Getting found on Google Maps.

Updated November 2026

What a Google Business Profile is

It’s the panel that appears in Google Search and Google Maps with your business name, hours, phone number, photos, reviews and a link to your website. You may already have one, created by Google or a customer. If so, you can claim it.

Setting it up

1. Sign in. Go to Google Business Profile and sign in with a Google account you’ll keep using. A shared business account is better than a personal one.
2. Find or add your business. Search for your business name. If it’s listed, claim it. If not, add it.
3. Choose your category. Pick the main category that best describes you, such as “Café” or “Electrician”. You can add secondary ones too.
4. Add your location or service area. If customers visit you, add your address. If you travel to customers, as most trades do, set a service area and you can hide your home address.
5. Verify. Google will ask you to confirm you run the business. The method varies and can include a video, a phone call or a postcard.
6. Fill in the details. Add opening hours, your phone number, your website address and a short description.

Keeping it working for you

• Keep opening hours accurate, including special hours for bank holidays.
• Add your own photos of your premises, your work and your products, and refresh them now and then.
• Reply to reviews, good and bad, politely and briefly.
• Make sure your name, address and phone number match exactly what’s on your website.