You set up your Google Business Profile for free at business.google.com/add: enter your business name, category, address or service area, phone number and website, then verify the profile. It only becomes visible on Google once it's verified. After that, you keep your opening hours, photos, posts and reviews up to date.
What to have ready
According to Google, creating and displaying a Business Profile is free. Before you start, have these details to hand:
- A Google account. If you're creating a new one, Google recommends using an email address on your business domain.
- Your business name, exactly as it appears on your sign, letterhead and website.
- The category that describes your business.
- Your address, if customers visit you in person. Otherwise, your service area.
- Your phone number and website.
If you have several locations, each one gets its own profile.
Creating your profile step by step
- Go to business.google.com/add and sign in with your Google account.
- Enter your business name or pick it from the suggestions. If someone else has already verified the profile, you can request ownership.
- Search for the category that describes your business most accurately.
- Choose whether customers can visit a location. If they can, enter the address. If not, enter a service area.
- Enter your phone number and website.
- Choose a verification option and follow the instructions on screen.
If there's already a profile for your business that nobody has verified, don't create a new one. Google recommends claiming the existing one via Google Maps.
Getting your name, category and address right
Business name
Enter the name you also use offline. According to Google's guidelines, these don't belong in the name: marketing slogans, trademark symbols such as ®, words in all caps, opening hours, phone numbers, website addresses, details of products and services, and location information. Unnecessary legal form suffixes such as GmbH aren't intended either. So “Muster Joinery” shouldn't become “Muster Joinery Kitchens Kriens Lucerne”.
Category
Choose as few categories as possible, but make them as precise as possible. The category describes what your business is, not what it offers. According to Google, categories aren't meant to be a collection of search terms.
Address or service area
If you welcome customers on site, enter the exact address. If you work without premises, say as a gardener at customers' homes, hide the address and set a service area instead. Google allows up to 20 areas, such as towns or postcodes, which together generally shouldn't extend beyond about two hours' drive. Virtual offices and PO boxes aren't allowed as addresses.
Verifying your profile
Without verification, nobody sees your profile on Google. According to Google, the methods you're offered depend on your business type, publicly available information, your region and your opening hours. You can't choose them yourself.
| Method | How it works |
|---|---|
| Phone or text message | You receive a code on your business phone number. |
| You follow the instructions in an email sent to the address shown. | |
| Video | In a recording or a live call with support, you show your location, your business and proof that you run it, such as the key to the door. Live calls are only available during opening hours. |
| Postcard | A code is posted to your business address, usually within 14 days. It's valid for 30 days. |
After the verification step, Google reviews the profile. According to Google, this can take up to five working days, occasionally longer. So check your details before you request verification.
Opening hours, photos and posts
Opening hours
Enter your regular opening hours, including seasonal ones. For public holidays and temporary closures, there are special hours. That way your profile won't say “open” when the café in the old town is closed on Easter Monday.
Photos
Google recommends a logo, a cover photo and photos of the exterior, your products and your services. An exterior shot helps people find you more quickly on site. The technical requirements:
- JPG or PNG format
- File size 10 KB to 5 MB
- recommended 720 x 720 pixels, at least 250 x 250 pixels
- sharp, well lit, without heavy filters
Posts
With posts, you share news, offers and events directly in your profile. Google reviews every post, and phone numbers in the text can lead to it being rejected. Posts without an end date are archived after six months, so posting regularly keeps your profile current.
Other features
Depending on your industry, your profile can also show products, a menu or online appointment booking. In the statistics, you can see which search terms people use to find you, how often your profile is viewed and how many people call you.
Collecting reviews, the right way
You're allowed to ask customers for a review, for example with a link or a QR code at the counter. What Google forbids is any kind of incentive: free or discounted products and services in exchange for a review are strictly prohibited. The same goes for changing reviews or removing negative ones. Reviews have to be based on genuine experiences.
Reply to reviews, factually and politely, including the critical ones. How your profile works together with your website is explained in our guide Getting found locally on Google. We take care of the technical side as part of our SEO service.
Sources
- Google: Business Profile
- Google Help: Add or claim your Business Profile
- Google Help: Sign up for a Business Profile
- Google Help: Verify your business on Google
- Google Help: Guidelines for representing your business on Google
- Google Help: Manage photos and videos on your Business Profile
- Google Help: Create and manage posts on your Business Profile
- Google Help: Review policies
FAQ
Is a Google Business Profile free?
Yes. According to Google, creating the profile and displaying it on Google costs nothing.
How long does verification take?
After the verification step, Google reviews the profile, which by its own account takes up to five working days, occasionally longer. With the postcard, the code usually arrives within 14 days.
Can I create a profile without business premises?
Yes. You hide the address and enter a service area with up to 20 towns or regions. Virtual offices aren't allowed.
Can I put keywords in my business name?
No. The name has to be the same as the one you use offline. Additions such as services, places or slogans go against Google's guidelines.
Let us set up your profile.
If you like, we'll set up your Business Profile together with your website, with accurate details and suitable photos.