Your Google Business Profile is the listing that appears on Google Search and Google Maps when people look for your business, or for businesses like yours nearby. For many local businesses it's seen more often than their website. Here's how to get it right.
1. Claim and verify your profile
Search for your business on Google. If a profile exists, claim it; if not, create one. Google will ask you to verify that you own the business, using whichever method it offers for your listing, such as a video, a phone call or text, or a postcard. Only the owner can complete this.
Keep ownership yourself. If you use an agency, add them as a manager. Never let anyone else become the primary owner of your profile.
2. Choose the right categories
Your primary category has a big influence on which searches you appear for. Choose the one that best describes your main business, such as "Electrician" or "Italian restaurant", then add secondary categories only for services you genuinely offer.
3. Address or service area?
- If customers visit you, show your address.
- If you go to them, as trades, mobile services and cleaners do, hide your address and set the areas you serve instead.
Doing this wrongly is one of the most common mistakes we see.
4. Complete everything
Fill in every relevant section:
- Business name: your real business name, with no extra keywords. Adding keywords breaks Google's guidelines.
- Description: what you do, who for and where, in plain language.
- Services or menu: each service listed separately, with a short description.
- Hours: including special hours for holidays.
- Contact details and website: accurate and consistent with your website.
- Attributes: such as accessibility or payment options, where relevant.
5. Add real photos, and keep adding them
Photos of your premises, your team and your actual work make your profile far more convincing than stock images. Add new ones regularly.
6. Post updates
Google posts let you share news, offers, events and recent work. They keep your profile looking active and give people another reason to get in touch.
7. Ask for reviews and reply to every one
Reviews are one of the biggest factors in whether people choose you. Ask happy customers with a direct review link. Never buy reviews, write them yourself or offer incentives: all of these break Google's rules. Reply to every review, especially negative ones, calmly and helpfully. See our guide to getting more Google reviews.
8. Keep it accurate
Members of the public can suggest edits to your profile, and Google sometimes accepts them. Check your profile regularly to make sure nothing has changed without your knowledge.
How long until it makes a difference?
Fixing an incomplete or incorrect profile can make a visible difference within weeks. Where you rank in the map results also depends on how close the searcher is, your reviews and your website, which takes longer to build.
If you'd rather we handled it, our Google Business Profile management covers all of the above every month.
