Key takeaways:
- Start at business.google.com/create, enter your name, category, location and contact details, then choose a verification option.
- If Google already shows your business, claim it from Google Maps instead of creating a duplicate profile.
- When someone else verified the profile, request access: the current owner has 3 days to respond.
- Google says verification reviews take up to 5 business days, and most postcard codes arrive within 14 days.
- Service-area businesses without a storefront must hide their street location and can list up to 20 areas.
Table of contents
- What is a Google Business Profile and who can create one?
- Should you create a new profile or claim an existing one?
- How to create a Google Business Profile step by step
- How to claim your business on Google
- How to list your business on Google Maps
- How to verify your Google Business Profile
- How to set up a service-area business profile
- How to optimize your Google Business Profile after verification
- Common mistakes when setting up a Google Business Profile
- What is a Google Business Profile manager?
- FAQ
- Your next step
To create a Google Business Profile, sign in to a Google Account, go to business.google.com/create, enter your business name, category, location and contact details, then verify that you own or manage the business.
The free profile is what potential customers see on Google Maps and in Google Search when they look up your name or a service near them. The hard part is rarely the form. Many owners find that a Google business listing already exists, that a former employee verified it years ago, or that their home is about to appear on the map. Each case needs a different path: create, claim or request ownership.
In this 2026 guide, you'll learn all three paths with the exact steps from Google's support pages, the official delays, the setup for service-area businesses, how to optimize your profile once it is live, and the mistakes that get a profile suspended.
What is a Google Business Profile and who can create one?
A Google Business Profile is the free business listing Google shows on Google Maps and in Google Search, with your hours, contact details, photos and customer reviews. Any business that meets customers in person during its stated hours can create one on this free platform.
Google My Business was the old name. Google renamed the platform Google Business Profile in November 2021, as Search Engine Roundtable reported at the time, so both names describe the same tool. Creating and managing the profile costs nothing: Google's Business Profile page states that creating a profile and listing your business on Google is free.
Eligibility is where many owners get stuck. Google accepts storefronts, service-area businesses and service providers who visit customers. Online-only stores and properties for rent or sale are not eligible, and Google points online-only sellers to Google Ads advertising instead. A virtual office or a remote P.O. box does not count as a physical location either, and a co-working desk qualifies only with clear signage.
- A Google business account the company controls, ideally linked to a company email address.
- Your real-world business name, exactly as it appears on your sign.
- The street location customers visit, or the cities and ZIP codes you serve.
- A contact number and your website URL.
- Access to your storefront, signage and marketing materials, in case Google asks for a video.
Reuse these business details word for word on your website, in directories and on social media: consistent data is the base of local SEO.
A verified profile also becomes the place where local customers rate you. Google's local ranking support page says more reviews and positive ratings can help your local ranking, so plan how you will ask for reviews from the first week, whether through your review link or an NFC review plate near the register.
Should you create a new profile or claim an existing one?
Whether you create or claim a Google Business Profile depends on what Google already shows. If no listing exists, you add your business to Google. If an unverified listing exists, you claim it. If someone else verified it, you ask that person for ownership through Google's access form.
Check before you fill in anything: search your business name and city on Google. Any Maps user can add a missing place, and Google says the place shows publicly once it is added, so a listing can exist even if you never made one. A second profile for the same location is the costliest shortcut, because Google can suspend the account behind duplicate profiles.
The table below matches each situation to the right path and the delay documented in Google's help center.
| Situation | What you do | Official delay |
|---|---|---|
| No listing on Google | Create it at business.google.com/create | Review takes up to 5 business days |
| Listing exists, unverified | Select Claim this business, then Manage now | Same verification review |
| Verified by someone else | Select Request Access and fill out the form | Owner has 3 days to respond |
| No answer after 3 days | Claim from the confirmation email, if offered | Option not always available |
| Access denied | Suggest an edit or appeal the decision | No deadline published |
How to create a Google Business Profile step by step
Creating a Google Business Profile takes eight steps on a computer, from signing in to choosing a verification option. These are the steps to set up a Google Business Profile as Google's sign-up support page lists them, and you can verify later if the authorized person is not available yet.
Step 1: Sign in with the right Google Account
On your computer, sign in to your Google Account or create one. For a new account, Google recommends your business email domain. Use an account the company controls, not a personal one that leaves with an employee.
Step 2: Go to business.google.com/create and enter your name
Type your business name. Google may suggest matching businesses as you type; if one of them is yours, a profile already exists and you should claim it. If a message says someone else has already verified the business, switch to the ownership process described below. Google's guidelines say the name should reflect your real-world name, without marketing taglines, store codes or URLs.
Step 3: Choose your primary business category
Search for your business category and click Next. Pick the most specific match, such as "Italian restaurant" rather than "Restaurant." You can add secondary categories later, and our notes on picking the right primary category explore that choice in depth.
Step 4: Say whether customers can visit a location
Select Yes if you have a staffed storefront that customers can visit during business hours. Select No if you travel to customers. Answering No is how a home-based owner protects their privacy on the public profile.
