Creating a Google Maps listing for your business in Dakar

If a customer searching on their phone cannot find your shop, workshop or agency on Google Maps, you are losing business every day. Creating a business listing is free, takes less than an hour and helps people find you, whether they are in Plateau or Keur Massar. Here is a practical method built for Senegalese shop owners and entrepreneurs.

Step 1: create and verify your listing

You need a Google account (a Gmail address is enough) and the free Google Business Profile tool. Before creating anything, search for your business name on Google Maps: sometimes a customer has already added it. If so, claim that listing rather than creating a second one, because duplicates confuse people.

Verification is where many owners give up. Depending on the case, Google offers a video recorded on site, a code by text or call, or a letter. In Dakar, video verification is often the easiest route: film your sign, the street, the inside and something proving you run the business (cash register, tools, keys to the premises). Record it in daylight, in a single take.

Step 2: the details that bring customers in

Exact name. Use the name on your sign, without extras like "best" or "cheap". Google can suspend listings with padded names.

Category. Pick the most precise main category: "Hair salon" rather than "Beauty", "Hardware store" rather than "Store". A few secondary categories are allowed.

Address and landmarks. Many Dakar streets have no name people actually use. Drop the pin precisely on the map, then add landmarks everyone knows to your description: "opposite the pharmacy", "just past the Liberté 6 roundabout", "next to the mosque". Someone coming from Pikine or Rufisque should reach you without calling three times.

Opening hours. List your real hours, including the Friday afternoon break if you close for prayer, and use special hours for Tabaski, Korité or the Magal.

Phone and WhatsApp. Choose a number that really gets answered. If most customers message you on WhatsApp, say so in the description and add your chat link where the tool allows it.

Step 3: real photos and regular updates

Skip images pulled from the internet. Post real photos: the storefront in daylight, the entrance, the interior, your products, your team at work. A customer in Mermoz who has seen your front will spot it easily once in the street. A recent phone and natural light are enough at first; if you want a professional shoot later, expect roughly 25,000 to 100,000 FCFA in Dakar.

Then keep the listing alive. Post an update when new stock arrives, adjust hours during Ramadan, add fresh photos each season. During the rainy season, mention it if your street becomes hard to reach. An up-to-date listing builds trust; a neglected one drives people away.

Common mistakes

• Several listings for one location, for example one per phone number.
• A vague "Dakar" address with no precise pin.
• A number that never picks up or has changed.
• Handing the listing to a contractor without keeping owner access yourself.
• Forgetting to update after moving, say from Sacré-Cœur to Ouakam.

If you hire an agency, insist on being the primary owner. To compare digital marketing providers, browse service providers and agencies in Dakar.

Add a SeneFinder listing too

Google Maps is not the only place people look. Many customers, diaspora members and newcomers search a local directory by neighborhood and type of business. You can list your business for free on SeneFinder using the same details as on Google Maps: name, category, neighborhood, hours, contact. Keep everything consistent across platforms. And if you know a great spot missing from the directory, feel free to recommend an address.

Recommended addresses on SeneFinder

• Eyaidn Company : Dakar, services company.
• IWADA Agency : Dakar, services agency.
• Digicom Agency : Dakar, services agency.

You can also see all addresses in this category or explore the Dakar directory.

Useful tools

• List your business on SeneFinder
• Recommend an address
• Route planner to check how customers reach you
• Our step-by-step guide to listing your business on SeneFinder
• What it takes to set up a business in Senegal

Frequently asked questions

Does a Google Maps business listing cost anything?

No, creating and managing a Google business listing is free. Be wary of anyone charging you just to set one up: you can do it yourself in under an hour.

Can I create a listing without a precise address in Dakar?

Yes. Place the pin at the right spot and add well-known landmarks to your description. If you travel to your customers, you can hide the address and list the areas you serve instead, such as Ngor, Yoff or Diamniadio.

Should I also be on SeneFinder?

It is a useful complement: SeneFinder helps people who search by neighborhood and category in Senegal. Listing is free and adds visibility alongside Google Maps.