos in daylight on a modern phone. See the importance of high-quality images.

6. Duplicate listings

Creating a new listing instead of editing the old one, or a staff member creating one without telling you, splits your reviews and confuses search engines.

Fix: search each site for your business name and phone number. Claim, merge or remove duplicates. Keep one listing per real location.

7. Ignoring reviews

Unanswered reviews — especially negative ones — tell customers nobody is listening.

Fix: reply to every review within a few days. Thank people for good ones; for bad ones, apologise, explain briefly and offer to fix the problem offline.

8. Buying or faking reviews

Fake reviews break the rules of Google and most directories, and many countries now treat them as an unfair trade practice. In India, the Bureau of Indian Standards published IS 19000:2022 on online consumer reviews, and the consumer protection authorities treat paid or fake reviews as misleading. Platforms detect and remove them, and can penalise the business.

Fix: ask real customers for reviews. A QR code on your counter pointing to your review page makes it easy — make one with our free QR code generator.

9. Not updating hours and holidays

A customer who travels to your shop and finds it closed will tell others.

Fix: update hours for festivals, holidays and seasonal changes on every listing.

10. Set-and-forget

Listings go out of date: phone numbers change, services are added, the map pin is wrong after a move.

Fix: set a reminder to review every listing every three months. Add new photos, check your details and reply to questions.

Quick checklist

• Same name, address and phone everywhere.
• Real business name, no keywords.
• Specific categories.
• Every field filled in.
• Real, recent photos.
• One listing per location.
• Every review answered.
• Hours correct, including holidays.
• Checked in the last three months.

Frequently asked questions