How to Set Up a Google Business Profile: A Step-by-Step Guide

When someone searches “plumber near me” or “best bakery in town”, the first thing they usually see is a map with three businesses under it. Those listings come from Google Business Profile (it used to be called Google My Business).

For a local business, this free profile is often the single biggest source of calls. This guide walks you through setting it up properly, step by step.

What is a Google Business Profile?

It’s your free business listing on Google Search and Google Maps. It shows your name, phone number, hours, photos, reviews, website and directions. Customers can call you, message you or get directions with one tap, without ever visiting your website.

You don’t need a website to have one, but the two work best together.

Before you start: what you need

Have these ready to save time:

A Google account (a free Gmail account works, but use one you’ll keep long term)
Your exact business name, as it appears on your signage and paperwork
Your business address, or the areas you serve if you visit customers
Your phone number and website (if you have one)
Your main business category, for example “Roofing contractor” or “Dentist”
A few good photos: your storefront or vehicle, your team, and your work

Step 1: Create your profile

Go to google.com/business and click Manage now.
Sign in with your Google account.
Type your business name. If it appears in the list, someone may have already created a listing for you. You can claim it instead of making a new one.
Choose your primary category. Start typing and pick the closest match. This is one of the most important choices you’ll make, so choose what you mainly do, not everything you do.

Step 2: Add your location or service area

Google asks whether customers can visit you.

If you have a shop or office customers visit, add your full address. You’ll appear on the map at that location.
If you travel to customers (plumbers, cleaners, landscapers, mobile mechanics), choose to hide your address and add the service areas you cover, such as cities or postcodes.

If you work from home and customers don’t come to you, hide your address. Showing a home address that customers can’t visit goes against Google’s guidelines.

Step 3: Add your contact details

Enter your phone number and website. If you don’t have a website yet, you can skip this and add it later.

Use a local phone number if you can. It looks more trustworthy than a generic number, and it’s the number customers will tap to call you.

Step 4: Verify your business

Google needs to confirm your business is real before your profile goes fully live. Depending on your business, Google will offer one or more of these methods:

Video recording: you record a short, continuous video showing your location or vehicle, signage, tools of your trade and proof you manage the business. This is now one of the most common methods.
Phone or text message: Google sends a code to your business number.
Email: a code is sent to your business email.
Postcard: a code is mailed to your address. This is less common now.

You can’t choose the method yourself. Google shows you what’s available. Verification usually takes anywhere from a few minutes to several business days.

Tip: For video verification, plan your shot before you record. Show the street or a landmark, your signage or branded vehicle, then something only the owner could access, like unlocking the door or opening your work tools.

Step 5: Complete every section

A complete profile ranks better and gets more calls. Once you’re verified, fill in:

Hours: including holiday hours, so customers don’t arrive to a closed door
Business description: up to 750 characters. Say what you do, where, and what makes you different. Write for humans, not search engines.
Services or products: list each service you offer, with a short description and price if you’re comfortable sharing it
Additional categories: add a few secondary categories that match other services you offer
Attributes: things like “Wheelchair accessible” or “Online appointments”
Photos: your logo, a cover photo, and real photos of your work, team and location. Real photos beat stock images every time.

Step 6: Start getting reviews

Reviews are one of the strongest signals for ranking on the map, and they’re what customers read before calling.

Ask every happy customer for a review, ideally right after the job is done
Share your review link by text or email. You’ll find it in your profile under Ask for reviews.
Reply to every review, good and bad. A calm, helpful reply to a bad review often impresses future customers more than the review itself.

Never buy reviews or offer rewards in exchange for them. It breaks Google’s rules and can get reviews removed or your profile suspended.

Common mistakes to avoid

Stuffing keywords into your name. If your business is “Smith Plumbing”, don’t call it “Smith Plumbing Best Emergency Plumber Chicago”. Google can suspend profiles for this.
Creating duplicate profiles. One location, one profile. Duplicates confuse Google and split your reviews.
Using a virtual office or PO box as your address. These usually aren’t allowed and are a common reason for suspension.
Setting it and forgetting it. Profiles that are updated with new photos, posts and fresh reviews tend to perform better over time.

How long until you show up on the map?

Once verified, your profile can appear in searches within days. Ranking in the top three for competitive searches takes longer, often weeks to months, and depends on your distance from the searcher, how relevant your profile is, and how well known your business is (reviews, mentions and links around the web).

Quick checklist

Profile created with your real business name
Correct primary category chosen
Address or service areas set correctly
Phone number and website added
Business verified
Hours, description, services and photos completed
Review link shared with recent customers

Get these right, and you’ll be ahead of most of your local competitors, many of whom never finish their profile.