Step 5: Enter your location or place the pin
If you answered Yes, enter your business address or position a marker on the map, then click Next. Write it exactly as it appears on your mail and website, so every local citation matches.
Step 6: Add the areas you serve
Add up to 20 cities, ZIP codes or other areas. Google recommends keeping the overall boundary within about 2 hours of driving time from your base, although some businesses can justify a larger area.
Step 7: Enter a contact number and website
Add the number customers should call and your website URL, then click Next and Finish. For chains, Google recommends each location's own number or store page rather than a remote call center.
Step 8: Choose a verification option
Click Verify now in the red banner, or Verify later if the authorized person in your organization is not with you. Google recommends reviewing your information before you request verification, because those details are what Google checks.
Your Google account may be suspended if we find multiple profiles for the same business in the same metropolitan area.
Google Business Profile Help, Sign up for Business ProfileThat rule covers the most common setup error. An owner who cannot access an old listing creates a fresh one, and Google ends up with two profiles for one storefront. Claim the existing profile instead, even if it takes a few extra days.
Once the form is done, the profile exists but you cannot manage it yet. Until you verify, you cannot edit your profile on Maps and Search, so go straight to the verification step.
A Google review plate with NFC and a QR code opens your review page on the customer's own iPhone or Android phone, with no subscription and an activation that takes a few minutes.
See the review plate →
How to claim your business on Google
To claim your business on Google is to take control of a business profile on Google that already exists. An unverified profile is claimed directly from Google Maps; a profile verified by someone else requires an ownership request sent to the current owner.
Claim an unverified profile on a computer
Open Google Maps, search for your business name and city, and select the listing. Choose Claim this business, then Manage now. If the listing is not the right one, select I own or manage another business. Then pick a verification option and follow the instructions on screen.
Claim it in the Google Maps app
Search for the business name in the app on an iPhone or Android phone, open the correct result, tap About, then Claim this business and Manage now. The verification process that follows is the same as on a computer.
Request ownership from the current owner
If the profile is already verified, go to business.google.com/add, enter the name and address, choose the business from the list and select Request Access. Fill out the form and submit it. You get an email confirmation, and Google's ownership support page gives the current owner 3 days to respond. If nobody answers after 3 days, you may be able to claim the profile from that email by selecting View request, then Verify.
An approval email gives you access. A rejection email still lets you suggest an edit, and Google allows an appeal without publishing a deadline for it. Keep the confirmation email: its link is how you check the status of your request.
No Claim this business button? When Google says someone else has already verified the business, the claim route is closed and Request Access is the way in. Claiming after an unanswered request isn't always available either, so contact whoever holds the profile first.
Most lockouts trace back to a marketing agency, a previous owner or a manager who left. Once you get access, add a second owner right away.
How to list your business on Google Maps
Listing your business on Google Maps is the same task as creating a Google Business Profile: there is no separate map listing to manage. Once your profile is created and confirmed, it is the result people see on the map, with your pin, hours, photos and customer reviews.
Google Maps also has an Add a missing place option open to any user. The place shows publicly once added, but that gives you no control. Google's support page for that feature points business owners to a Business Profile instead, set up at no charge, so they can manage hours and photos once they claim and verify it.
Open to any user. It puts a place on the map but gives no owner access, no replies to reviews and no direct edits.
Created or claimed by the owner, then verified. It lets you update hours, photos and services and reply to reviews.
How much does it cost to appear on Google Maps?
An organic listing costs nothing. Google states that listing your business on Google is free, and its local ranking page adds that there is no way to request or pay for a better local ranking. Paid placement exists only through Google Ads, which is optional.
How can I get my business to show up in local searches?
Google's local ranking page says local results are mainly based on relevance, distance and prominence. Distance is out of your hands; relevance and prominence are not. A precise category, a complete profile and a steady flow of reviews are the levers local businesses control.
How to verify your Google Business Profile
To verify your business is to prove to Google that you own or manage it, and the verification process is required before you can edit your Google Business Profile on Maps and Search. Google picks the available methods for you, based on business type, public information, region and hours.
The methods Google lists are phone or text, email, live video call, a recorded video and mail, where you receive a verification code on a postcard. Google's help center says the methods are automatically determined and can't be changed. Live video calls happen during your business hours, and Google expects to see signage, branded equipment, marketing materials and proof that you manage the place, such as keys or an employee-only area.
Google says verification reviews take up to 5 business days, most postcards arrive within 14 days and each verification code expires after 30 days, according to its verification help page.
Each method has its own pitfalls, covered in our guide to verifying your profile, method by method.
Some businesses skip the wait. Google mentions instant verification through Google Search Console for some sites, and bulk verification for chains that manage many locations.
How to set up a service-area business profile
A service-area business profile is the setup for plumbers, cleaners, mobile groomers and other trades that travel to customers. You list the cities or ZIP codes you serve and hide your street location, so a home-based owner never publishes where they live.
Service-area business: in Google's words, a business that visits or delivers to customers directly but doesn't serve customers at its business address.
