How to set up a Google Business Profile for your small business

1. Check the business and prepare your details

Google's basic eligibility guidance covers businesses that meet customers at a physical location or travel to them. Your profile should represent the real business, using its real-world name and accurate location information. Read Google's business representation guidelines before starting, especially if your setup is unusual.

Our suggested preparation task is to put the information you will need in one private working note: business name, main phone number, website, customer-facing hours, main services and the Google Account the owner will use. Mark anything uncertain for checking instead of filling gaps from memory.

2. Find the existing listing first

Search for your business name and location before creating a new profile. If you find a listing that represents your business, work through the claim or ownership process shown. Google explains the add-or-claim step in its verification guide.

Keep a record of the profile URL and the account used. This makes future handovers easier and gives you a clear reference if there are several similar business names. If ownership is unclear, resolve that question before spending time polishing descriptions or uploading a large photo collection.

3. Work through the details as a customer would

Our recommended review order is identity, location, services, opening times and contact routes. For each field, ask: would someone who has never met us understand what this means?

For example, a fictional mobile cleaner could prepare a short list of the jobs they actually accept, the places they normally visit and the number customers should call. Preparing this information together helps expose inconsistencies before they reach the profile.

If you travel to customers and do not serve them at your address, hide that address and use your genuine service area. For example, a mobile cleaner should not present a private home as a staffed shopfront. Check the business-type and address rules before saving.

4. Complete the verification Google offers

Google selects the verification methods available to your profile; you cannot freely choose any method. Follow the instructions shown for your business and record the status. See the current verification instructions if the process differs from a tutorial you have seen.

Use a simple progress note with three fields: action completed, item still pending and next action. This is more useful than repeatedly changing details because you are unsure what has happened. Keep account access and verification information secure.

5. Finish with a customer check

Once you can manage the profile, review what a visitor sees. Test the website link and phone number. Compare the profile with the details on your own website. Ask a colleague to explain what you offer using only the information in front of them.

Then move to our Google Business Profile optimisation checklist. Setup and ongoing improvement are separate tasks; completing one does not mean the other is finished.

The PBC course covers this sequence in its Foundations and Setup modules, with preparation sheets and practical tasks. Explore the course modules to see whether that guided format suits you.