Google Business Profile for schools
When parents search for a school nearby, Google shows a map before any website. Your school's listing decides whether you're on it, and what parents see first: photos of the campus, reviews from other parents, the office number and the way to the gate.
What I set up on a school listing
The right category
The school category that matches your stages, chosen from Google's list, with secondary categories only where they're true.
Office hours and holidays
Real office hours, plus special hours for vacations, exam days and festivals.
Campus photos
The gate, the building, classrooms, labs, the library and the playground, without identifiable children.
The right gate
A pin on the entrance parents should use, which isn't always the one the map guesses.
Description and links
Board, classes and what makes the school distinct, linking to your admissions page during the season.
Reviews from parents
A fair way to ask and a polite reply to each review, including the critical ones.
Problems I often find
Listings nobody controls
Many schools have a listing created years ago by a former staff member or a parent. I help you claim it through Google's ownership request, so the school controls its own information.
Duplicate listings
An old name, a branch that moved or a listing for the school bus stand can all split your reviews. Duplicates are merged or removed through Google's process.
Admissions that never show
A listing with no link to admissions and no recent update misses the moment parents are looking. During the season, the listing should point to the admissions page.
For the search work around the listing, see SEO for schools, and for the site, school website design.
More for schools
Questions about school listings
Which hours should a school list?
The hours someone can actually reach the office or visit, not the class timings. Add special hours for vacations and holidays, so a parent who drives over during the winter break isn't met by a locked gate.
Can a school with two campuses have two listings?
Yes, if both campuses are separate places that parents and students visit, each with its own address and signage. Each listing should show its own address, phone and hours, and link to its own page on the website.
How should a school ask for reviews?
Ask parents openly and evenly, for example in a newsletter or at the end of a parents' meeting, with a short link or QR code. Don't ask staff to review the school, and never offer anything in return, both of which break Google's rules.
Is your school easy to find on Google Maps?
Send me your school's Google Maps link, or its name and town if you can't find one. I'll check what parents see and tell you what I'd fix first.