The verdict in three sentences
In Thiès, most customers look up a shop on their phone before going out, and Google first shows them three businesses on a map. A Google Business Profile is free, but an incomplete listing with no reviews almost never makes those three spots. Learning to create and maintain it yourself costs 25,000 FCFA and 5 hours, the price of a single month of management by a small agency.
What you pay depending on your option
A shop owner in Thiès who wants to show up on Google Maps has three paths: pay someone, get trained, or figure it out alone with videos. Here are 2026 orders of magnitude observed in Senegal.
| Option | Upfront cost | Recurring cost | What you control afterwards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local agency creates the listing | 50,000 to 150,000 FCFA | 15,000 to 40,000 FCFA per month if managed | Nothing, the listing depends on the provider |
| Nephew or friend "who knows the Internet" | 0 to 10,000 FCFA | 0 FCFA | Often incomplete listing, sometimes under their account |
| Free YouTube videos | 0 FCFA | 0 FCFA | General basics, rarely adapted to Thiès |
| Kolonell course, level 1 Essential | 25,000 FCFA (38 EUR, about 41 USD) | 0 FCFA | Verified listing, photos, reviews, replies, call tracking |
| Full digital marketing track (5 levels) | 350,000 FCFA instead of 450,000 | 0 FCFA | From the local listing to the marketing manager role |
The costliest point for shop owners is in the first row: when the listing is created on the agency's or nephew's Gmail account, you can no longer change your hours, reply to reviews or update your number without them.
What moves a Thiès shop up the map
Google ranks local listings on three criteria: distance from the person searching, relevance of the listing to the search, and prominence (reviews, photos, activity). You cannot change distance, but you control everything else.
| Action on the listing | Time needed | Observed effect (2026 order of magnitude) |
|---|---|---|
| Exact primary category ("Hardware store", not "Store") | 5 minutes | Shows up on searches for your trade |
| Precise address and map pin (Grand Standing, Mbour 1, Escale...) | 15 minutes | Fewer lost "I can't find you" calls |
| 10 to 15 real photos of the shop and products | 1 hour | More clicks on directions |
| Up-to-date hours, including Tabaski, Magal and public holidays | 10 minutes per month | Fewer "closed although Google said open" reviews |
| 3 to 6 new reviews per month | 15 minutes per week | Gradual rise into the neighborhood top 3 |
| Reply to every review within 48 h | 10 minutes per week | Trust from new customers |
| WhatsApp button and reachable number | 5 minutes | Direct calls and messages |
The course Get found on Google and Google Maps in your city, taught in French, has you complete each of these actions on your own listing during the lessons. It is the first level of the Digital marketing and social media track, which then continues with WhatsApp Business, Facebook, advertising and strategy.
What you learn in 5 hours
The course is online, in French, with four short modules, a quiz and a project: your real listing, verified and complete. You learn to create or claim an existing listing, pass Google verification, pick the right categories, take decent photos with a phone, ask for reviews without awkwardness (a short link sent on WhatsApp after a purchase) and read the statistics: calls, direction requests and searches.
The target we recommend after the course is simple: 3 to 6 new reviews per month and a listing updated at least once a week (photo, new item, hours). For many shops, the rise in calls becomes visible from week 4, with no guaranteed result, since everything depends on competition in your area.
Mini case study
Learn this skill with Kolonell Academy
Short, practical online courses (taught in French), graded exercises, certificate. Pay with Wave or Orange Money.
Fatou, 38, runs a hardware store in the Grand Thiès area. Her Google listing existed, created by a customer, with a wrong address and two reviews. She takes the 25,000 FCFA course, fixes the address, adds 14 photos and asks every regular customer for a review for a month: she goes from 2 to 9 reviews.
Her math: her average basket is 12,000 FCFA with a 20% margin, so 2,400 FCFA of margin per sale. If the listing brings her just 3 new customers a week, that is 12 sales and about 28,800 FCFA of margin per month. The course pays for itself in just under 4 weeks, while an agency quoted her 75,000 FCFA to create the listing plus 20,000 FCFA per month.
FAQ
Do I need a website to appear on Google Maps?
No, a Google Business Profile works without a website. A WhatsApp number and a precise address are enough to receive calls, and the 25,000 FCFA course shows you how to fill in the listing without a site.
How long does listing verification take?
Depending on the method Google offers (call, SMS, video of the shop), it takes from a few minutes to about 14 days. The course explains what to film so the video verification passes the first time.
I'm not comfortable with computers, can I follow it?
Yes, level 1 Essential is built for beginners and everything is done on an Android phone. Allow 5 hours spread over one or two weeks, at your own pace.
Do my customers have to pay to leave a review?
No, leaving a review is free and takes about 1 minute. Buying fake reviews is banned by Google and can get the listing suspended; the course shows how to get 3 to 6 genuine reviews a month.
How do I pay for the course?
Payment is by Wave or Orange Money, 25,000 FCFA (about 38 EUR or 41 USD), with immediate access and a certificate at the end. If you aim further, the full 5-level track costs 350,000 FCFA instead of 450,000.
Take the next step. Enroll in Get found on Google and Google Maps in your city: 5 h online (taught in French), 25,000 FCFA (about 38 EUR), Kolonell Academy certificate. Pay with Wave or Orange Money. Questions? WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.