How to Create a Google My Business Page

Creating a Google Business Profile is one of the fastest and most effective free marketing moves you can make for your local or service-area business. It puts you directly on the map - literally - for customers searching for exactly what you offer. This guide will walk you through every step of a successful setup, from creating your profile and getting verified to optimizing it with the details that attract customers.

So, What Exactly is a Google Business Profile?

You've probably seen them a thousand times without thinking about it. A Google Business Profile (formerly known as Google My Business) is the free listing that appears for local businesses in Google Search and on Google Maps. It's the information box that shows up on the right-hand side of a search page, loaded with business hours, a phone number, photos, customer reviews, and directions.

Think of it as your virtual storefront on Google. It's often the very first interaction a potential customer has with your brand. A complete, active profile tells both Google and users that you're a legitimate, trustworthy business worth visiting or contacting. It's fundamental for local SEO, helping you get found by people in your area who are ready to make a purchase, book an appointment, or request a service.

How to Create Your Google Business Profile: Step-by-Step

Setting up your profile is straightforward, but each step is important for getting the most out of it. Let's walk through the process from start to finish.

Step 1: Sign in to the Google Business Profile Manager

First things first, you'll need a Google account. If you already use Gmail or any other Google service, you're all set. Head over to google.com/business and click "Manage now." You'll be prompted to sign in with your Google account. If you don't have one, it will only take a few minutes to create one.

Step 2: Add Your Business Name

Start typing your business’s full name. As you type, Google will search for existing profiles. If your business appears in the drop-down list, it means a profile already exists. This can happen if Google auto-generated one based on public data or if a previous owner set it up. In that case, you just need to click on it and follow the prompts to claim ownership.

If your business doesn't appear, select "Create a business with this name" to start fresh. Use your real, official business name - don't add keywords like "Best Pizza in Brooklyn," as this is against Google’s guidelines and can get your profile suspended.

Step 3: Choose Your Business Type

Next, you'll select the type of business you operate. This determines how customers interact with you on Google and which features are available. The three main options are:

• Local store: Choose this if customers visit you at a physical address. This is for businesses like coffee shops, retail boutiques, dentist offices, and hair salons.
• Service area: Choose this if you go to your customers' locations to provide a service. This applies to plumbers, electricians, landscapers, cleaning services, and mobile dog groomers.
• Online retail: This is for e-commerce businesses that don't have a physical location for customers to visit.

Step 4: Select Your Primary Business Category

This is a big one for your local search ranking. The category tells Google what your business *is*. Be as specific as possible. Instead of just "Restaurant," pick "Italian Restaurant" or "Vegan Restaurant." Instead of "Contractor," choose "Plumbing Contractor" or "Roofing Contractor." You can always add secondary categories later, but your primary category is the most influential one.

Step 5: Enter Your Address or Define Your Service Area

This step depends on the business type you selected.

• For a local store, you'll enter your full physical address. This will be publicly visible and will appear on Google Maps.
• For a service area business, you'll still be asked for an address for verification purposes, but you'll have the option to hide it from your public profile. Instead, you'll define the regions, cities, or ZIP codes you serve. This is perfect for home-based businesses that don't want their private address listed.

Step 6: Add Your Contact Information

Enter a public phone number where customers can reach you. Then, add your website URL. While you don’t technically need a website to have a Google Business Profile, having one adds a massive layer of credibility and provides customers a place to learn more. If you don't have a website, you can tick the box that says "I don't have a website."

Step 7: Verify Your Business

Before your profile goes live, you need to prove to Google that your business is real and located where you say it is. Verification prevents fraud and duplicate listings. There are several ways to verify, and Google will offer one or more options based on your business type:

• Postcard by Mail: This is the most common method. Google will mail a postcard with a unique verification code to your business address. Once it arrives (usually in about 5-7 days), you'll log back into your profile and enter the code. Important: Do not edit your business name, address, or category while waiting for the postcard, as it can void the code.
• Phone or Text: Some businesses are eligible for verification via an automated call or text message to their business phone number.
• Email: Similar to the phone method, some businesses can get a verification code sent to their official business email address (e.g., you@yourdomain.com).
• Video Recording: This method requires you to record a short video showing your location (e.g., storefront), equipment, or proof of management (e.g., keys to the building, a business document).