Select the service-area option during the initial setup. Google's sign-up page says that a business switching to that model later must hide its address, an additional step you can avoid. You can set up to 20 service areas, and Google recommends keeping the overall boundary within about 2 hours of driving time from your base.
Do not create one profile per city you serve. One central office or location gets one profile, with a designated service area that covers the cities around it, as Google's guidelines put it.
How to optimize your Google Business Profile after verification
To optimize your Google Business Profile after verification, complete every field, then keep it active with photos, posts and replies to reviews. Google ties this work to visibility, saying that businesses with complete and accurate info are more likely to show up in local search results.
Business description, hours and attributes
Write a business description that says what you do and where, following Google's description guidelines. Add regular hours, special hours for holidays and separate hours for specific features. Select only attributes that are true, such as outdoor seating, Wi-Fi or accessibility features; the list depends on your category.
Customers are 2.7 times more likely to consider a business reputable when they find a complete profile on Search and Maps, according to Google Business Profile Help.
Photos, products and services
Upload a logo, a cover photo and professional photos of the storefront, the team and the work. List services from the suggestions for your category or add custom ones. Retailers can add in-store products with the Product Editor or through a connected point-of-sale system. The same Google page adds that customers are 70% more likely to visit businesses with a complete profile.
Posts, offers and events
Posts let you share an update, an offer or an event. They display in the Updates or Overview tab of the mobile profile and in the From the owner section on desktop. Posts older than 6 months are archived unless you set a date range, so regularly update them to keep the profile current for your audience.
Performance and insights
The Performance tool in your profile shows searches, views, calls, direction requests, website clicks, messages and bookings, with a date range you choose, for verified profiles only. Add tracking parameters to your website link and Google Analytics will separate profile visits from other traffic, which helps you connect profile activity to real data. Read our notes on connecting your website properly for the details.
Reviews, including negative reviews
Google lets you share a review link from your profile, and its review policies forbid soliciting reviews through incentives. Never trade a discount or a gift for a review. Reply to every review, negative reviews included, to build trust with the next reader. Digifeel plates and cards open your Google review page on each customer's own iPhone or Android phone, with a tap or a scan.
Common mistakes when setting up a Google Business Profile
The common mistakes when setting up a Google Business Profile are duplicate profiles, keyword-stuffed names, ineligible locations and a personal account nobody else can access. Each one breaks a written Google rule or locks the company out of its own profile when staff changes.
- Do: add or claim an existing listing before you create anything.
- Don't: add a city, keyword or slogan to your business name.
- Do: answer No to the storefront question if customers never come to you.
- Don't: use a remote P.O. box or a virtual office as your address.
- Do: add a second owner so access survives staff changes.
- Don't: create one profile per city you serve.
- Don't: offer discounts or gifts in exchange for reviews.
Fixing the account is harder than fixing a typo. A name can be edited in minutes. An owner account tied to someone who left can take an ownership request, a wait and sometimes an appeal to recover.
What is a Google Business Profile manager?
A Google Business Profile manager is either a person with the manager role on a profile or Business Profile Manager, the tool Google offers larger companies to handle many profiles in bulk. Both matter as soon as more than one person or location is involved.
On a single profile, you can add owners and managers, and transfer primary ownership if you no longer want to manage your Google Business Profile. Give an agency manager access rather than primary ownership, so the company keeps control if the contract ends. Chains with multiple locations use Business Profile Manager to edit profiles in bulk.
Daily edits happen in Google Search and Maps. Google announced in 2021 that the standalone Google My Business app would be retired, and its Business Profile page now says you can manage your business from Search and Maps.
FAQ
Do I need an LLC for a Google Business Profile?
No legal structure appears in Google's eligibility rules. What Google checks is in-person contact: a storefront customers visit or a service area you travel to during stated hours. Verification may still ask for proof of the business, such as signage, branded equipment or non-sensitive business documents shown during a live video call.
Can I have multiple businesses under one Google account?
Yes. One Google Account can manage several Business Profiles, and Google points companies with many locations to Business Profile Manager for bulk management. Each business still needs its own eligible storefront or service area, and Google does not allow two profiles for the same business in one metropolitan area.
Can I use a personal Gmail address?
Yes. Google lets you sign up with an existing Google Account and any email address. It suggests linking a company email address to the account because that makes management easier. If you start with a personal Gmail, add a second owner so the business keeps access when that person leaves.
Can Google still build a free website from my profile?
No. Google turned off websites made with Business Profiles in March 2024 and redirected them to the profile until June 10, 2024, as TechRadar reported. You can still add the URL of a website you own in the Website field, written in full with https://, to keep your online presence connected.
Your next step
Start with a search, not the form. Look up your business name and city on Google today and note what you find: nothing, an unverified listing or a profile someone else controls. That single check tells you whether to create, claim or ask for ownership, and it prevents the duplicate that can get an account suspended. Once you are verified, block one hour to complete hours, photos, services and your description, then set up a simple way to ask every satisfied customer for a review. Verification opens the door; completeness and reviews do the work. Which of the three situations is yours right now?
