A Google Business Profile is what people see when they look you up on Google or Google Maps: address, opening hours, phone number, photos and reviews. For a trade, salon or shop that finds customers in its own town, it's often the first thing a customer sees, before your website.
The profile is free; Google doesn't charge for it. In this article we explain how to set it up step by step, how to reply to reviews and how to keep it in line with your website, so Google can more easily connect you with people looking for what you do.
What a Google Business Profile is
It's a free listing of your business on Google. It used to be called Google My Business, so you'll still come across that name. It appears in search results on the right or at the top, and as a pin on Google Maps.From the profile a customer can call you, get directions, read reviews and visit your website without searching for any of it separately.
Step by step: from sign-up to a live profile
- 1
Check whether a profile already exists
Search for your business name in Google Maps. Sometimes a profile already exists, created by someone else or put together by Google itself. In that case you don't create a new one; you request ownership.
- 2
Create or claim the profile
You create the profile on Google's Business Profile page by signing in with a Google account. Use a company account, not the personal account of an employee who may leave one day.
- 3
Get verified
Google asks you to confirm that the business really is yours, for example by video or a code. Google decides the method and the pace, so this step usually takes the longest.
- 4
Enter accurate details
Name, address, opening hours, phone number and website. Use your real business name, without added keywords.
- 5
Choose the right categories
The primary category tells Google what you do (e.g. hair salon, car repair, lawyer). Add secondary categories only for things you actually do.
- 6
Add a description, services and photos
A short, plain description of your business, a list of services or products, and photos of the premises, products and team. Customers want to see where they're going.
- 7
Link the profile to your website
Add your website address to the profile, and put the same details on the website as on the profile. More on this below.
No time to do it yourself? We set it up for €100
We create or take over the profile, go through verification with you and enter all the details.
How long until the profile appears
When we set up the profile, it takes roughly 1 to 2 weeks from agreement to a live profile. Most of that time goes to Google's verification, and we can't speed it up.
| Step | Days | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Agreement | 1 | You send us your business details, opening hours and photos. |
| Profile | 1–3 | We create the profile or take over the existing one and enter all details. |
| Verification | 2–12 | Google confirms the business is yours, e.g. by video or a code. We help you through each step. |
| Local SEO | 4–10 | We align your website with the profile. |
| Profile is live | 12–14 | The profile appears on Google and Maps. |
Reviews: how to collect them and how to reply
Reviews are what a customer reads before they call. You don't need hundreds, but you need them regularly, and you need to reply.
- Ask happy customers. The profile has a review link you can send by message or e-mail after a job is done.
- Reply to every review, briefly and personally. Thank people for good ones; answer bad ones calmly and specifically.
- You can't delete a bad review. Only Google removes reviews, and only when they break its rules. A polite reply shows other customers how you behave when something goes wrong.
- Don't buy or write fake reviews. It's against Google's rules, and customers spot them easily.
Local SEO: your profile and website must say the same thing
Google finds it easier to show you to people in your town when the details on your profile and your website match. That's why we take care of four things on every site we build.
- 1.Same details everywhere. The name, address and phone number on the site match the profile, down to the last letter.
- 2.Map and contact. A map with your location and a link for directions.
- 3.Data for search engines. Structured data (schema) about your business, opening hours and address, which Google reads and visitors don't see.
- 4.Local keywords. Page titles and descriptions mention your town and neighbourhood.
The profile works without a website, but with one people learn more about you and local SEO has something to work with. A Google map, Google Business Profile and basic SEO are included in every website we build. For prices, read How much does a website cost for a small business.
What keeps a profile useful
A profile that's set up and then forgotten soon goes out of date: holiday hours are wrong, new services are missing, reviews wait for a reply. Three things worth doing regularly:
- Posts. News, promotions and new offers published directly on the profile.
- Replies to reviews, politely and on time, including the bad ones.
- Accurate details. Holiday hours, new services and photos updated as soon as they change.
Profile management: €50 a month
Posts, replies to reviews and updates to opening hours, holidays and offers.
