The verdict in three sentences
In Dakar, when a customer types « quincaillerie Médina » or « tailleur HLM » on their phone, Google shows a map and three shops: if yours is not there, they call a competitor. A Google Business Profile is free, and the online course Être trouvé sur Google et Google Maps dans sa ville (taught in French) costs 25,000 FCFA (about 38 EUR) for 5 hours to create, verify and run it yourself. It is the cheapest marketing investment there is, and often the first one to make the phone ring, with no ranking guarantee.
How your customers search in Dakar
In Sandaga, HLM, Médina or Colobane, many shops still rely on foot traffic and word of mouth. Yet « near me » searches have boomed with smartphones: a customer looking for a fabric wholesaler, an on-duty pharmacy, a phone repairer or a caterer starts on Google Maps. They compare distance, reviews, photos and opening hours, then call or ask for directions.
Google picks the businesses it shows using three criteria: relevance (do your category and description match the search?), distance and prominence (number and quality of reviews, profile activity). An empty or miscategorised profile disappears, even if the shop has been open for 20 years.
| Profile element | Empty profile (common in Dakar) | Complete profile after the course |
|---|---|---|
| Primary category | Missing or too vague | Precise category plus secondary ones |
| Map pin | Misplaced or missing | Correctly placed, even without an official address |
| Opening hours | Not filled in | Real hours, public holidays included |
| Photos | 0 to 2 blurry photos | 10 or more: storefront, interior, products |
| Customer reviews | A few old reviews | Steady collection via WhatsApp |
| Phone and WhatsApp | Outdated number | Reachable number and contact link |
Do it yourself or pay someone
| Option (2026 ballpark) | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Google Business Profile | 0 FCFA | The tool, without a method |
| Local provider to create the profile | 25,000 to 75,000 FCFA | A profile created, rarely managed afterwards |
| Free online tutorials | 0 FCFA (plus data) | General advice, often built for Europe |
| Kolonell, Get Found on Google Maps (level 1) | 25,000 FCFA | 5 h, 36 exercises on your own shop, reviewed project, certificate |
| Digital Marketing and Social Media track (5 levels) | 350,000 FCFA instead of 450,000 | From local search to full customer acquisition |
A provider fixes the problem once. The course teaches you the 20-minute weekly routine that keeps the profile on top: replying to reviews, posting, updating photos and tracking calls. It has 4 modules: understanding how customers search, creating and verifying the profile without duplicates, completing it to 100 %, then managing reviews and posts over time.
Details are on the Get Found on Google and Google Maps course page (the course is taught in French). It is level 1 of the Digital Marketing and Social Media track; level 2, Digital Marketing for SMEs, then builds a full acquisition system around this profile.
What a complete profile can bring in
The figures below are estimates built for the course, not measured results. They depend on the trade, local competition and how consistent you are.
| Assumption | Low range | High range |
|---|---|---|
| Extra calls or direction requests per month | 10 | 40 |
| Share of contacts who buy | 1 in 3 | 1 in 3 |
| Average basket | 10,000 FCFA | 10,000 FCFA |
| Extra monthly revenue | about 30,000 FCFA | about 130,000 FCFA |
| Course cost | 25,000 FCFA | 25,000 FCFA |
| Price you can charge to optimise another shop's profile | 25,000 FCFA | 75,000 FCFA |
The skill also sells: a young person in the neighbourhood who masters the method can offer profile optimisation to nearby shop owners.
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.
Aminata, 38, runs a wax and fabric shop in Médina. Her Google profile was created by a customer 4 years ago, with a wrong pin and no opening hours. She takes the course in one week, about 1 hour each evening, and pays 25,000 FCFA with Orange Money.
After fixing the pin, adding 15 photos and collecting 20 reviews via WhatsApp in one month, she logs 18 calls from Google in her tracking sheet during the second month. If 6 become customers with an average basket of 15,000 FCFA, that is 90,000 FCFA in extra sales, 3.6 times the course price in one month. Another shop may see lower results: this is a ballpark figure, not a promise.
FAQ
Do I need a website to have a Google profile?
No. The profile works on its own, with your number, WhatsApp and directions. A website can come later.
My shop has no official address, is that a problem?
No. Module 2 shows how to place the pin correctly and write a clear landmark, which is common in areas like HLM or Colobane.
How long before the first calls?
Verification usually takes a few days to 2 weeks. The course aims for a complete, verified profile within one week of work, then calls that grow over 1 to 2 months.
Do I need computer skills?
No, everything is done from a smartphone. The 5 hours of lessons are designed for shop owners with no technical background.
How do I pay?
With Wave or Orange Money, 25,000 FCFA. The full 5-level track costs 350,000 FCFA instead of 450,000.
Take the next step. Enroll in Être trouvé sur Google et Google Maps dans sa ville: 5 hours, 25,000 FCFA (about 38 EUR), verifiable 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.
