Google Business Profile: Setup and Optimization

If you run a local business, your Google Business Profile is often the first thing customers see about you. It is the box with your name, stars, photos, hours and a “Call” button. Yet many owners either never claimed it, or set it up years ago and forgot about it. A common question I hear is: “I have a profile. What else is there to do?”

Quite a lot, as it turns out. In this lesson, I will walk you through setting up and verifying a profile, filling in each important section, and staying within Google’s rules so your profile doesn’t get suspended. By the end, you will be able to audit your own profile and fix the gaps in an afternoon.

This lesson follows local SEO basics, where you learned that Google ranks local results on relevance, distance and prominence. Your profile is where you shape the first of those directly.

What is a Google Business Profile and who can have one?

A Google Business Profile (it used to be called Google My Business) is a free listing that lets your business appear in Google Maps and in the local results on Google Search. You manage it through your Google account, and you can edit your details, add photos, reply to reviews and post updates.

Not every business is eligible. Google’s guidelines for representing your business say a profile is for businesses that make in-person contact with customers. That means either:

Customers come to you at a real address during your stated hours (a shop, clinic, restaurant or office), or
You go to your customers (a plumber, mobile groomer or cleaning service).

A few things are not allowed. Virtual offices, meaning a rented mailing address where you don’t actually work, are not eligible. P.O. boxes and remote mailboxes aren’t acceptable addresses. And a business that only operates online, with no face-to-face contact, doesn’t fit the guidelines. You can have only one profile per physical location.

How do you set up and verify your profile?

Setting up a profile takes only a few minutes. Verifying it can take a little longer. Verification is how Google confirms you really own or manage the business. Until you verify, you can’t fully manage the profile, and Google says verified businesses are more likely to show up in results.

Here is the process in order:

Search for your business on Google or Maps to check whether a profile already exists. Google sometimes creates one from public information. If it exists, choose the option to claim it rather than creating a duplicate.
Sign in with a Google account you will keep long term. I suggest a business account, not a staff member’s personal email.
Enter your business name exactly as it appears in the real world, on your sign, website and invoices.
Choose your primary category, the one that best describes what your business is.
Add your address if customers visit you, or set your service area if you travel to them.
Add your phone number and website.
Complete verification using the method Google offers you.

Which verification method will you get?

You don’t get to choose. Google’s help page says verification methods are decided automatically and can’t be changed, though if more than one is shown, you can try another. The options include:

Method	How it works	Good to know
Video recording	You record a short video of your business, following the prompts Google shows you	Google recommends it when you’re eligible
Live video call	You show your business to a Google support person on a call	Only available during your business hours
Phone or text	You receive a code by call or SMS	An automated phone menu won’t receive the code
Email	A code goes to an email address shown on screen	You need access to that exact address
Postcard	A 5-digit code arrives by mail at your address	Usually within 14 days; codes expire after 30 days

Google says it may take up to five business days to review a verification, sometimes longer. One tip: if you are waiting for a postcard, don’t change your business name, address or category, because that can invalidate the code. Our article on Google Business Profile setup has screenshots of each step.

What are the rules for your business name?

This is where most profiles get into trouble. Google’s guidelines say your name should reflect your business’s real-world name, and that adding unnecessary information is not permitted.

Many owners are tempted to add keywords or locations to the name, hoping to rank higher. For example, “Smith Plumbing – Best Emergency Plumber Austin 24/7.” This breaks the guidelines and can lead to the profile being suspended. Competitors can also suggest an edit to fix it, so the trick rarely lasts.

Allowed (example)	Not allowed (example)	Why
Smith Plumbing	Smith Plumbing – Emergency Plumber Austin	Adds service and location keywords
Rosa’s Bakery	ROSA’S BAKERY – Best Cakes in Town!	All caps and a marketing tagline
Green Valley Dental	Green Valley Dental \| Open 7 Days \| 555-0100	Hours and phone number in the name

Google’s own examples follow the same idea: a bank’s name is fine, but the bank’s slogan added to it is not; a hotel’s name with its town is fine if that is its real name, but highway directions are not.

How do you choose categories and add services?

Categories tell Google what kind of business you are. They are one of the strongest ways to show relevance. You pick one primary category and can add more.

