Google Business Profile: What It Is and How to Set It Up

Key takeaways

Google Business Profile is the free listing that shows your business on Google Search and Maps. It used to be called Google My Business.
You create it at business.google.com/add or claim an existing one from Google Maps, then verify it.
Verification can be by phone, text, email, video or postcard, and Google decides which options you see.
Google ranks local results by relevance, distance and prominence. A complete, verified profile helps the first and the last.

FreeAdding or claiming a Business Profile costs nothing (Google)

14 daysTime within which most postcard codes arrive; codes expire after 30 days

56Top-3 positions on the Maps grid for a dental clinic in Medellín, +115% in three months

A Google Business Profile is often the first thing a customer sees about a local business, before the website and sometimes instead of it. This guide is for owners setting one up for the first time or taking over one that someone else created. It is the starting point of the local SEO work I do; once your profile is live, the Business Profile checklist covers how to optimize every field.

What is Google Business Profile?

Google Business Profile is a free listing that shows your business name, address or service area, phone, hours, website, photos and reviews on Google Search and Google Maps. You manage it yourself after verifying that you own or represent the business. It is how a business appears in the map results for searches like a service near me.

Google's help page on editing your profile lists what you control: name, category, address, service area, hours, phone numbers, website, attributes, photos, description and opening date, plus menus, services or products for some business types. Google reviews edits before they go live, so changes are not always instant.

Is Google My Business the same thing?

Yes. Google My Business was the old name. In November 2021 Google renamed it Google Business Profile and moved most of the management into Google Search and Maps, so you now edit the profile directly from those apps. Guides and agencies still say Google My Business or GMB, but they mean the same listing.

The rename was reported by Search Engine Land on November 4, 2021, together with the plan to retire the separate Google My Business app. If an old tutorial tells you to download that app, skip that step: today you search your business name on Google or open Maps while signed in, and the editing tools appear there.

How do you create a Business Profile?

Go to business.google.com/add, choose Add your business to Google and follow the steps: name, category, address or service area, phone and website. If Google already shows a listing for your business, claim it from Google Maps with Claim this business instead of creating a second one. Then choose a verification option.

Search first. Look up your business name and city on Google Maps. Many businesses already have an unverified listing created from public data.
Create or claim. Google's page on how to add or claim a Business Profile describes both routes and states that it is free.
Pick the primary category carefully. It is the most important single choice on the profile. The checklist explains how to choose it.
Decide on address or service area. If customers come to you, show the address. If you go to them, like a plumber, hide it and set a service area.
Use real data only. Your name as it appears on your sign, a phone that is answered and hours you actually keep, as Google's guidelines require.

If the listing is already verified by someone else, such as a former employee or an old agency, you cannot claim it. You request ownership from the current owner. This is one of the most common problems I see when a business changes providers, and why you should always be the owner and give others manager access.

How does verification work?

Verification proves to Google that you are allowed to manage the business. Depending on your business type and region, Google offers phone or text, email, a live video call, a recorded video or a postcard with a code. You cannot choose freely: Google decides which options appear. After you complete one, Google may review it for a few days.

Method	What you need	Timing (Google)
Phone or text	A business phone that can take the call or text; automated systems cannot	Immediate once you enter the code
Email	Access to the address shown on screen	Immediate once you enter the code
Video recording or live call	Show your location, signage, tools or proof of management	Live calls only during your business hours
Postcard	A mailing address that receives post	Most codes arrive within 14 days; they expire after 30
Review after any method	Nothing extra unless Google asks	Up to 5 business days

All the timings come from Google's verification help page, which also notes that verifying your website in Search Console can sometimes verify the profile right away. For video, have your signage, tools or vehicle and a document with the business name ready before you press record.

How does a Business Profile help local SEO?

Google says local results are based on relevance, distance and prominence. A complete profile makes you relevant to more searches, and reviews, photos and activity add to prominence. Verification matters too: Google says a verified business is more likely to show up in results. Distance you cannot change, so the other two are where effort pays.

The three factors come from Google's page on how to improve your local ranking, which also says plainly that there is no way to request or pay for a better local ranking. In practice, the profile and the website work together. A clear service page on your site supports the profile's relevance, and the profile sends calls and direction requests that a website alone would not. You can read the full picture in what local SEO is.

Shows up on Maps

The profile is what appears in the map pack and in Google Maps for nearby searches.

Calls from the result

Customers can call, get directions or book without visiting your site.

Reviews in one place

Reviews and your replies build trust and count toward prominence.

Accurate hours

Holiday and special hours stop customers from arriving to a closed door.

Photos that sell

Real photos of your place, team and work help customers choose you.

Control of your data

A verified owner can fix wrong information that Google pulled from elsewhere.

On the dealerships I work with, raising the average profile grade from 78.8 (C) to 91.9 (A) was part of a broader local program; for a dental clinic in Medellín, profile and site work together led to 56 top-3 positions on the Maps grid, +115% in three months. Those are results from a full method, not from a profile alone.

Common mistakes when you set it up

Adding keywords or the city to the business name. It breaks Google's guidelines and is a common cause of suspension.
Creating a second profile because you could not access the first one. Duplicates confuse customers and Google.
Using a virtual office or a mailbox as the address. Google requires a real location where you meet customers, or a hidden address with a service area.
Letting an agency own the profile. You should be the owner; providers get manager access.
Ignoring the profile after setup. If it gets suspended, read what to do when your profile is suspended.

Next step

Once the profile is verified, work through the checklist and connect it to a site that supports it. If you want a second opinion, my local audit (USD 450) reviews the profile, the website and your map positions together, and the local SEO service handles the ongoing work. You can also book the free 30-minute diagnosis from the home page.

Frequently asked questions

Does a Business Profile cost money?

No. Adding, claiming and managing a Business Profile is free. Be wary of anyone who charges just to create one.

Can I have a profile without a physical store?

Yes, if you serve customers at their location. You hide the address and set a service area instead.

Do I need a website to have a profile?

No, but a website makes the profile stronger and gives Google more information about your services.

Who should own the profile?

The business owner. Agencies, employees and freelancers should be added as managers so you never lose access.

How long until my profile shows on Maps?

It can appear after verification and Google's review, but where it ranks depends on relevance, distance and prominence.

About the author

Juan José Giraldo is an SEO consultant in Medellín, Colombia, with 5+ years of experience. He works on technical and local SEO for 600+ US car dealerships at Reunion Marketing, an Inc. 5000 agency, and supervises the SEO of 18 US online stores with more than 3 million products at Prontomowers. Read more · LinkedIn.

Google Business Profile: what it is and how to set it up.