How to Set Up and Optimise Your Google Business Profile (Step-by-Step Guide)
Your free Google Business Profile is often the first thing a local customer sees. Here is how to set it up properly, fill it in well and keep it working for you.
In this guide
A Google Business Profile is the free listing that shows your business in Google Search and Google Maps. When a nearby customer searches for what you do, your profile can show your opening hours, reviews, photos, phone number and a link to your website, often before they ever visit a web page. Google changes the exact screens from time to time, so the steps below describe the general flow rather than every button.
1. Check you are eligible
Google lets businesses that deal with customers face to face create a profile. That includes shops and offices, and it also includes businesses that travel to customers, such as plumbers, roofers and cleaners. If you serve customers at their address, you can usually hide your own address and list the areas you cover instead. Home-based businesses should read Google’s guidelines before choosing what to show publicly.
2. Create or claim your profile
Search for your business name while signed in to a Google account you control. Your business may already have a listing created from public information, in which case you can claim it instead of making a duplicate. Use your real-world business name exactly as customers see it on your signage, van or invoices. Adding extra keywords to the name can get your profile suspended.
3. Verify your business
Google needs to confirm that you really run the business before the profile is fully visible. Depending on your business and location, verification may be offered by phone, text, email, video or postcard. Choose the method offered, follow the instructions carefully and be patient if it takes a few days.
Set the profile up with a business-owned Google account rather than a personal or freelancer’s account, and note who has access. It makes life much easier if someone leaves or you change provider.
4. Choose your categories and services
Your primary category is one of the strongest signals of what you do, so choose the most specific option that fits your main service. Add secondary categories only for things you genuinely offer. Then list your individual services and, where relevant, short descriptions of each one.
5. Complete your business details
- Opening hours: keep them accurate, including holiday changes.
- Phone number and website: use a number you answer and link to the most useful page, often your services page.
- Service areas or address: be honest about where you really work.
- Business description: explain what you do, who you help and what makes you different, in plain language. Google limits the length, so keep it focused.
- Booking or quote link: if you offer one, add it so customers can act straight away.
6. Add real photos
Profiles with clear, genuine photos look more trustworthy. Add your logo, a cover image, pictures of your premises or team, and examples of your work. Use your own photos rather than stock images, and add new ones regularly.
7. Collect and answer reviews
Reviews are a big part of how people choose between local businesses. Ask satisfied customers to leave one, ideally soon after the job, and share your direct review link to make it simple. Reply to every review, thanking people for good ones and responding calmly and helpfully to criticism. Do not buy reviews, offer incentives or write reviews for your own business, since Google can remove them and penalise your profile.
8. Keep your profile up to date
Treat your profile as a living page. Update hours for bank holidays, add new services, upload fresh photos and check that your phone number and website link still work. Make sure the details match your website, which is why a clear contact page matters. For the bigger picture, follow our local SEO checklist.
Frequently asked questions
Is a Google Business Profile free?
Yes. Creating and managing a profile does not cost anything. Be cautious of anyone who charges you simply to claim a listing that you can claim yourself.
Do I need a website if I have a Google Business Profile?
A profile can work on its own, but a website lets you explain your services in more detail, show proof of your work and capture enquiries. The two work best together, with matching details on both.
Why has my profile been suspended?
Common causes include a business name stuffed with keywords, an address that does not match reality, or breaking review rules. Read Google’s guidelines, correct the problem and follow the reinstatement process.
How long does it take to appear on Google Maps?
It varies. Once your profile is verified it can appear quickly, but how high you show depends on relevance, distance and prominence, so treat it as an ongoing task rather than a one-off job.
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