How to get your business on Google Maps: a step-by-step Google Business Profile guide

When someone searches for “car repair near me” or “dentist in [your town]”, Google usually shows a map with a few businesses before the regular results. You get there through Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) — a free profile that you manage yourself.

The guide below takes you from “my business doesn't show up at all” to a verified, complete profile. We've followed Google's official guidelines, because a mistake here doesn't just cost rankings — it can get your profile suspended.

First: are you eligible for a profile?

Google only accepts profiles for businesses that meet customers in person. In practice, there are two cases:

• Customers visit your premises (shop, clinic, garage) — you show your address, and the premises must have permanent signage with your business name.
• You travel to customers (plumber, electrician, cleaning) — you hide your address and set the area you serve.

Online-only businesses aren't eligible. Neither are “virtual office” addresses or mailboxes where you don't actually work.

Step 1: Check whether your business is already on Google

Search for your business name on Google Maps. Sometimes a profile already exists, created automatically or added by a customer. If you find it, open it and choose the option to claim the business. If it doesn't exist, create it from scratch.

Step 2: Create the profile

Go to google.com/business with a Google account — ideally a business account, not a personal one you might lose. Then fill in:

• Business name — exactly as it appears on your signage, website and documents. Don't add your town, services or taglines (“Smith Garage – cheap repairs Manchester”). Google explicitly forbids this and may suspend the profile.
• Primary category — the one that best describes your core activity. You can add secondary categories, but choose them carefully.
• Address or service area, as decided above.
• Phone number and website.

Step 3: Verification

Your profile only becomes public after verification. Google chooses the method, based on your business type and region, and it can't be changed. It may be one of:

• a code by phone call or text message;
• email;
• a video recording — a clip showing your location, your signage and proof that you manage the business;
• a live video call with someone from Google, during business hours;
• a postcard with a code, sent to your address.

Once you submit it, Google usually reviews the verification within 5 business days, occasionally longer.

How to rank higher on the map

Google says openly that local ranking depends on three things — and that you can't pay for a better position:

Relevance

how well your profile matches what the person is searching for

Distance

how close the business is to the searcher or to the location searched

Prominence

how well known the business is: reviews, links, mentions on other websites

You can't control distance. The other two, you can:

• Complete the whole profile: services or products, opening hours (including holiday hours), description, attributes, service area.
• Add real photos and refresh them regularly: outside, inside, the team, completed work.
• Ask happy customers for reviews and reply to every one — briefly to the good ones, calmly and specifically to the negative ones.
• Keep your details identical everywhere: the same name, address and phone number on the profile, the website and online directories.
• Link the profile to a good website: a clear page about your services in your town helps Google understand what you do and where.
• Post updates — offers, news, recent work. An active profile is more useful to the people who see it.

Mistakes that can get your profile suspended

• keywords or your town added to the business name;
• a virtual office or mailbox address;
• several profiles for the same location;
• bought reviews, or reviews written by you or your staff;
• reviews “paid for” with discounts or gifts — these break Google's rules too.

How long until you appear

After verification, your profile usually shows up within a few days when people search for your business name. Your position for general searches (“electrician [town]”) builds over time, as you add information, photos and reviews. Anyone promising you the top spot on the map within a week is promising something they can't control.

If you'd rather we handle it, our Local SEO and Google Business package starts at 900 lei (≈ €180) and includes the complete profile, categories, services, photos and local SEO on your website. For ongoing monthly work — posts, review replies, rank tracking — there's the Maintenance + Content plan.