Getting Found on Google Maps Inside a Shopping Centre
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A shop or kiosk inside a shopping centre can and should have its own Google Business Profile, separate from the centre's. Use your real business name, the centre's street address with your shop number, a pin placed on your actual spot, hours that match the centre's, and directions to find you once people are inside.
Why do shopping centre businesses get lost on Google?
- The centre's own listing comes up first, so people end up at the main entrance with no idea where you are
- No profile at all, so the business doesn't show for "key cutting near me" or "phone repair near me"
- A pin dropped on the car park or the wrong side of the building
- Hours that don't match the centre's, especially on public holidays
How do you set the address correctly?
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Business name | Your real trading name, exactly as on your sign, with no added keywords (Google) |
| Address line | Shop or kiosk number, then the centre's street address |
| Address line 2 (if offered) | The centre's name, for example "Inside Cairnlea Town Centre" |
| Pin | Dragged to where your shop actually is inside the building |
| Category | The most specific one for what you do, such as Locksmith, Shoe repair shop or Mobile phone repair shop |
Google's guidelines say your name should match your real-world signage, and adding extras like locations or service descriptions can lead to suspension (Google).
How do you help people find you inside the centre?
- Add a line in your Google description: "Ground floor, near the food court, opposite [store]"
- Add photos of your shopfront and of the nearest entrance or landmark
- Add a directions section to your website with the closest car park and entrance
- Ask the centre to include you in their online store directory, with a link to your website
How should you manage hours?
- Match your hours to the centre's trading hours, unless you close earlier
- Set special hours for public holidays and late-night trading before they happen. See holiday hours on Google
- Update straight away if the centre changes hours, such as during refurbishment
What helps you rank in a busy centre?
Google ranks local results on relevance, distance and prominence (Google). Inside a centre, distance is fixed, so focus on the other two:
- List every service, including less obvious ones customers search for
- Ask happy customers for a review at the counter, with a QR code card
- Add photos monthly
- Link a simple website with the same name, address and phone
Example: a kiosk in Cairnlea Town Centre
Key Master Services, a key cutting and shoe repair kiosk in Cairnlea Town Centre, started with no website and no Google profile. The fix followed the steps above: its own profile at the centre's address, every service listed (including garage remotes), and directions on its website. Read the Key Master Services case study.
What should your website say about your location?
Your Google profile gets people to the centre. Your website should get them to your counter. Give your location its own short section on the contact page, written for someone standing in the car park:
| Detail | Example |
|---|---|
| Where you are | "Shop 12, ground floor, inside [centre name], [street address]" |
| Nearest entrance | "Use the entrance next to the supermarket; we're the second kiosk on your left" |
| Parking | Which car park is closest, and any time limits the centre sets |
| Public transport | Nearest bus stop or station, if there is one |
| Hours | The same hours as your Google profile, including late nights |
| Photo | Your shopfront as people will see it when they walk up |
Use the same business name, address and phone on the website as on your Google profile, so customers and Google see the same details in both places.
How do you prepare for Google verification?
Google checks that a business is real and is where it says it is before the profile goes fully live. The options it offers vary from business to business, so you can't always choose. Being ready makes it quicker:
- Make sure your permanent signage is up and matches the business name you entered
- Have your shop or kiosk number and the centre's street address exactly right
- Keep something that shows you run the business at that spot handy, such as tools, stock, a till or business documents
- Use the same name and phone number you use on receipts, invoices and your website
Google's guidelines say a business needs to make in-person contact with customers during its stated hours to have a profile (Google). A staffed kiosk inside a centre does that.
What should you post and list on your profile?
Shoppers often decide on the way to the centre. Posts, services and products on your profile help them decide to visit you rather than a competitor two floors up.
- List every service you offer as a separate item, with a short description. See adding services to your Google Business Profile
- Post about seasonal demand, such as school shoe repairs before term or key cutting before holidays
- Post when the centre runs late-night trading or events
- Add new photos of your counter and work every month
Posts don't need to be polished. A clear photo and two lines of text are enough, as long as you post regularly and keep the details current. See post ideas for your profile.
Should you work with the centre's marketing team?
Yes. Most centres run their own website, social accounts and in-centre promotions, and they want their tenants to look busy and well run. That help is often free.
- Ask to be listed in the centre's online store directory with your correct hours, phone and a link to your website
- Send the marketing team good photos of your shop and a short description of what you do
- Ask about featured spots in their social posts, newsletters or seasonal campaigns
- Tell them about anything new, such as a new service, so they can mention it
A link from the centre's website to yours also helps Google connect your business with that location.
What if customers confuse you with the centre?
Sometimes customers leave reviews about parking, toilets or the centre's management on a shop's profile, or the centre's listing shows up when people search for you.
- Reply politely to off-topic reviews and point the reviewer to the centre's management
- Make sure your profile name is your trading name, not the centre's name
- If your details appear wrongly on the centre's listing or website, ask centre management to fix them
- Check your own profile monthly for edits other people may have suggested
What happens if you move within the centre or leave?
Shops move, kiosks change sites and leases end. When that happens, update your details everywhere on the same day, so customers don't go to an empty spot.
- Update the shop number and pin on your Google profile, then check the pin on a phone
- Update the address on your website, receipts and social profiles
- Post on your Google profile with the new location and a photo
- If you leave the centre, change the address rather than creating a second profile, so you keep your reviews. See changing your business name or address on Google and duplicate Google listings
For a shop in a centre, the most useful numbers are calls and direction requests, because they show people planning a visit. Google's performance report shows both (Google).
- Write down calls, direction requests and website clicks on the same day each month
- Compare months with the centre's busy and quiet periods in mind
- Ask customers at the counter how they found you
- See reading your performance report for what each number means
Morphic sets up Google Business Profiles and simple websites for shops and kiosks in Melbourne's west. Get a free quote, or book a 30-minute call.
Related service. Google Business Profile management.
Related reading: Business Not Showing on Google Maps?, How to Set Up a Google Business Profile and How to Change Your Business Name or Address on Google.
Title 15 and Main Content 15: leave empty.
Key Takeaways
Shops and kiosks in centres should have their own Google profile, not rely on the centre's.
Use your real name, shop number and the centre's street address, and place the pin accurately.
Give in-centre directions in your description, photos and website.
Match centre hours and set public holiday hours in advance.
List every service and collect reviews at the counter.
Emon Datta
Founder, Morphic Agency
Morphic Agency is a Melbourne-based UX design agency. We've shipped 50+ products across 15+ countries.
