How to Set Up a Google Business Profile (Step by Step)
Someone in your town searches for exactly what you sell. Google shows them a map with three businesses on it. You are not one of them, and you probably never find out the enquiry existed.
If you have not set up a Google Business Profile, or you set one up years ago as a "Google My Business" listing and never went back, that is happening to you every week. For most local businesses it is the single most valuable free marketing tool there is.
In 18 years of marketing I have set up and fixed more Google listings than I can count, and at Optimise Your Marketing it is one of the first things we look at for any Derbyshire business. This guide shows you how to set up a Google Business Profile step by step, how to get it verified first time, and the settings that actually help you rank.
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Get my BIG12 scoreWhat is a Google Business Profile?
A Google Business Profile is your free business listing on Google Search and Google Maps. It shows your name, location or service area, opening hours, phone number, reviews, photos and a link to your website.
It used to be called Google My Business. Google renamed it in 2021 and the old Google My Business app has gone, but plenty of people still search for the old name. Same thing, new label.
Who can have one?
Any business that meets customers face to face, either at your premises or at theirs. That covers shops, cafés, salons, trades, consultants, solicitors and most service businesses. Online-only businesses with no customer contact are not eligible.
Before you set up your Google Business Profile: get these ready
Ten minutes of preparation saves a lot of hassle at verification. Have these to hand:
- Your exact business name, as it appears on your signage and paperwork
- Your address, or the towns and areas you serve if customers do not visit you
- A business phone number and your website address
- Your opening hours
- A Google account you will keep long term, ideally not a personal Gmail that belongs to one member of staff
- Your phone, charged, for video verification
"The most expensive Google listing I ever fixed was one set up by a former employee on their personal email. When they left, the business lost access to ten years of reviews."
Stuart Baddiley, founder of Optimise Your Marketing
How to set up a Google Business Profile, step by step
Step 1: Check whether a profile already exists
Search for your business name and town on Google Maps. Google sometimes creates listings automatically from public data. If one exists, click "Own this business?" and claim it rather than creating a duplicate. Duplicates are a common cause of suspensions.
Step 2: Go to Google Business Profile and sign in
Visit google.com/business and click "Manage now". Sign in with the Google account you want to own the profile.
Step 3: Enter your business name and category
Type your business name exactly as customers see it. Do not add keywords or locations to the name. Then choose your primary category. This is one of the strongest ranking factors, so pick the one that describes your core service most precisely. "Plumber" beats "Contractor".
Step 4: Add your location or service area
If customers visit you, add your address. If you travel to customers, choose not to show an address and set a service area by town or postcode district instead. For example, a Matlock electrician might cover Matlock, Bakewell, Belper and Chesterfield.
Step 5: Add your contact details
Add your phone number and website. Use the same number and business details that appear on your website, as consistency across the web helps your local search visibility.
Step 6: Verify your business
This is where most people get stuck, so it has its own section below.
Step 7: Complete every section
Once verified, fill in everything: hours, services, products, description, attributes, photos and your logo. Complete profiles get significantly more engagement than half-finished ones.
How to verify your Google Business Profile first time
Google will offer you one or more verification methods. You do not get to choose, it depends on your business type and location. In 2026, video verification is by far the most common for new profiles in the UK.
| Method | How it works | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Video | Record one continuous video showing your location and proof you run the business | Plan the route before you press record |
| Phone or text | Google sends a code to your business number | Use a number you can answer immediately |
| Code sent to an email on your business domain | Usually only offered to established businesses | |
| Postcard | Code posted to your address | Now rarely offered for new profiles |
How to pass video verification
Video verification fails more often than any other method, almost always for avoidable reasons. Record one unedited clip that shows:
- Where you are. Street signs, neighbouring shops or landmarks that match your address or service area.
- Your business. Signage, branded vehicle, or the outside of your premises.
- That you run it. Unlock the door, open the till, show tools of your trade or business paperwork with your name on.
