Google Business Profile: how to set it up properly

What is a Google Business Profile and why does it matter?

It is the panel that appears on the right of Google Search, or at the top on a phone, and on Google Maps when someone searches for a business like yours or for your name. It shows your name, address, phone number, opening hours, photos, reviews and a button to call, get directions or visit your website.

For any business that customers visit, phone or order from locally, this is often the first thing people see, sometimes before your website. It is free to create and manage, and it works even if you do not yet have a website. Customers often decide from this panel alone, so it must be accurate.

Before you start: what you need

Gather these before you open the setup, so you do not stop halfway:

• A Google account. Use one that belongs to the business or to the owner, not a staff member who may leave. Keep the password safe.
• Your exact business name as it appears on your signboard, receipts and registration.
• Your full address, or the area you serve if you travel to customers.
• A phone number that someone answers during opening hours.
• Opening hours, including any days you close.
• A short description of what you do, and your main services or products.
• A few clear photos: the outside with the signboard, the inside, your team, and your work or products.

Also decide who will manage the profile. One responsible person should own it and answer reviews.

How to create or claim your profile, step by step

First search; many businesses already have a listing that someone else created from public information. Creating a second one causes duplicates and confusion.

1. Open Google or Google Maps, signed in to your Google account, and search for your exact business name.
2. If your listing appears, select it and look for the option to claim or manage this business. If there is no such option and it says it is managed by someone else, you will need to request access and the current owner or Google will review it.
3. If it does not appear, go to the Google Business Profile page (search for Google Business Profile and choose Manage now) and choose to add your business.
4. Enter the business name, then choose the category that best describes your main activity. Pick the most specific one, for example a more precise type of shop rather than a general one.
5. Choose whether customers can visit a location. If yes, enter the address, and place the map pin exactly on your entrance. If you travel to customers or work from home, choose the service-area option and list the areas you cover; you can hide your home address.
6. Add the phone number and website, if you have one.
7. Continue to verification, covered in the next section.

Take your time on the map pin. A pin on the wrong street is one of the most common reasons customers cannot find a business, and in many Nigerian areas addresses are unclear, so a correct pin is worth more than a long address.

How do I verify my Google Business Profile?

Verification proves the business is yours, so strangers cannot change your details. Until you verify, your profile is limited and may not show properly.

Google offers different methods depending on your business and location, and you are shown only the ones available to you. Common ones are:

• Phone call or text: you receive a code and type it in.
• Email: a code is sent to an address linked to your business.
• Video call or recorded video: you show your signboard, the premises, equipment or stock, and proof that you manage the business.
• Postcard: a code is mailed to the address. This is less practical where postal delivery is unreliable, so choose another method if offered.

For a video verification, prepare in advance. Walk from the street to the entrance showing the signboard and the neighbourhood, show the inside, your tools, stock or products, and some proof such as a business document in your name. Keep the video continuous and do not edit it.

If verification fails, read the reason, fix the issue, such as mismatched names or unclear footage, and try again. Do not repeatedly resubmit without changes.

How do I fill in every section properly?

A complete profile ranks and converts better than a thin one. Work through each part:

Name

Use your real name exactly as customers know it. Do not add keywords or locations, such as adding a service and a town after the name. This is against Google's rules and can lead to suspension.

Categories and services

Choose one primary category and a few secondary ones that truly apply. Then add your services or products with short plain descriptions.

Hours

Set regular hours and add special hours for public holidays and events. Wrong hours lead to angry visits to a closed door, and customers remember it.

Description

Write a clear paragraph saying what you do, who you serve and what makes you reliable. Avoid shouting, phone numbers and promotional language.

Photos

Add real photos taken on a decent phone in good light: signboard, entrance, interior, staff, products and finished work. Add new ones regularly. Avoid stock images and heavy filters.

Contact details

Add your phone number, website, and where available messaging and booking links. If you use WhatsApp for business, make sure someone replies promptly.

Attributes

Tick the options that apply, such as accepted payment methods, accessibility or online appointments, but only if they are true.

How do I keep my details consistent everywhere?

Your name, address and phone number should be written the same way on your Google profile, website, social pages, invoices and any directory listings. Differences confuse customers and make it harder for Google to be confident that these listings describe the same business.

1. Write down the official version of your name, address and phone number.
2. Check your website footer and contact page against it.
3. Check Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and any directory listings.
4. Correct whichever ones differ, and remove duplicate or old listings where you can.
5. Review again whenever you move, change number or change hours.

If you move premises, update the profile immediately, and mark any old duplicate as closed or request its removal.

How do I get reviews and handle them?

Reviews are a major reason people choose one business over another. Earn them honestly.

1. In your profile, find the option to share a review link. Copy it.
2. After a job is done well, ask the customer politely to leave a short review, and send them the link by WhatsApp or SMS.
3. Make it easy: one link, one request, no pressure.
4. Reply to every review within a few days. Thank positive reviewers by name and mention something specific.
5. For a negative review, stay calm and polite. Apologise where fair, state the facts briefly, and offer to resolve it offline. Future customers read your reply as much as the complaint.

Do not pay for reviews, offer rewards in exchange for positive ones, write them yourself or ask friends who never used your service. Google can remove such reviews and penalise the profile. If a review is fake, abusive or unrelated, use the report option on that review and explain why.

How do I keep my profile active and use its features?

A profile that is updated regularly looks alive and earns trust. Build a small routine:

• Add new photos every few weeks.
• Post updates about offers, events or new products using the posts feature, when available to you.
• Update hours before holidays.
• Answer questions customers ask on the profile.
• Check the performance information in your profile occasionally to see how many people called, requested directions or visited your website, and what they searched.

Messages from the profile land in your dashboard or app, so install the Google Maps or Business Profile app if you want to respond quickly, since customers expect quick answers.

Common problems: suspension, duplicates and wrong information

My profile was suspended

This usually follows a rule break: keywords in the name, a fake or virtual address, a business that is not real at the stated location, or misleading content. Read the notice, correct the issue, and submit a reinstatement request with accurate evidence such as photos of your signboard and documents.

There are two listings for my business

Claim the correct one and report the duplicate, asking for it to be removed or merged.

Someone else's edit changed my details

Anyone can suggest edits. Check the profile regularly and correct changes. Verified owners can restore accurate details.

My profile does not appear when I search

New or newly changed profiles may take time, and unverified ones are limited. Search by your exact name first. Results for general searches depend on relevance, distance and prominence, so complete information and good reviews help over time.

Frequently asked questions

Written by the ICT AccessPoint team

We repair laptops and build websites and business systems. Have a question this guide did not answer? Message us.

This guide is general advice. Every device and business is different, so if you are unsure, ask a technician before you act.