To add your business to Google, you need to create a free Google Business Profile, which puts your company on Google Search and Google Maps. The entire setup takes about 15 to 20 minutes, though verification can add a few days depending on the method Google assigns. Here’s how to do it from start to finish.
What You Need Before You Start
You’ll need a Google account (a standard Gmail address works fine) and basic details about your business: name, address or service area, phone number, website, and business hours. If you don’t already have a Google account, create one first at accounts.google.com.
Your business must make in-person contact with customers during its stated hours to qualify for a profile. That includes brick-and-mortar stores, restaurants, service providers who travel to customers (plumbers, cleaners, mobile mechanics), and hybrid businesses that do both. Seasonal businesses like holiday shops or ice-skating rinks qualify too, as long as they display permanent signage year-round.
Some business types are not eligible. Online-only businesses, brands without a physical customer-facing location, lead generation companies, and rental properties (like vacation homes or vacant apartments) cannot create profiles. Businesses using a P.O. box or a mailbox at a remote location as their address are also ineligible. If your business sells age-restricted products like alcohol, cannabis, or weapons, you need a physical storefront to qualify.
Step-by-Step Setup Process
Go to the Google Business Profile site and click “Manage now.” Sign in with your Google account. Then follow these steps:
- Enter your business name. Type your business name exactly as it appears in the real world, on your signage, business cards, and legal documents. If your name doesn’t appear in the dropdown suggestions, click “Add your business to Google” at the bottom of the list.
- Choose a business category. Pick a primary category that best describes what your business does (for example, “Italian Restaurant” or “Plumber”). You can also add secondary categories to capture other services. Be specific rather than broad, because your category directly affects which searches your profile appears in.
- Add your location. If customers visit you at a physical address, enter that address. If you go to your customers instead (like a mobile dog groomer or house cleaner), you’ll set up a service area instead. More on that below.
- Add contact information. Enter your business phone number and website URL. These show up directly on your profile, so use the number and site you want customers to reach.
- Set your business hours. Enter your regular hours of operation. You can update these later for holidays or seasonal changes.
Once you’ve filled in the basics, Google will prompt you to verify your business.
How Verification Works
Google requires verification to confirm you’re the actual owner of the business before your profile goes live. The verification method is assigned automatically by Google based on your business type, location, and other factors. You cannot choose your own method.
The most common options include:
- Phone or text. Google sends a verification code to your business phone number via call or SMS. You enter the code on your profile and you’re done. This is the fastest option, taking just a few minutes. Note that automated phone systems won’t receive the code, so you need a phone a person can answer or a device that receives texts.
- Email. Google sends a verification link to an email address associated with your business. Follow the steps in the email to confirm.
- Video recording. You record a short video showing your business, including signage, your location, and evidence that you operate there. Upload it through your profile.
- Live video call. A Google support representative joins a video call with you during your business hours. Be prepared to show outdoor signage, nearby landmarks or street signs confirming your location, your products or equipment, and access to employee-only areas like a storage room, kitchen, or cash register.
- Postcard by mail. Google mails a postcard with a five-digit verification code to your business address. When it arrives, enter the code on your profile. The code expires after 30 days. While you’re waiting, do not edit your business name, address, or category, and don’t request a new code. Any of those actions will invalidate the code that’s already on its way.
In some cases, Google may require more than one verification method. There’s no way around this. Just complete each step as prompted.
Setting Up a Service Area Business
If you travel to customers rather than serving them at your own location, you’re considered a service-area business. Plumbers, house cleaners, mobile pet groomers, and delivery-only food services all fall into this category. A hybrid business that does both (serves walk-in customers and also travels to them) can list a storefront address and define a service area.
To configure your service area, go to your Business Profile, select “Edit profile,” then “Location,” and edit the service area field. You define your area by city names, postal codes, or other geographic boundaries. You can list up to 20 service areas, but the outer boundary of your total coverage shouldn’t extend more than about two hours of driving time from your base. You can’t simply set a radius around your address.
If you don’t serve customers at your business address, remove that address from your profile. Leaving it visible when you’re strictly a service-area business can cause problems with Google’s guidelines and potentially lead to suspension.
Keeping Your Profile in Good Standing
Google suspends or disables profiles that violate its guidelines, and it often won’t tell you exactly which rule you broke. The most common triggers involve your business name and address. Your profile name should match your real-world business name exactly. Don’t stuff keywords into it (listing yourself as “Joe’s Plumbing | Best Emergency Plumber in Town” when your actual business name is “Joe’s Plumbing” is a violation). Don’t use a P.O. box or virtual office address, and make sure the address you list matches the one where customers can actually find you.
If your profile does get suspended, you’ll need to review Google’s eligibility and content guidelines, correct whatever’s wrong, and submit a reinstatement request. The process can take time, so getting everything right during initial setup saves real headaches later.
What to Do After Verification
Once verified, your profile is live, but a bare-bones listing won’t do much for you. Take a few extra minutes to fill in the details that help customers choose your business over the one listed below it.
Add photos of your storefront, interior, products, or team. Profiles with photos get significantly more engagement than those without. Write a business description that explains what you do, who you serve, and what makes you different. Keep it straightforward and factual.
List your specific services or products using the menu and services sections Google provides. If you have set hours for holidays or special events, add those as special hours so customers aren’t showing up to a locked door. Enable messaging if you want customers to contact you directly through your profile.
Once reviews start coming in, respond to them, both positive and negative. Engagement signals to Google that your profile is active, and it shows potential customers that a real person is behind the business. You can also post updates, offers, and events directly to your profile, which appear when people find you in search results or on Maps.