How to Create a Google Business Profile, Step by Step

Before you create a Google Business Profile, type your business name and city into Google Maps. A listing may already exist for your address or an older version of your name, and a second one is how duplicates start.

If nothing comes up, the setup is free and follows a fixed order: add the business, verify it, then fill in the details customers see. A few choices along the way, mainly the name, the address and the category, are the ones that cause trouble later.

A business with one location and an accurate address can do all of it without paying anyone. Google says adding or claiming a profile is at no charge, and the steps in this post follow its own help pages.

Start with the search. Use your business name and town, then try your phone number, your website address and your street address too.

Search Google Maps first, because your business may already be listed

Open Google Maps and search the business name with your city. Check the phone number, the website address and the street address as well, plus any old name or spelling the business has used. If the result is your business, you do not need a new profile, you need control of the one that exists.

Google's help page for adding or claiming a profile gives the path. On a computer, search for the business in Maps, select "Claim this business," then "Manage now," and choose a verification method. In the Google Maps app, select the business, tap "About," tap "Claim this business," then "Manage now."

If the profile is already verified under someone else's account, request ownership instead of starting over. The duplicate listing post covers what to do when two profiles for one location already exist.

Adding a new business takes four steps in Google's order

If no listing matches, the add or claim page on Google Business Profile Help lists the sequence. The same steps put the business on Google Maps and Search once it is verified.

1. Go to business.google.com/add.
2. Select "Add your business to Google."
3. Follow the on-screen instructions to add your business details.
4. Select a verification option and follow the on-screen steps.

Google also says to check that your address meets its address guidelines before you submit it. That check saves a restart, because the name, address and category you enter are what Google reviews. The next two sections cover those three choices.

The name, the address and the category must match the real business

Google's guidelines for representing your business say, "Your name should reflect your business's real-world name." Taglines, store codes, hours, phone numbers, URLs and service or location details do not belong in it. Google says unnecessary information in the name could lead to suspension, so a shop signed "Corner Tailoring" is listed as "Corner Tailoring," not with a slogan or a town added after it.

For the address, Google says P.O. boxes and mailboxes at remote locations are not acceptable, and virtual offices are not eligible. A suite or mailbox number goes in "Address Line 2." A business that shows its address should have permanent, fixed signage at that location.

For the category, Google says to pick the ones that finish the sentence "This business IS a," and to use as few as possible to describe your core business. The first category is the primary one, and you can add up to nine more later on the edit page. Categories are not keyword fields. If you are torn between two, the post on choosing categories walks through the decision.

A business that travels to customers hides its address, and an online-only business checks eligibility first

Some businesses never have customers walk in: a plumber who works out of a home, a mobile groomer, a lawn crew. Google's guidance is one profile for the central office or location, with a designated service area, and the address hidden from customers. Its example is a plumber working from home. It also says a service area generally should not extend past about two hours of driving time from the base.

A business with no in-person contact is a different case. Google's eligibility guidelines say a business must make in-person contact with customers during its stated hours. Online-only businesses, lead generation companies and businesses with only a P.O. box or remote mailbox are listed as ineligible. If that describes you, read the eligibility page before you spend time on a profile.

Google chooses the verification method, and the review adds a wait

After you submit the details, Google asks you to verify. The verification page says the methods are automatically determined by Google and cannot be changed, and some businesses may need more than one. What you see can include phone or text, email, a live video call, a postcard, a video recording, and instant verification through Search Console or bulk verification.

Whichever method you get, the review after the verification steps takes up to 5 business days, with rare exceptions. So, the right plan is a patient one: do not announce a launch date or print a "find us on Google" sign until the profile shows as verified.

A video recording asks for more of you. Google's video verification page says the video must be recorded live and unedited, at least 30 seconds long, on a mobile device through the profile, and it must show the location, that the business exists and that you manage it. Walk the route in one take: the street, the sign, the entrance, the inside of the shop. The video verification post goes through what to film.

Fill in hours, phone, website and location as soon as the profile is verified

Google's getting-started page says to provide your business hours, website, phone number and location so they are visible to customers on Google. Those are the first fields to confirm, because they are what a customer needs to reach you or find the door. Work through the rest in whatever order suits you.

For the phone, you can add a primary number and up to two more, and a fax number does not count. For the website, enter the full address with http:// or https:// at the start. If your hours change on holidays or by season, update them as soon as you know, because they decide whether a customer arrives at a locked door.

Then add photos, services and a description. Google's photo guidelines say photos must be JPG or PNG, from 10 KB to 5 MB, at least 250 by 250 pixels, and recommend 720 by 720. They can take 24 to 48 hours to show, and customers see them on Google only after the profile is verified. The description goes under "Edit profile," stays under 750 characters, and cannot include URLs or HTML code. Describe the business, not promotions or prices; the post on writing the description has the details. Whatever you write, keep it accurate, because the FTC's advertising basics cover the accuracy of what a business says about its services and photos.

One location can do all of this alone, and some cases are worth paying for

For a business with one location, an accurate address and a verification method Google offers, Google's steps are enough. You do not need a vendor to create or claim the profile.

Paid help earns its fee in the cases that go wrong: a duplicate you cannot merge, a profile someone else owns, a verification that keeps failing, several locations to keep consistent, or a service-area question that is not obvious. In those cases, the cost of a mistake is a profile you do not control. Whoever helps you should set it up so the owner account is yours. Google's help on owners and managers explains the roles.

Frequently Asked Questions About How to Create a Google Business Profile

Is it free to create a Google Business Profile?

Yes. Google says adding or claiming a profile is at no charge. A vendor is optional, and only worth considering for duplicates, ownership disputes, repeated failed verification or several locations.

Can an online-only business create a profile?

Google requires in-person contact with customers during stated hours. Online-only businesses and lead generation companies are listed as ineligible, so confirm your eligibility on Google's page first.

What if my business already shows on Google Maps?

Select "Claim this business," then "Manage now," if the listing is unverified. If another account has verified it, request ownership. Do not create a second profile for the same location.

Can I hide my home address on Google Maps?

Yes, if customers do not visit it. A business that travels to customers uses one profile for its central location with a service area and hides the address.

How long does Google Business Profile verification take?

Google says most postcard codes arrive within 14 days and expire after 30 days. Review after the verification steps takes up to 5 business days, with rare exceptions. Plan for a wait rather than a date.

Is Google My Business the same as a Google Business Profile?

Google Business Profile is the current name. People still search "Google My Business," but the steps in this post are for the profile Google offers today at business.google.com/add.

Wrapping Up

A good profile starts with a search, not a form. Look for an existing listing, claim it if it is unverified, and otherwise add the business at business.google.com/add with the real-world name, a real address or a hidden service area, and one specific category. Then complete whichever verification method Google offers and wait out the review.

Once the profile is verified, the hours, phone, website, photos, services and description are what a customer meets first. Getting them right once spares you the work of undoing a duplicate or a suspension later, and the profile stays tied to the business you actually run.

If a duplicate, an ownership dispute, a verification that keeps failing or several locations is slowing you down, Web Leveling can help. Our Google Business Profile management covers setup, ownership and upkeep, and we work with small and medium businesses across the country and overseas. Tell us where your profile is stuck, and we will reply with the next step.

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