How to add your business to Google Maps (Google Business Profile), a complete guide
Yeheli Sampson · · 4 min read
The short answer
Go to business.google.com, add your business, pick an exact category, set an address or a service area, add your phone and website, and verify. After verification, fill in hours, services, photos and a description, and ask every customer for a review.
When someone searches Google for a service nearby, the first thing they often see is not a website but a card on Maps. That card is your Google Business Profile, and it is free.
This guide walks through the whole process: creating it, verifying it, and filling it in so it actually brings inquiries.
What to prepare first
- A Google account that will manage the business long term, ideally a business account rather than a personal one
- Your business name exactly as it appears on your sign and site
- Your address, or the list of areas you serve
- A phone number you answer
- Your website address, if you have one
Before creating a new profile, search for your business name on Maps. Sometimes a card already exists, created automatically or by someone else. If so, request ownership instead of creating a duplicate.
Creating the profile, step by step
- 1
Open Business Profile Manager
Go to business.google.com and sign in with the business's Google account.
- 2
Type your business name
If Google suggests an existing business with that name, check whether it is you. If not, continue to create a new one.
- 3
Choose a primary category
One of the most important settings. Type what you do and pick the most precise match from the list.
- 4
Set your location
If customers come to you, enter your address. If you go to customers, set a service area and hide the address.
- 5
Add phone and website
A number you answer and your site address. If you have no site yet, you can add it later.
- 6
Verify
Google offers a verification method, such as a call, a text, an email or a short video showing the business. The options vary by business.
After verification Google may review your details, which can take a few days. Meanwhile you can start filling in the rest of the profile.
What to fill in so the profile brings inquiries
- 1
Opening hours, including special hours
Set hours for holidays and special days so nobody arrives at a closed door.
- 2
Services
A list of what you do, in the words customers search for. Not only your main service.
- 3
Description
A few plain sentences: what you do, for whom, and what is special. No list of keywords.
- 4
Photos
Real photos of the place, the team and the work. Add new ones now and then.
- 5
Links
Your website and, where possible, a WhatsApp or booking link, so a customer can reach you in one tap.
Consistency: the same details everywhere
Your name, address and phone should be written exactly the same on the profile, your site, Facebook, Instagram and anywhere else online. When details do not match, it is harder for Google to be sure it is the same business.
Once the profile is live
- Ask every customer for a review, and reply to every review
- Update photos and hours when something changes
- Answer questions people ask about your business on the profile
- Check the Performance tab to see which searches brought people to you
Common mistakes
- Adding keywords to the business name. It goes against Google's guidelines and can hurt the profile
- Creating a second profile when one already exists
- A category that is too general
- A profile with no photos and no website link
- Managing the profile from a personal account someone else controls
Questions on this topic
Does a Google Business Profile cost money?
No. Creating and managing a Google Business Profile is free.
Can I appear on Maps without an address?
Yes. A business that goes to its customers can set a service area and hide its address.
What if a card for my business already exists that I did not create?
Request ownership through the card on Maps. That keeps the existing reviews and avoids a duplicate.