Google Business Profile optimisation for Croatian businesses: 2026 checklist

Google Business Profile (GBP, formerly "Google My Business") drives more new customers to local businesses in 2026 than the entire website. If you set up your GBP 3 years ago and haven't touched it — you're leaving 30–60% of local calls on the table.

90-minute checklist

### 1. Basics (15 min)

• Business name — exactly as registered. No keyword stuffing.
• Category — one primary + up to 9 secondary. Primary must be most specific.
• Address — verify pin location. Hide address for service-area businesses.
• Hours — add special hours for holidays.
• Phone — HR landline or mobile, no premium.

### 2. Visuals (20 min)

• Logo — 720x720 min
• Cover — 1080x608
• Interior + exterior photos — 10+
• Team photos — 3–5
• Product/service photos — 15+
• Refresh twice a month

### 3. Description + attributes (15 min)

• Description — 750 chars, naturally mention city + main services
• Attributes — Wi-Fi, wheelchair access etc.
• Services / Products — 5–15 with price ranges

### 4. Reviews (20 min)

• Reply to last 20 reviews (5⭐ and 1⭐)
• Set up auto-review request after each service (SMS or WhatsApp)
• Target: 4 new reviews/month minimum

### 5. Posts (10 min)

• 1 GBP post/week — event, promo, news
• Photo + 150–300 chars + CTA

### 6. Q&A (10 min)

• Seed and answer 5–10 common questions yourself (price, hours, parking, delivery)

What moves rank most

Per our tests on 30+ HR businesses (2024–2026):

1. Review count and frequency (biggest lift)
2. Photo + post frequency
3. Profile completeness
4. NAP consistency (Name-Address-Phone identical everywhere)
5. Clicks on "call" and "directions" (relevance signal)

Automation worth setting up

• Auto-review request after service (SMS/WhatsApp): +300–500% more reviews.
• Auto-response to reviews — template library by rating.
• Weekly post generator — GHL Social Planner or Publer.

Real client results

• Zagreb auto shop: 4.2 → 4.8, +67% GBP calls in 90 days
• Rijeka dental clinic: 12 → 78 reviews in 6 mo, +42% new patients from Maps
• Split aesthetic clinic: 3.9 → 4.7, #1 in local pack for "botox Split"

Deeper pillar: [local SEO for small businesses in Croatia](/resources/seo-lokalni-biznis-hrvatska-2026). See also [SEO services](/services/seo).