Google’s guidelines give a helpful test: a category should complete the sentence “This business IS a…”. It should not describe things you merely have or offer. A hotel with a restaurant inside is a “Hotel,” not a “Restaurant.” Google also asks you to use as few categories as possible and pick the most specific ones that describe your core business.

Here is how I would approach it:

Search your main service and look at the primary categories of the businesses in the map pack.
Choose the most specific primary category that is true for you, for example “Pediatric dentist” rather than just “Dentist,” if that is what you are.
Add secondary categories only for real parts of your business, not for keywords you wish you ranked for.

Next, fill in your services (or products, if you are a retailer). This is where you can describe what you actually do in plain words, which gives Google more to match against searches. Our guides to choosing Business Profile categories and adding services to your profile go deeper on both.

What else should a complete profile include?

Google’s local ranking help page says businesses with complete and accurate information are more likely to show up in local results. Here is what to fill in beyond the basics:

Hours, including special hours. Set your regular hours and update them for holidays. Google’s guidelines say businesses that work by appointment only, or have varied schedules like class times, generally shouldn’t list hours.
Phone number. Use a local number that reaches the specific location and is under your direct control.
Website link. Link to your home page or, for multi-location businesses, the page for that location. The link shouldn’t redirect to a social media page.
Business description. Explain what you do, who you serve and what makes you different, in plain language.
Attributes. Things like parking, Wi-Fi or accessibility details help customers and matching.
Photos and videos. Show your storefront, interior, team and work. Real photos build trust. See our Business Profile photos guide for ideas.
Posts. Short updates, offers or event announcements that appear on your profile. They are a simple way to keep the profile fresh; our guide to using Business Profile posts explains the types.

What happened to questions and answers?

For years, profiles had a public “Questions and answers” section where anyone could ask a question. In late 2025 Google began removing this from Maps and replacing it with an AI-powered “Ask” feature that answers from information about your business. The practical lesson is simple: put the answers to common customer questions in your description, services and website, where both people and Google’s AI can find them. We look at AI features in more depth in the lesson on AI Overviews and AI Mode.

Try it: a 30-minute audit of your own profile

Open your profile (search your business name while signed in, or use the Business Profile manager) and work through this list:

Name: Does it match your real sign and website exactly, with no extra keywords? Fix it if not.
Primary category: Is it the most specific true description of your business? Compare with the top three competitors.
Address or service area: Is it correct and set the right way for your business type?
Hours: Are they current? Add any upcoming holiday hours.
Phone and website: Call the number and click the link to make sure both work.
Services: Is every main service listed with a short description?
Photos: Do you have recent photos of the outside, inside and your work? Add five if not.
Description: Does it answer the three questions customers ask most?

Write down what you changed and the date. If your profile gets a lot of views but few calls, the Business Profile performance data can help you see where people drop off.

Questions beginners ask about Google Business Profile

Is a Google Business Profile free?

Yes. Creating and managing a profile is free. Google also says there is no way to pay for a better local ranking. Paid ads can appear in Maps, but they are separate and labeled.

Can I add keywords to my business name to rank better?

No. Google’s guidelines say your name should match your real-world business name, without extra information like services, locations or taglines. Keyword-stuffed names break the rules and can lead to a suspension.

I work from home. Can I still have a profile?

Yes, if you serve customers in person. If customers don’t visit your home, set a service area and hide your address, as Google’s guidelines advise for service-area businesses.

Why did my profile ask me to verify again?

Google may ask you to re-verify after you change key details like your name, address or category. If the “Get verified” button appears again, follow the steps shown, and try another method if one is offered.

Your profile in brief: accurate, complete and honest

In brief: claim and verify your profile, use your real business name, choose the most specific true category, and fill in every section that applies, from services to photos to hours. Keep it updated, and never try to game it with keywords or fake addresses. A complete, honest profile is the base that every other local SEO effort builds on.

In the next lesson, reviews and local citations, you will learn how to earn more reviews within Google’s rules, reply to them well, and keep your business details consistent across the web.

If you’d rather have someone set up or tidy your profile with you, our local SEO team can help, or you can ask for a free quote.