Google Business Profile: how to set it up so customers find you

Google Business Profile optimization means filling in every part of your free Google listing correctly, in the right order, and keeping it matched to your website. The fields that matter most for showing up on Maps are your primary category, your real business name, your address or service area, and your reviews. AI answers lean heavily on the same facts, plus your services, hours, and description, so getting them right helps you in both places.

Step by step setup

1. Claim and verify the profile. Go to Google Business Profile, search for your business, and claim it. Complete verification by video, phone, text, or postcard, whichever Google offers.
2. Use your exact business name. Enter your real name as it appears on your sign, truck, and paperwork. Do not add towns or keywords.
3. Choose primary and secondary categories. Pick the most specific primary category for your main work, then add secondary categories for other real services.
4. Set your address or service area. Show your address if customers visit you. If you travel to customers, hide the address and list the towns or areas you serve.
5. Add your phone number. Use the number you actually answer, the same one that is on your website.
6. Add your website. Link to your homepage, or to the page for that location if you have more than one.
7. Set your hours, including holiday hours. Update holiday hours before each holiday so Google does not send customers to a closed business.
8. List your services and products. Add each service by the name customers use, with a short description and a price or price range if you can.
9. Write your business description. In a few plain sentences, say what you do, where, and for whom. No links or sales slogans.
10. Pick your attributes. These are the checkboxes like "veteran owned," "wheelchair accessible," or "online estimates." Choose the ones that are true.
11. Upload photos. Add your logo, a cover photo, and real photos of your work, team, vehicles, and storefront. Add new ones regularly.
12. Publish posts. Share updates, offers, or recent jobs. Once or twice a month is plenty.
13. Answer questions. Watch the questions section and answer each one clearly so the right answer is the one people see.
14. Ask for and reply to reviews. Ask every customer after each job and reply to every review.

Which fields matter most

Why consistency with your website matters

Google and AI tools check your profile against your website and other listings. When your name, address, phone, services, and hours match everywhere, they trust the details and show them with confidence. When they do not match, they may show the wrong phone number or skip you. Each time you change a detail, change it on your profile, your website, and your directory listings on the same day.

Who this is for

• Local business owners setting up a Google Business Profile for the first time.
• Owners whose profile was set up years ago and never touched again.
• Trades and home service businesses that travel to customers and are unsure how to set a service area.

Who this is not for

• Online only businesses with no local customers. Google does not allow profiles for them.

Want to know how your business shows up? Get the free Visibility Audit. We check the real questions your customers ask and show you what is working, what is wrong, and what to fix first.