How to set up a Google Business Profile: 2026 step-by-step guide
Claim, verify and fill in your Google Business Profile from scratch: categories, verification methods, hours, photos and services, screen by screen.
By James Olawale · · 7 min read
To set up a Google Business Profile, go to google.com/business, sign in with a Google account you will keep, search for your business name, and either claim the existing listing or create a new one. Then pick your primary category, add your address or service area, phone and website, and verify ownership with the method Google offers you (phone or text, email, a live video call, a recorded video or a postcard). Verification reviews take up to 5 business days. Once you are verified, fill in hours, photos, services or menu and a description, because a complete profile is what Google shows for searches like "bakery near me".
The whole setup takes about an hour of work, plus waiting for verification. This guide walks through every screen in order, with what to type and what to skip.
Before you start: what you need
Gather these first so you can finish in one sitting:
- A Google account you control long term. Use a business Gmail or Google Workspace address, not a staff member's personal account. If that person leaves, you lose access.
- Your exact business name as it appears on your sign, receipts and website. No extra keywords.
- Your address (if customers visit you) or the list of cities and ZIP codes you serve (if you go to them).
- A phone number that someone answers during business hours. Google's phone verification cannot be received by an automated phone system.
- Your website URL, if you have one. A booking page or menu page works too.
- Your regular hours and any holiday hours coming up.
- 10–20 photos: the outside of your building, the inside, your team, and your products or work.
Step 1: Find or create your listing
- Go to google.com/business and choose Manage now.
- Sign in with the business Google account.
- Type your business name. If Google suggests a matching listing, select it. Many businesses already have a listing that Google created from public data or that a customer suggested.
- If nothing matches, choose Add your business to Google and enter the name.
If the listing exists but someone else already manages it (a former employee, an old agency), Google will show a Request access option. The current owner gets an email and has a set window to respond. If they don't, Google may let you claim it. Keep an eye on the email tied to your account.
Step 2: Choose your primary category
The primary category is the single most important choice you make in setup. It tells Google what you are, and it decides which searches you can appear for.
Start typing and pick from Google's list. You can't invent your own. Be specific:
| Your business | Weak choice | Strong choice |
|---|---|---|
| Neighborhood bakery | Store | Bakery |
| Pizza place | Restaurant | Pizza restaurant |
| Hair salon that mostly does color | Beauty salon | Hair salon |
| CrossFit-style box | Health club | Gym (then add "Fitness center") |
| Family dentist | Doctor | Dentist |
You can add more categories later (see Step 5). For now, pick the one that best describes what most customers come to you for.
Step 3: Location, phone and website
Location or service area
Google asks whether customers can visit you.
- Yes, if you have a storefront, office or studio with signage and staffed hours. Enter the exact street address and drag the map pin onto your front door if it lands in the wrong spot.
- No, if you travel to customers (mobile groomer, cleaner, plumber). You will add a service area instead and your street address stays hidden from the public.
Some businesses do both, like a bakery that also delivers. In that case, keep the address and add a service area.
Do not use a P.O. box or a virtual office. Google's guidelines require a real location where you can receive customers or a real base you operate from, and these addresses often fail verification.
Phone and website
Add the main phone number customers should call and your website. If you don't have a website, Google may offer to build a simple one or let you skip. Skipping is fine for now, but a website matters for ranking, so plan to add one (our website SEO basics guide covers what it needs).
Google may ask whether you want updates and recommendations by email. That is your choice and doesn't affect ranking.
Step 4: Verify your business
Verification proves you actually run the business. Until you are verified, your edits may not show publicly and you can't respond to reviews as the owner.
Google decides which methods to offer you based on your category, location and history. You might see one or several. According to Google's Business Profile Help Center, the current methods are:
- Phone or text. Google sends a code by call or SMS to your business number. Someone has to answer or read the text.
- Email. You get a code at an email address shown on screen. Usually only offered when that domain matches your website.
- Recorded video. You record a short, continuous video, usually in the Google Maps app on your phone, signed into the same account that manages the profile.
- Live video call. A Google support person guides you through a call. It only runs during your listed business hours, and you need to be at the business.
- Postcard. Google mails a 5-digit code to your address. This is less common now.
Some profiles verify instantly, for example when your website is already verified in Google Search Console with the same account.
How to pass video verification
Video is the method most new businesses get now, and it's where most rejections happen. Plan it like a short tour:
- Start outside. Show the street sign or a nearby landmark, then your storefront and the business sign.
- Walk in or show a vehicle. For a storefront, unlock the door or walk into the space. For a service business, show your work vehicle with branding or your tools.
- Show proof you manage it. Open the cash register, show a staff-only room, your equipment, or a non-sensitive business document.
- Keep it continuous. One take, no cuts, no edits. Don't show ID numbers, bank details or other sensitive information.
If the video is rejected, Google shows a "Review issues" notice on your profile. Open it and follow the instructions to try again. Reviews take up to 5 business days and rarely longer.
Step 5: Add hours and fill in the rest of your profile
Hours, including special hours
Once you're in your profile (search your business name on Google while signed in, or open the Google Maps app and tap your profile), choose Edit profile, then Hours.
- Set regular hours for each day. Mark closed days as closed.
- Add More hours if your category supports it: delivery, takeout, happy hour, kids' classes, senior hours.
- Add special hours for every holiday at least a week ahead. Google may otherwise show your regular hours on Thanksgiving, and nobody likes driving to a locked door.
The rest of your profile
Under Edit profile, fill in the basics now so your listing is complete on day one. Ranking is a separate job, covered in how to optimize your Google Business Profile; setup only needs these:
| Field | What to put for now |
|---|---|
| Description | What you are, where, and who you serve, in 2 or 3 sentences. No links, prices or promotions. |
| Extra categories | Only ones that are true. You can add more later. |
| Services, products or menu | Your main services or your menu link. |
| Attributes | Tick what applies: accessibility, seating, Wi-Fi, reservations. |
| Booking link | If you use a booking tool, add it so a Book button appears. |
Step 6: Add your first photos
Upload a starter set on a phone in good daylight: your logo (square), a cover photo (your best shot), 2 or 3 exterior shots so people recognise you on arrival, 3 to 5 interior shots, 5 to 10 photos of what people buy, and 1 or 2 of your team (with their permission). Skip stock photos and heavy filters. Keeping photos fresh after setup is part of optimization, and our phone photography tips cover light and angles.
Step 7: Your first-week checklist
- Share your review link with five recent happy customers (see how to get more Google reviews).
- Reply to any existing reviews, good and bad.
- Make sure your name, address and phone on your website match the profile exactly.
- Post your first update (a photo with a short note about this week).
- Run a free SEO check to see how your website and listing look to Google.
When the basics are done, move on to optimizing your profile and the full local SEO checklist.
Frequently asked questions
Is a Google Business Profile free?
Yes. Creating, verifying and managing a Google Business Profile is free. Google also says there is no way to pay for a better local ranking.
How long does Google Business Profile verification take?
Google says verification reviews take up to 5 business days and rarely longer. Some profiles verify instantly, for example if your website is already verified in Google Search Console.
Can I set up a Google Business Profile without a storefront?
Yes. Choose that customers don't visit you, then add a service area of cities or ZIP codes. Your street address stays hidden, but you still need a real address for verification.
What if someone else already claimed my business?
Choose "Request access" on the listing. Google emails the current manager, and if they don't respond in the set time, Google may give you options to claim it yourself.
Why was my video verification rejected?
The most common reasons are a cut or edited video, not showing the street or signage, and not showing proof you manage the business. Record one continuous take that moves from the street to the inside and shows staff-only areas or equipment.
