How to set up your Google Business Profile, step by step

Why it matters more than you think

When someone nearby searches "painter near me" or "glass shower doors," Google shows a map with a few businesses at the top, before any website. That box is your Google Business Profile: your name, reviews, photos, hours and a Call button.

For a lot of local searches, it is the first thing a customer sees, and many call straight from it without ever visiting a website.

Before you start, have this ready

• A Google account you will keep (use the business email, not a worker's).
• Your business name exactly as it appears on your truck, cards and license.
• Your business phone number and website, if you have one.
• The towns or counties you serve.
• Your hours, and a list of your services.
• Ten or more good photos of real jobs, plus your logo.

Step by step

1. Search for your business first. On Google Maps, look up your business name. If a profile already exists, choose "Own this business?" to claim it instead of making a second one.
2. Create the profile. Go to google.com/business and choose "Manage now." Type your business name.
3. Pick your main category carefully. It is the most important choice. Use the most specific one that fits, like "Glass & mirror shop," "Painter" or "Shower door shop," not just "Contractor." You can add more categories later.
4. Choose how customers reach you. If you go to the customer, say you don't have a location customers visit and add your service areas. Your home address stays hidden.
5. Add your phone and website. Use the same phone number everywhere: your site, your cards, Facebook and directories.
6. Verify. Google will ask you to prove the business is real, often with a short video showing your truck, tools, signage or license, sometimes with a phone call or a postcard. Follow its instructions exactly.
7. Fill in everything. Hours, services with short descriptions, a business description in plain words, the year you opened, and the languages you speak.
8. Add photos. Your logo, a cover photo and real job photos. Name each job: "Frameless shower, Boca Raton."

Keep it alive after setup

A profile that is set up and then forgotten slowly slides down the map. What keeps you near the top:

• New photos every month from your jobs.
• Reviews from real customers, and a reply to every one. See How to get more Google reviews without being pushy.
• Correct hours, including holidays.
• A website that matches your name, phone and services.

Every website we build includes your Google Business Profile setup. If you want it kept up every month, with photos, review replies and a short report, that is our Get Found plan.