In short
- It is free and you manage it from your Google account or straight from Google Maps.
- Google will ask you to verify the business is yours, usually with a video, a call or a text.
- What matters most: the primary category, opening hours, photos and reviews.
- A complete, active profile brings calls and visits without paying for ads.
What Google Business Profile is
For years the tool was called Google My Business. In late 2021 Google renamed it Google Business Profile and moved most of the editing into Google Search and the Google Maps app. The listing itself is the same thing: only the name and the place where you edit it changed.
It is what a potential client sees when they search for your business name or for something like "English-speaking dentist near me": address, phone number, opening hours, photos, reviews and buttons to call or get directions. For a local business it is often the first impression, even before your website.
What you need before you start
- A Google account.
- Your business's real name, as it appears on your sign or invoices.
- A physical address if clients visit you, or the area you serve if you go to them.
- Phone number, opening hours and your website address, if you have one.
- A few good photos: shopfront, interior, team at work and finished jobs or products.
How to create your profile step by step
- Go to business.google.com with your Google account, or open Google Maps, tap your profile picture and choose "Add your business".
- Type your business name. If Google already has a listing with that name (it happens a lot), it will offer to let you claim it instead of creating another.
- Choose the primary category: the one that best describes what you do, not the most generic. "Dental clinic" beats "Clinic".
- Say whether clients can visit you and, if so, enter the exact address.
- Add the areas you serve, your phone number and your website.
- Complete verification. Depending on the business, Google may ask for a short video of your premises and something proving it's yours, a phone call, a text, an email or, in some cases, a postcard with a code.
Until the profile is verified, changes don't go live or take longer. If video verification fails, it is usually because the sign, the address or anything linking the place to the business isn't clearly visible.
What to fill in so your profile works
| Field | What to enter | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Your real business name, nothing added | Stuffing keywords ("Luigi's Pizza cheap pizza Marbella"): Google may suspend the profile |
| Primary category | The most specific one available | Choosing a generic one because it "covers more" |
| Additional categories | Other services you really offer | Adding categories for things you don't do |
| Opening hours | Your real hours, including public holidays | Leaving summer hours on all year |
| Description | What you do, for whom and where, in natural language | Pasting your website text or leaving it empty |
| Services or products | A list with one line each and, if you like, a guide price | Not filling them in |
| Photos | Shopfront, interior, team and real work | Only your logo or stock photos |
| Website | Your site (or the relevant service page) | Linking to a social profile with no information |
Your name, address and phone number should be exactly the same on the profile, on your website and in every directory you appear in. Inconsistencies confuse Google.
Reviews: how to get them and how to reply
Reviews are what clients look at most before calling you, and one of the factors Google uses to rank businesses in an area. To get more, ask at the right moment (right after a good job) and make it easy: from your profile you can copy a direct review link and send it by WhatsApp or email, or print it as a QR code for your counter.
- Reply to every review, good ones too. "Thanks, Sarah, glad you enjoyed the menu" is enough.
- If you serve clients in two languages, reply in the language the review was written in.
- With a negative review, stay calm, acknowledge what needs acknowledging and offer a solution. Your reply is read by the next client.
- Don't buy reviews or offer discounts in exchange for them: it breaks Google's rules and can get the profile suspended.
Keeping your profile active
- Upload new photos every month.
- Publish updates or offers from the profile when there's something to share.
- Update opening hours for holidays.
- Check the stats: calls, direction requests and website visits that come from the profile.
If you have a profile but it doesn't show up when people search for your service in your area, the problem is no longer the profile but local SEO: your website's relevance, reviews, mentions on other sites and local competition. That is what we work on in our local SEO service. For the basics, read what is SEO.
FAQ
Is Google Business Profile free?
Yes. Creating and managing your profile costs nothing. You only pay if you choose to advertise on Google Ads, which is separate.
Is Google Business Profile the same as Google My Business?
Yes. Google My Business was the original name; Google renamed it Google Business Profile in 2021. It is the same listing.
Can I have a profile without premises open to the public?
Yes. Set it up as a service-area business and hide your address. That's the norm for professionals who visit clients.
Can I have my profile in English and Spanish?
The profile has a single description. Many businesses in Spain write a short description in both Spanish and English, and reply to each review in the language it was written in.
Want your profile to bring in clients?
We review your Business Profile, complete it and work on your local SEO so you show up in your area. From €200/month.
See local SEO