Setting Up a Google Business Profile

A Google Business Profile is the listing that appears in Google Maps and in the local pack alongside search results. For most businesses, eligibility requires in-person customer contact during stated hours. Check Google's eligibility rules and exceptions before setting one up.

Check for an existing profile first

Search your business name and town in Google Maps. If the right listing already exists, follow its claim or ownership options rather than making a duplicate. Use a Google account the business controls. You can start or manage your Business Profile once you have checked the listing and the rules below.

Choose the right business type

• Storefront - customers come to you. Uses your street address, which is displayed.
• Service area business - you travel to customers. You register an address for verification but hide it, showing service areas instead.
• Hybrid - both, such as a salon that also does home visits.

Purely online businesses with no in-person contact are not eligible. Neither are virtual offices, mailbox services or coworking addresses used solely as a registered address - check the rules for addresses, names and business categories for your situation.

Verification

Follow the verification options offered in your profile. If Google requests a recording, read its video verification instructions before you start; what you need to show depends on your business type.

Plan an unedited recording that shows where you operate, evidence of the business and your authority to manage it. Have the appropriate signage, tools or access ready. Avoid filming private information or other people's faces.

The fields that matter

1. Business name

   Your real-world name as it appears on signage and paperwork. Adding location or keyword text that is not part of your real name can violate the naming guidelines. Put your services in their own fields.

2. Primary category

   Choose the category that describes your core business rather than the broadest available, then add secondary categories for genuine additional services.

3. Address or service area

   Storefronts show the address. Service-area businesses should list the areas where they actually work and hide an address where they do not receive customers.

4. Hours

   Keep them accurate and set special hours for holidays so customers can plan their visit.

5. Phone and website

   Use a phone number that reaches your business directly, and test it. Link to the relevant location or service page so customers do not have to search again.

6. Services and products

   Where these fields are available, describe what customers can actually buy or book. Keep availability and details current.

7. Photos

   Exterior shots that help someone recognise the place from the street, interior shots, and images of the work. Genuine photos of your own premises, not stock.

Reviews

Invite honest feedback from customers after a visit or job. Two rules matter when asking:

• Do not incentivise. Offering discounts or gifts for reviews is prohibited, as is buying them.
• Do not filter. Asking only customers you believe are happy is prohibited under Google's rules against selectively soliciting positive reviews. Use the same request process for all customers.

Responding to reviews, including critical ones, is visible to prospective customers and is a useful part of customer follow-up. Google's tips for requesting and replying to reviews explain how. Respond factually, avoid disclosing personal details about the reviewer, and offer to take specifics offline.

Keeping it healthy

• Update hours before holidays rather than after.
• Check for user-suggested edits, which can change your details without warning.
• Keep your name, address and phone number consistent with everywhere else they appear - see local search basics.
• If you move, update the profile rather than creating a new listing.

Questions owners ask