First check eligibility: a Google Business Profile generally requires in-person contact with customers during stated hours. Online-only businesses are not eligible. Follow the address and service-area rules that apply to your business; a virtual office is not a workaround.
When someone searches "plumber near me" or "tacos near me," Google often shows a map with three businesses before any regular results. Being in that map can bring in more calls than your website alone. Getting on it is free.
What you need
To appear on Google Maps, you need a Google Business Profile (formerly called Google My Business). It's a free listing that shows your name, location or service area, hours, phone, website, photos and reviews.
Step 1: Check if you're already listed
Search Google for your business name and city. If a profile appears on the right (on a computer) or at the top (on a phone), it may already exist. Look for a link that says something like "Own this business?" to claim it.
Step 2: Create or claim your profile
- Go to google.com/business and sign in with a Google account you'll keep long term.
- Enter your business name exactly as customers know it. Don't add extra keywords. That breaks Google's rules and can get your listing suspended.
- Choose your main business category. Pick the most specific one that fits, like "Roofing contractor" instead of "Contractor."
Step 3: Storefront or service area?
Google will ask whether customers visit your location.
- If customers come to you (a shop, salon, restaurant or office), add your address. It will show on the map.
- If you go to customers (plumbers, cleaners, mobile services), you can hide your address and list the cities or areas you serve instead. This is called a service-area business. Don't list a home address publicly if you don't want visitors.
Step 4: Add contact details
Add your phone number and website. Use the same business name, address and phone number everywhere online, including your website. Consistency helps Google trust your information.
Step 5: Verify your business
Google needs to confirm you're real before your listing goes fully live. Depending on your business, it may ask you to verify by:
- A phone call or text
- A video showing your business, equipment or signage
- A postcard mailed to your address
Follow the steps Google shows you. Verification can take anywhere from minutes to a couple of weeks.
Step 6: Complete everything
Profiles with complete information tend to perform better. Fill in:
- Hours, including holiday hours
- Services or products, with short descriptions and prices if you can share them
- Business description in plain language
- Photos: your work, team, storefront, vehicles and logo
- Attributes like "women-owned" or "wheelchair accessible," where they apply
Step 7: Get reviews
Reviews are one of the biggest factors in local results. Invite customers consistently to share honest feedback, and make it easy by sending your review link. You'll find it in your profile under an option like "Ask for reviews."
Step 8: Keep it active
- Respond to every review, good or bad, politely.
- Add new photos regularly.
- Post updates, offers or events.
- Update hours for holidays.
How long does it take to show up?
Once verified, your listing can appear quickly for searches of your business name. Showing up for broader searches like "roofer near me" takes longer and depends on your distance from the searcher, how well your profile matches the search, and how established your business looks online, including reviews.
Common mistakes
- Stuffing keywords into your business name
- Using a P.O. box as your address
- Choosing a vague category
- Different phone numbers on your profile and website
- Never replying to reviews
Get your profile set up properly once, keep it active, and it can become one of your best sources of new customers.