To get your business on Google, you need to create a Google Business Profile, the free listing that shows your business name, address, hours, photos, and reviews across Google Search and Google Maps. The process takes about 15 minutes to set up, though verification can add a few days to a few weeks before your listing goes fully live.
What You Need Before You Start
A Google Business Profile is available to any business that makes in-person contact with customers during its stated hours. That includes retail shops, restaurants, medical offices, service providers who travel to customers, and seasonal businesses like ice-skating rinks (as long as they display permanent signage year-round). Delivery-only food services also qualify with some conditions.
A few types of businesses are not eligible. Online-only businesses, brands without a physical location, lead generation companies, and rental properties (like vacation homes or vacant apartments) cannot create a profile. If your address is a P.O. box or a mailbox at a remote location, Google will reject it. Businesses selling age-restricted products like alcohol, cannabis, or weapons can have a profile only if they have a physical storefront, not as service-area businesses.
To create your listing, you’ll need a Google account (a free Gmail address works), your exact business name as it appears in the real world, your physical address or service area, a phone number, your business category, and your hours of operation.
Setting Up Your Profile Step by Step
Go to business.google.com and sign in with your Google account. Click “Manage now” or “Add your business” and type your business name. If it doesn’t appear in the dropdown, select the option to add a new business.
Google will walk you through a series of prompts. You’ll choose a primary business category (pick the one that most precisely describes what you do, like “Italian Restaurant” rather than just “Restaurant”), enter your address, and specify whether you serve customers at your location, at their location, or both. If you’re a plumber or house cleaner who travels to clients, you can hide your street address and instead list the areas you serve.
Add your phone number, website URL, and business hours. Upload photos of your storefront, interior, products, or team. Listings with photos get significantly more engagement than those without, so don’t skip this step. You can always add more later.
How Verification Works
After you submit your profile, Google needs to confirm your business is real and that you’re authorized to manage it. The verification method is chosen automatically by Google based on your business type, location, and other factors. You cannot pick your preferred method.
The most common options include:
- Video recording: You record a short video showing proof of your business location and signage, then upload it through the verification flow.
- Phone or text: Google sends a verification code to your business phone number. Automated phone systems won’t receive the code, so make sure a person or a standard text inbox can pick it up.
- Email: A code is sent to the email address associated with your profile.
- Live video call: A Google representative verifies your business over a live call during your listed business hours.
- Postcard: Google mails a postcard with a verification code to your business address. Most postcards arrive within 14 days, and the code expires after 30 days.
While waiting for verification, do not edit your business name, address, or category. Changing any of these will invalidate the code Google sent, forcing you to start over. Also avoid requesting a new code if you’re waiting on a postcard. A new request cancels the previous code and triggers a fresh mailing, which only delays things further.
Once you enter your code or complete your video verification, Google reviews the submission. This review can take up to five business days.
Managing Your Profile After It’s Live
Google retired the standalone Google My Business app. You now manage your profile directly from Google Search or the Google Maps app. Just sign in to the Google account linked to your profile, search for your business name on Google, and you’ll see editing options appear above the search results. On mobile, open Google Maps, tap “Business” in the bottom right, and you’ll have access to edit your profile, respond to reviews, post updates, and view performance data.
Keep your information current. If your hours change for holidays, update them. If you move locations, update your address immediately. Outdated information frustrates customers and can hurt your visibility in search results.
How to Show Up Higher in Local Search
Getting listed is only the first step. Where your business appears in local search results depends on three factors: proximity, relevance, and prominence.
Proximity is how close your business is to the person searching. You can’t change your location, but you can make sure your address is accurate and consistent everywhere it appears online. Your name, address, and phone number should be identical on your Google profile, your website, and any other directory listings.
Relevance is how well your listing matches what someone searched for. Choosing the right business categories matters here. So does the content on your website, including the keywords you naturally use to describe your services. Reviews from customers also help Google understand what your business offers, since people often mention specific products or services in their feedback.
Prominence is how well-known and trusted your business appears to Google. Review volume and quality play a major role. Businesses with more positive reviews tend to rank higher. Responding to reviews, both positive and negative, signals that your business is active and engaged. Your website’s overall authority, including factors like how many other reputable sites link to it, also contributes.
Post updates regularly through your profile. Share new products, promotions, events, or news. Add fresh photos. Google favors active profiles over stale ones.
What to Do If Your Profile Gets Suspended
Google can suspend a profile if it detects a policy violation, such as a misleading business name, a fake address, or prohibited content. If this happens, Google’s appeals tool will show you the specific reason and the policy you violated.
To appeal, gather documentation that proves your business is legitimate and operates at the listed address. Strong evidence includes your official business registration, a business license, tax certificates, or utility bills (electricity, phone, internet) showing your business name and address. Make sure the name and address on every document match what’s on your profile exactly.
After you submit your appeal, Google gives you the option to upload supporting documents through a linked form. You have only 60 minutes from the time you submit the appeal to attach this evidence, so have your documents scanned and ready before you begin the process.