How to Set Up a Google Business Profile, Step by Step
Go to google.com/business, sign in with a Google account, search for your business name to check it is not already listed, then add the name, category, address or service area, phone and website, and finish by verifying. Setup takes about 20 minutes. Verification can take a few days. The profile is free.
A Google Business Profile is the box that appears on Google Search and Maps when someone looks for you: your name, hours, phone, photos, reviews and a button to call or get directions. If you do not set one up, Google may still show a listing for you, built from public data, which you cannot edit. Setting it up yourself puts you in charge of what people see.
Before you start
Have these ready. Having them in front of you makes the form take minutes rather than an hour.
- A Google account you will keep. Use one you control, not a former employee's. If possible make a business one, such as
yourbusiness@gmail.comor a work address, and not a personal one that you might lose. - Your business name exactly as it appears on your sign, invoices and website.
- Your full street address, and a way to prove it is yours, such as a utility bill, lease or a business registration. You may be asked for a photo or video of your premises.
- Your phone number and website, if you have them.
- Your opening hours.
- A few clear photos: the outside, the inside, the team, your work.
Who can have a profile?
Google's guidelines say a business can have a profile if it makes in-person contact with customers during business hours: a shop, a restaurant, an office, or a service that goes to customers. Online-only businesses with no in-person contact are not eligible. A hobby, a rented desk with no staff, or a mailbox address does not qualify.
If you work from home and customers do not visit, you can still have a profile as a service-area business with your address hidden (see below).
Step 1: Check if you already have a listing
Search your business name and city on Google while signed in. Three things can happen.
- Nothing appears. You will create a new profile.
- A listing appears with a "Claim this business" or "Own this business?" link. Click it. That is faster than creating a duplicate.
- A listing appears and it already has an owner. You will have to request access, or if you cannot, see our section on what to do when someone else already claimed it.
Duplicates cause trouble: reviews split between two listings and Google may suspend one. Check first.
Step 2: Start the profile
- Go to google.com/business and choose Manage now, or search your name and choose to add your business.
- Enter your business name. Use the real name only. Do not add keywords, slogans, phone numbers or your city. Google's guidelines say your name should reflect how you are known to customers in the real world, and a name stuffed with extra words can get you suspended.
- Choose your primary category from the list that appears as you type. This is the most important choice you make. Choose the most specific one that fits what you mostly do.
- Pick any additional categories later, in the profile.
Step 3: Say where you are, or where you work
Google asks whether you want to add a location customers can visit.
You have a shop, office or restaurant
Answer yes, enter the full address, and drag the pin to the right door if the map has it slightly off. A wrong pin costs you customers and rank.
You go to customers
Say you serve customers at their location. You can list the areas by city, postcode or radius. Google lets you pick several; keep it to places you really serve. Do not claim a whole region you never visit.
You do both
Add the address and the areas. Customers will see your address and know you also travel.
You work from home
Enter your home address for verification, then choose to hide it, so only your service area shows. Google's guidelines allow this for businesses that do not receive customers at home.
Step 4: Contact details and website
Add a local phone number that a person answers. A mobile number is fine for a small business. Add your website if you have one. If you do not, Google can offer a simple free page built from your profile, though a real website helps you more over time.
Make sure the name, address and phone match what is on your website and elsewhere online. Mismatches confuse both customers and search.
Step 5: Hours
Enter your regular hours for each day. Add split hours if you close for lunch. You can add holiday hours later, and you should: a profile that says "open" on a day you are shut is a quick way to a bad review.
Step 6: Verify
Until you verify, most of your edits will not show to the public, and you will not be able to reply to reviews or use the Ask for reviews tool. Google offers different methods depending on your business and country: a postcard with a code, a phone call or text, an email, or a video of your premises. You are shown the ones you can use.
Choose the one that works for you and follow the prompts. Do not edit your name, address or category while a postcard is in the post. The full instructions, the timing and what to do if a method fails are in our verification guide.
Step 7: Fill in the rest
The first version is thin. The next hour is where you make it useful. Work down this list.
| Field | What to put |
|---|---|
| Additional categories | Only things you really offer |
| Description | Up to 750 characters in plain words: what you do, who for, where, how long. No lists of keywords, no links, no promotions |
| Services or products | Each service with a short line and a price if you can |
| Attributes | Features Google offers, such as wheelchair access, Wi-Fi, outdoor seating, women-led |
| Photos | A logo, a cover photo, the outside, the inside, your work, your team. Real photos, in good light |
| Opening date | If you are new |
| Booking or order links | If you take bookings or orders online |
| Messages and Q&A | Turn on only what you will answer |
Every complete field is one more thing Google can match to a search. Our guide on Google Maps ranking factors explains which fields count towards relevance and why.
Step 8: Get your first reviews
A new profile with no reviews looks empty. As soon as you are verified, copy your review link and ask your last ten happy customers. Do not offer anything in return and do not choose only the ones you expect to be positive. Our guides explain how to find your Google review link and how to get more Google reviews.
If you want to see how your review count compares to your three closest rivals before you start, the free check shows it in a minute.
Mistakes that cause suspensions
- Keywords or a location added to the name. The most common cause.
- A virtual office or mailbox address. Google does not allow addresses where no staff are present during business hours.
- Two profiles for one business. Merge or remove the second.
- The wrong category. It can fail an eligibility check.
- Changing key details just after verifying. A big edit to name or address soon after can trigger a re-check.
- Using a name that suggests a brand you are not.
If your profile is suspended, Google's help has a reinstatement form. Read the reason, fix it, then submit it once with proof. Repeated submissions do not speed it up.
What to do in your first week
- Day 1: create the profile and start verification.
- Day 2: add photos, the description, services and attributes while you wait (but not name, address or category if a postcard is on the way).
- Day 3 to 7: verify when the code arrives.
- Straight after: turn on notifications, copy your review link and ask your first ten customers.
- Weekly after that: read new reviews, reply to each, add one photo.
Frequently asked questions
Is a Google Business Profile free?
Yes. Creating and managing the profile costs nothing. Companies that charge to "get you on Google" are selling a service you can do for free.
How long does it take to set up?
About 20 minutes to fill in the form. Verification can add a few days, longer if it is by postcard.
Do I need a website?
No. You can create a profile without one. A website helps you rank and gives customers more detail, so add one when you can.
Can I set up a profile without a shop?
Yes, as a service-area business with your address hidden, as long as you meet customers in person at their location.
What is the difference between Google My Business and Google Business Profile?
Google renamed Google My Business to Google Business Profile. It is the same free listing; you now manage it directly in Search and Maps.
Can I have more than one profile?
One for each real location that customers can visit, or one service-area profile for each business. Do not make several for the same place.
Sources
- Create your Business Profile on Google, Google Business Profile Help, read Nov 5, 2026.
- Guidelines for representing your business on Google, Google Business Profile Help, read Nov 5, 2026.
- Verify your business, Google Business Profile Help, read Nov 5, 2026.
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