How to List Your Business on Google (Step-by-Step)
If your business isn't listed on Google, you're invisible. 97% of people search online to find local businesses — and Google is where they start. A Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is the free listing that puts your business on Google Search and Google Maps.
This guide walks you through every step — from creating the listing to getting it fully verified and optimized so customers can actually find you.
What's in this guide
Go to Google Business Profile
Open your browser and go to business.google.com. Click "Manage now".
You'll need to sign in with a Google account. Use the same Google account you want associated with your business — ideally a business Gmail, not a personal one.
Don't have a Google account? Create one at accounts.google.com — it's free and takes 2 minutes. Use an email like [email protected] or connect your existing business email.
Enter your business name
Type your exact business name in the search box. Two things can happen:
- Your business appears in the dropdown — someone may have already created a listing (common with older businesses). Click "Claim this business" and follow the verification steps.
- No match found — click "Create a business with this name" to start fresh.
Use your real, legal business name — not a keyword-stuffed version like "Joe's Plumbing Best Plumber Billings MT." Google can suspend listings that stuff keywords into the business name.
Choose your business category
This is one of the most important decisions you'll make for your listing. Your primary category tells Google what kind of business you are — and it directly affects which searches you show up in.
Type in what you do and pick the most specific option. Examples:
- Plumber → Plumber (not just "Contractor")
- Hair salon → Hair Salon (not just "Beauty Salon")
- Wedding photographer → Wedding Photographer
- Personal trainer → Personal Trainer or Fitness Center
You can add additional secondary categories after your profile is created. But your primary category carries the most ranking weight — choose the one that matches your #1 service.
Add your location or service area
Google asks whether you have a physical location customers can visit.
- Yes, I have a storefront or office — enter your full street address. This puts a pin on Google Maps at your exact location.
- No, I go to customers — select "I deliver goods and services to my customers" and enter your service area by city, ZIP, or radius. Your address stays hidden from the public.
If you do both (customers visit you AND you do house calls), select both options.
If you're a service-area business, add every city you actively serve — not just your home city. Google uses service area to determine where you show up in local searches.
Add your contact information
Enter your business phone number and website URL. These show up directly on your Google listing — make sure they're accurate.
- Use a local phone number if possible (not an 800 number) — it's a local trust signal
- Make sure your website URL goes to the homepage, not a sub-page
- If you don't have a website yet, skip it — you can add it later
Your phone number and address need to match exactly what's on your website and other online directories. Inconsistent information (called NAP inconsistency) confuses Google and hurts your ranking.
Verify your business
Before your listing goes live on Google, you need to prove you actually own or manage the business. Google offers several verification methods depending on your business type:
- Postcard by mail — Most common. Google mails a card with a 5-digit PIN to your business address. Takes 5–14 days. Enter the PIN in your Google Business dashboard when it arrives.
- Phone or text — Available for some businesses. Google calls or texts your listed number with a PIN instantly.
- Email — Available for some businesses. Google sends a PIN to your business email.
- Video call — For some new business types, Google may require a live video verification.
- Instant verification — If your business is already verified in Google Search Console, you may get instant approval.
While you wait for your postcard, you can still fill out your profile. The listing won't show publicly until it's verified, but you can get everything ready in advance.
Complete your profile to rank higher
Creating the listing is just the start. Google ranks complete, active profiles higher than empty ones. Once verified, make sure you fill out every section:
- Business hours — Including holiday hours when relevant
- Business description — 750 characters to describe what you do and who you serve. Don't keyword-stuff.
- Photos — Add at least 10 photos: exterior, interior, team, products, work samples. Businesses with photos get 42% more direction requests.
- Services or products — List every service with a description and price range if applicable
- Attributes — Things like "wheelchair accessible," "woman-owned," "free Wi-Fi"
- Questions & answers — Add your own Q&As proactively before customers have to ask
Profile completion checklist
- Business name (exact, no keyword stuffing)
- Primary category selected (most specific match)
- Address or service area set
- Phone number added
- Website URL added
- Business hours complete (including weekends)
- Business description written (up to 750 chars)
- At least 10 photos uploaded
- Services or products listed
- Attributes filled in
- Verification completed
Yes — completely free. Google Business Profile costs nothing to create, verify, or maintain. You only pay if you run Google Ads, which is separate.
Search for your business on Google Maps. If it appears, look for a "Claim this business" or "Own this business?" link. You'll need to verify ownership through the same verification process. Once claimed, you can edit all the details.
No. If you serve customers at their location — like a plumber, photographer, mobile dog groomer, or cleaning service — you can create a service area business without displaying a public address. You set your service radius or specific cities instead.
Most likely causes: you haven't completed verification yet, your profile is incomplete, your category doesn't match what people are searching, or you have very few reviews compared to competitors. A GrowthLeaks audit diagnoses exactly which issue is holding you back.
Complete every section of your profile, get Google reviews consistently (and respond to all of them), add photos regularly, make sure your website mentions the same cities and services as your listing, and check that your business info is consistent across all online directories.
Only if you have multiple physical locations. Each legitimate location can have its own profile. You cannot create multiple profiles for the same location — Google will merge or remove duplicates.
