Google Business Profile: The Small Business Setup Guide

Short answer

A Google Business Profile is your free listing on Google Search and Maps. Go to business.google.com/add (or ‘Claim this business’ in Maps), enter your details, and verify by phone, email, video or postcard. Review takes up to 5 business days. Use your real-world name, a real address and as few categories as possible.

Short answer

Your Google Business Profile is the box that shows up on Google Search and Maps when someone looks for your business. It shows your hours, phone, photos and reviews. It’s free.

To set it up, add or claim your business, verify it, then fill in every field honestly. The rules that matter most: use your real-world business name, a real location customers can visit (or a hidden address with service areas), and as few categories as you need. Policies below are from Google’s help pages as of October 2026.

Step-by-step

Check whether a profile already exists. Search Google Maps for your business name and city. If you see a listing with “Claim this business,” it exists but isn’t managed. Select it, then Manage now. If it’s already verified by someone else (a former employee or agency), use Google’s request-ownership process instead.
If nothing exists, add your business. Go to business.google.com/add and follow the prompts. Sign in with a Google account the business controls, not a staff member’s personal account.
Enter your business name exactly as customers see it. Match your signage, stationery and website. Leave out taglines, cities, phone numbers and service keywords. Google treats extra words as a violation.
Choose your primary category. Pick the most specific category that finishes the sentence “This business IS a…” Add extra categories only if they describe what you are, not what you sell. Google asks you to use “as few categories as possible.”
Set your location or service area. – If customers visit you, enter the exact street address. One profile per physical location. – If you travel to customers and have no storefront, hide your address and add service areas. Google suggests keeping them within about 2 hours’ driving time. – P.O. boxes and virtual offices don’t qualify. If you rent a virtual office for mail, don’t use that address here.
Add a phone number and website. Use a number that reaches this location, ideally a local one, and that you control. The website link should go to your own site, not a social media page.
Verify. Google picks which methods you’re offered. You can’t choose. Options include phone or text code, email, a live video call, a recorded video, or a postcard with a 5-digit code. Review takes up to 5 business days. If you get a postcard, don’t change your name, address or category while you wait, and don’t request a second code. That cancels the first one.
Add hours. Enter regular customer-facing hours. Add special hours for holidays. Seasonal businesses can mark themselves temporarily closed off-season.
Upload photos. Add a logo, a cover photo, and real photos of your storefront, work and team. Google accepts JPG or PNG between 10 KB and 5 MB, recommends 720 × 720 px, and says photos should “represent reality.” Videos can run up to 30 seconds. Uploads can take 24 to 48 hours to appear, and nothing shows publicly until you’re verified.
Post updates. Go to business.google.com, select Posts, then Add post. Choose an Update, Offer or Event. Posts older than 6 months are archived unless you set a date range, so post regularly. Avoid putting phone numbers in post text; Google may reject posts if it can’t link the number to your business.
Ask for and reply to reviews. You must be verified to reply. Get your review link from the profile and share it with customers. Our guide on how to get more Google reviews covers this step in detail.
Keep your details the same everywhere. Your name, address and phone (NAP) should match your website, Facebook, Yelp and directory listings. Our Yext alternatives page covers tools that keep listings in sync.

Common mistakes

Keyword stuffing the name. “Joe’s Plumbing – Best Emergency Plumber Ridgewood NJ” is a violation. Use “Joe’s Plumbing.”
Using an address you don’t operate from. Mail drops, P.O. boxes and virtual offices aren’t eligible.
Too many categories. Pick the one that describes the business best, then add only true extras.
Editing during verification. Changing your name, address or category while a postcard is in the mail makes the code fail.
Paying for reviews. Google removes reviews posted because of an incentive, and it bars businesses from discouraging negative reviews or “selectively” asking only happy customers.
Letting someone else own it. If an agency or employee creates the profile under their account, you can lose access when they leave. Make sure the business owns the profile and add others as managers.
Linking to Facebook instead of your website. Google says your website and phone links must not redirect people to other pages or numbers, including social media pages.
Using a call center or premium-rate number. Use a number that reaches this location and that the business controls. Google prefers a local number.
Listing hours when you’re appointment-only. Google says some businesses, such as appointment-only operations, shouldn’t list regular hours.
Set and forget. Out-of-date hours and closed-day surprises lead to bad reviews. Check your profile monthly.

When to get help

Most owners can set up a single profile in an afternoon. Get help if:

Your profile was suspended or a competitor has claimed your listing.
You have several locations and need to manage them together.
Verification keeps failing or Google asks for more information.
Your listings across the web show different addresses or phone numbers and you need them cleaned up.

For ongoing listing management, see our Yext PowerListings review. For the wider picture of local search, visit the SEO category page. If you’d like someone to handle the setup and verification for you, we can get it set up.

Questions people ask

Is Google Business Profile free?

Yes. Google says adding or claiming a Business Profile is free. You only pay if you choose outside help or separate tools, such as listing-management software.

How long does Google Business Profile verification take?

Google says review takes up to 5 business days, sometimes longer. If you get the postcard option, the code usually arrives within 14 days and expires after 30.

Can I use a virtual office or PO box for my profile?

No. Google’s guidelines say P.O. boxes and mailboxes at remote locations aren’t acceptable, and a business that rents a mailing address but doesn’t operate there isn’t eligible. Co-working offices qualify only with signage, staff on site and in-person service during business hours.

What if I work from home or travel to customers?

Set up as a service-area business. Create one profile for your base, hide your address from customers, and list the areas you serve. Google suggests keeping service areas within about 2 hours’ drive.

Can I put keywords in my business name?

No. Google says including unnecessary information in your business name isn’t permitted. Use the name on your signage and website. Adding cities or service words can get your profile suspended.

Sources

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Google Business Profile: The Small Business Setup Guide

Short answer

Step-by-step

Common mistakes

When to get help

Questions people ask

Sources

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