Keep it to a minute or two, film in daylight and do not cut or edit it. Service area businesses with no premises should focus on the branded vehicle, equipment and proof of management.
Page 1 for "plumbers Derby"
Etta Plumbing in Osmaston, Derby reached page one for "plumbers Derby" and "plumbers near me", with a 53% improvement in their SEO score. Their Google profile worked alongside their website and local content to get there.
See our Google serviceHow to optimise your Google Business Profile once it is set up
Setting up a Google Business Profile gets you on the map. Optimising it gets you into the top three. These are the settings that make the biggest difference for clients across Derbyshire and the East Midlands.
Choose secondary categories carefully
Add up to nine extra categories, but only ones that describe services you genuinely offer. A café might add "Coffee shop" and "Breakfast restaurant". Loose categories dilute relevance.
Write a description for customers, not Google
You have 750 characters. Say what you do, who for and where, in plain English. Mention your main towns naturally, and leave out links and offers, which are not allowed here.
Add real photos regularly
Your team, your work, your premises. Real photos build trust far better than stock images, and regular uploads signal that the business is active.
Get reviews and reply to every one
Reviews are one of the strongest local ranking factors. Ask every happy customer, make it easy with your review link, and reply to every review, good or bad. A thoughtful reply to a bad review often wins more trust than the five-star ones.
Post updates
Google Business Profile posts let you share offers, news and events. Once or twice a week keeps your profile fresh. Consistency is what built Croots Farm Shop in Duffield 3 million social media impressions in a year, and the same habit pays off on Google.
Get your review link now
In your profile, click "Ask for reviews" and copy the short link. Add it to your email signature, invoices and follow-up texts today. It is the easiest way to keep reviews coming in.
How long does it take to set up a Google Business Profile?
The setup itself takes around 20 minutes. Verification is the variable. Phone, text and email codes are instant, while video verification is reviewed by Google and usually comes back within a few working days, sometimes longer at busy times.
Once verified, your profile can appear in results straight away, but ranking in the map pack builds over weeks as you add photos, gather reviews and post updates. Think of it like a shop opening: the doors are open on day one, but regulars take time.
Add your team as managers, not owners
Keep ownership with one long-term business account and add staff or your agency as managers. Managers can do almost everything day to day, but they cannot remove you or transfer the profile. If someone leaves, you remove their access in a couple of clicks.
Common mistakes when you set up a Google Business Profile
- Keywords in the business name. It might work briefly, but it is the fastest route to a suspension.
- Virtual office or registered office addresses. If customers cannot visit and you do not work there, hide it and use a service area.
- Making lots of edits at once. Change one thing at a time once you are verified.
- Setting it and forgetting it. Profiles left untouched slowly drop down the map pack.
If your profile does get suspended, my guide to getting a suspended Google Business Profile back walks you through the appeal.
Where Google fits in the BIG12 framework
Google is one of the four Get Found pillars in the BIG12, alongside Website, SEO and Local. Your profile sends people to your website, your website confirms to Google that your profile is genuine, and your local content tells Google which towns you serve.
When those four pillars work together, local visibility compounds. If you want to understand how the full framework fits together, our BIG12 online marketing training covers every pillar.
How strong are your Get Found pillars?
The BIG12 Scorecard scores your business across all 12 areas, including Google and Local, in about five minutes.
Take the BIG12 ScorecardThe challenge is never learning. It is doing.
Setting up a Google Business Profile takes an afternoon. Keeping it optimised, reviewed and active every week is where most busy owners fall away, and where the competitor who sticks at it overtakes them.
At Optimise Your Marketing we set up, verify and manage Google profiles for businesses across Derbyshire, and we connect them to the website, SEO and local work that turns map views into enquiries.
If you want a hand getting it right first time, book a free audit with me and we will go through your profile together.
Book a free 90-minute audit with Stuart
We will look at your current marketing, benchmark it against the BIG12, and give you a practical set of actions to take. No sales pitch. No fluff. Just 18 years of honest advice applied to your business.
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