If someone Googles your business and you don't show up, you don't exist. Google Business Profile is free, takes 15 minutes, and puts you on Google Maps and Search with all your info — hours, address, phone, reviews, photos. Here's how to set it up right.
| Tool | What It Does | Cost | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Business Profile | Gets your business on Google Maps and Search | Free | Sign up → |
What to do: Visit business.google.com and sign in with your Google account. If you don’t have a Google account, create one — it’s free.
Why you’re doing it: This is Google’s official tool for managing how your business appears on Google Search and Google Maps.
What to expect: You’ll see a setup wizard that walks you through everything step by step. The whole process takes about 15 minutes.
Common mistakes: Using a personal Gmail account instead of a business one. If you have a business email on Google Workspace, use that. If not, your personal account works fine — you can always transfer ownership later.
What to do: Type your business name exactly as customers would search for it. Then select your primary business category from Google’s dropdown list.
Why you’re doing it: Your business name and category directly affect when you show up in search results. “Joe’s Plumbing” in the “Plumber” category will show up when someone searches “plumber near me.”
What to expect: Google has thousands of categories. Start typing and it’ll suggest options. Pick the one that most closely matches what you do.
Common mistakes: Trying to stuff keywords into your business name. If your business is called “Joe’s Plumbing,” don’t enter “Joe’s Plumbing — Best Affordable Emergency Plumber in Houston.” Google will flag this and it can get your listing suspended.
What to do: Enter your business address if customers visit you. If you go to customers (like a home service business), you can hide your address and just set a service area instead.
Why you’re doing it: This determines where you show up on Google Maps and in “near me” searches.
What to expect: Straightforward form fields. If you serve customers at their location, you’ll check a box and then define your service area by cities, zip codes, or mile radius.
Common mistakes: Home-based businesses showing their home address publicly. If you work from home, use the service area option instead. Your home address won’t appear on your listing.
What to do: Enter your business phone number and website URL.
Why you’re doing it: These appear directly on your listing. When someone finds you on Google, they can call you or visit your site with one tap.
What to expect: Just two fields. Takes 30 seconds.
Common mistakes: Using a personal cell phone that you don’t answer during business hours. If you’re going to list a phone number, make sure someone picks up.
What to do: Google needs to confirm you actually own this business. They’ll usually send a postcard to your address with a verification code, or verify by phone or email.
Why you’re doing it: Verification prevents someone else from claiming your business listing. Your listing won’t fully appear on Google until you verify.
What to expect: Postcard verification takes 5–14 days. Phone and email verification are instant but not always available. Check if Google offers video verification — it’s newer and usually faster.
Common mistakes: Not completing verification. Your listing sits in limbo until you enter that code. Don’t forget about it.
What to do: After verification, fill in everything else: business hours, photos (at least 5), a business description, services/menu items, and any special attributes (wheelchair accessible, free Wi-Fi, etc.).
Why you’re doing it: Complete profiles get significantly more clicks than bare-bones ones. Google also ranks complete profiles higher in local search results.
What to expect: Budget 10–15 minutes for this. The description field lets you write about 750 characters about your business.
Common mistakes: Skipping photos. Listings with photos get 42% more requests for directions and 35% more clicks to websites. Use real photos of your business, not stock images.
This workflow is Verified. We’ve set up Google Business Profiles for multiple businesses and confirmed every step works as described. Google occasionally updates their interface, so screenshots may vary slightly from what you see.