Once you've submitted your verification, you'll get a confirmation. While you wait, you can start fleshing out the rest of your profile.

You're Verified! Now It's Time to Optimize Your Profile

Getting your profile verified is just the starting line. A bare-bones profile won't do much for you. The real value comes from optimizing it with rich information that helps both customers and Google's algorithm understand your business better. An optimized profile ranks higher and converts more searchers into customers.

Here's how to make your profile stand out.

Flesh Out your Services or Products

Don't just rely on your main category. Use the "Services" or "Products" section to list everything you offer. If you run a salon, list every individual service: "Women's Haircut," "Men's Beard Trim," "Full Balayage," "Root Touch-Up." You can add descriptions and even prices. People searching for a specific service are more likely to find and choose you if it's listed clearly on your profile.

Write a Compelling Business Description

You have 750 characters to tell your story. Don't waste it. Explain what makes your business special, who you serve, and why customers should choose you. Talk about your experience, your commitment to quality, or your unique approach. Use keywords that potential customers might search for, but write for humans first. The first 250 characters are most visible, so put your most important message right at the beginning.

Upload High-Quality Photos and Videos

A profile without photos feels sketchy. Visuals build trust and give customers a feel for your business before they ever visit. Add a variety of high-quality images:

• Logo and Cover Photo: These are your brand identifiers.
• Exterior Photos: Show what your building looks like from the outside so people can easily find you.
• Interior Photos: Give a sense of your ambiance and what to expect inside.
• Team Photos: Put a friendly face to the business.
• In-Action Shots: Show your team at work, your products in use, or your services being performed.

Start Gathering Customer Reviews

Reviews are incredibly powerful. More positive reviews build social proof and directly impact your local search ranking. But you can't just hope for them to appear. You need a system:

• Ask in person: When a customer expresses happiness with your service, simply ask, "Would you mind leaving us a review on Google? It really helps our business."
• Follow up digitally: Send a follow-up email or text after a purchase or service with a direct link to leave a review. You can get that unique link directly from your Business Profile dashboard.
• Respond to EVERY review: Thank customers for positive reviews. For negative reviews, respond professionally, acknowledge their feedback, and offer to resolve the issue offline. Responding shows you're engaged and care about the customer experience.

Turn On the Messaging Feature

In your dashboard, you can enable a chat feature that allows customers to message you directly from your profile. This lowers the barrier for potential leads to get in touch. If you turn it on, make sure you respond quickly - Google tracks and displays your average response time. Set up a welcome message automation to let people know you received their message and when you'll get back to them.

Publish Regular Google Posts

Google Posts are like mini-updates that appear directly on your profile. You can use them to share news, highlight an offer, promote an event, or showcase a new product. This shows both customers and Google that your profile is active and up-to-date. Sharing fresh content regularly signals that your business is engaged and operational, which can give your profile a nice boost.

Final Thoughts

Creating and verifying your Google Business Profile is a foundational step for any business aiming to be found online locally. By investing a bit of time to fully optimize your listing with detailed services, quality photos, fresh posts, and consistent reviews, you create a powerful asset that helps put your business in front of the right customers at the right time.

Keeping all of your marketing channels updated - from your Google profile to your social media - can feel like a full-time job. At Postbase, we built our platform to bring simplicity back to your marketing workflow. Our tool centralizes social media management with features like a visual calendar to plan your content, a unified inbox to handle all your messages, and analytics that actually make sense, letting you get back to running your business instead of wrestling with a dozen different apps just to stay consistent online.