Google Business Profile for beauty salons
Set up and run a salon's Google Business Profile: name rules, categories, hours, booking link, photos and how it works with your website.
When someone searches "gel nails near me" or "brow lamination" plus a suburb, the first thing they usually see is a map and a short list of businesses. Those listings come from Google Business Profiles. For many salons the profile is the first impression, seen before the website and often before Instagram. It is free to set up, and a complete profile with the right details makes it easier for nearby clients to find you and book. This guide covers how Google picks which salons to show, how to set a profile up within Google's rules, where the booking link goes, and how the profile and your website should work together.
How Google chooses local results
Google says local results are mainly based on relevance, distance and prominence 4 . Its help page also calls the third factor popularity. Nobody outside Google knows the exact weighting, and no one can promise you a place in the map results. The three factors still tell you where to put your effort.
Show the data as a table
| Factor | What Google says it means | What a salon can do |
|---|---|---|
| Relevance | How well a profile matches what someone is searching for | Choose the right category, list services, write a clear description |
| Distance | How far the business is from the person searching | Keep the address or service area accurate |
| Prominence | How well known the business is | Earn genuine reviews, reply to them, keep website details consistent |
Distance is the one you can't change: a client in Parramatta searching for a lash lift will mostly see salons near Parramatta. Relevance and prominence are where your work pays off. Google also says businesses with complete and accurate information are more likely to show up in local results 4 , which is the simplest place to start.
Setting up the profile correctly
Most salon profile problems come from a few fields filled in the wrong way. Get these right first, because breaking Google's guidelines can get a profile suspended, and that is far more damaging than a missing photo.
Your business name
Google requires the profile to use your real-world business name 5 , the one on your shopfront, website and stationery. It is tempting to add "best lashes Bondi" after the name. Don't. If the sign above your door doesn't say it, the profile shouldn't either. Keywords belong in your services and description.
Categories
Google asks businesses to use as few categories as possible 5 to describe the core business. Pick the primary category that matches what most clients come for, such as a beauty salon, nail salon, eyelash salon or skin care clinic, and add others only where they describe a real, significant part of the business.
Hours
Enter your regular customer-facing hours 5 , and set special hours for public holidays and closures ahead of time. A client who drives to a closed salon on a long weekend is unlikely to try again. If you work by appointment only on some days, say so in the description and make sure the booking link shows real availability.
Address or service area
If clients come to you, show the address clients visit. If you are a mobile nail tech or lash artist who travels to clients, Google says a service-area business should hide the address 5 and list the areas it serves. Home-based artists who see clients at home should think about which setup matches how they work, and about their own privacy.
Add your booking link
A profile that shows your hours but makes people call to book is leaving work undone. Google Business Profile lets a business connect a supported booking provider or add your own booking link 6 . If you use a booking system such as Timely, Fresha, Phorest or Kitomba, check whether it connects directly, or paste the link to your online booking page.
Point the link somewhere a client can finish a booking in a few taps. If your website has a booking page that shows your policies and then opens the booking tool, that can be a good target too, because clients see your cancellation and deposit terms before they commit. Our guide to online booking and no-shows goes into those terms.
Photos, services and updates
People choose a salon with their eyes. Add photos of the outside, so clients recognise it from the street, the inside, the team and your work. Replace dated photos when you refit or change staff.
Client photos need consent
A photo of a client's brows, lashes or skin is still a photo of a person. The OAIC lists photographs can be personal information 7 when someone can be identified. Get written consent before posting, and keep a record of it. Photos that show a skin condition or a treatment result can involve health information too.
Clinics have extra advertising rules
A Google profile is advertising. If you offer cosmetic, laser or injectable treatments, the rules for your website also apply here. Advertising rules for regulated health services apply to anyone who advertises a regulated health service 3 . Prescription-only cosmetic injectables cannot be advertised to the public 1 , which affects how you name and describe services and whether you show prices. Ahpra's rules for higher risk non-surgical cosmetic procedures set strict rules: no edited or enhanced images, no testimonials, and a clear statement that individual results vary 2 . Before and after photos for these treatments need client consent and a check against the rules that apply to you. When in doubt, leave them out and get advice. Our page for skin clinics covers what clinical treatment pages should show.
Services and description
List your main services with short, plain descriptions that match your website menu. Write the business description as you would explain the salon to a new client: what you specialise in, who you see, and where you are.
Reviews and replies
Reviews are part of prominence. Google says more reviews and positive ratings can help your local ranking 4 , and that replying to reviews shows that you value their feedback 4 . Reply to every review, good or bad, briefly and politely. For a complaint, thank the client, avoid discussing their treatment details in public, and invite them to contact you.
How you ask for reviews matters. Google's policy and the ACCC both set limits, such as no discounts in exchange for reviews and no asking only the clients you expect to be happy. Our guide to getting more Google reviews within the rules walks through what is allowed. If your clinic is a regulated health service, be aware that Ahpra's advertising guidelines say no testimonials 8 , and get advice about how that affects the way you use reviews.
How the profile and your website work together
Your profile gets people's attention. Your website answers the questions the profile can't: the full treatment menu, how long each service takes, patch test rules, deposits, the team, and what to expect at a first skin consultation. Link the profile to your website's home page, or to the location page if you have more than one salon.
Consistency matters. Use the same business name, phone number, address or service area and hours on both. When you change your hours or booking link, change them on both on the same day. It is a small habit, and it is the kind of edit a managed website plan should handle for you. You can see how that works on what's included, and nail salons and beauty salons each have a page on what their site should show.
What to do next
- Search your salon's name on your phone and look at your profile the way a new client would.
- Check the name matches your shopfront and website exactly, with no added keywords.
- Review your categories and remove any that don't describe a significant part of the business.
- Update regular hours and add special hours for the next public holidays.
- Add your booking link and test it on your phone.
- Add current photos you own, with written consent for any client who can be identified.
- Reply to any reviews still waiting for a response.
- Compare every detail against your website and fix any differences.
A Google Business Profile takes an afternoon to set up properly and a few minutes a month to keep current. Pair it with a website that says the same thing in more detail, and clients who find you on the map have everything they need to book. If you would like the website side looked after, see our pricing or book a call.
Questions salon owners ask
Can I add "lashes" or my suburb to my salon name on Google?
Only if it is part of your real business name. Google requires the profile name to reflect the name you use on your shopfront, website and stationery. Adding extra keywords or a suburb that isn't part of that name breaks the guidelines and can get a profile suspended.
I work from home. Do I have to show my address?
If clients come to your home studio, the address is where they visit, so it is usually shown. If you travel to clients instead, Google says a service-area business should hide its address and show the areas it serves. Many home-based artists choose the service-area setup for privacy, so check which setup fits how you actually work.
Does a Google Business Profile replace a website?
No. The profile is where many people first see your salon, but it holds limited detail. Your website carries the full treatment menu, policies, team and treatment explanations, and the profile links to it. The two work best together, with the same details on both.
How often should I update my profile?
Update it whenever something clients rely on changes: hours, public holiday closures, booking link, phone number or a new service. Adding fresh photos of your work every few weeks also keeps the profile looking current to people who find it.
This article is general information for salon owners, not legal or regulatory advice. Rules differ by state and by who performs a treatment, so check the ones that apply to your business with the regulator or a qualified adviser.