How to Link Google My Business to Google Ads

Want your local business address, phone number, and a map pin to show up directly within your Google search ads? That powerful local advantage comes from linking your Google Business Profile to your Google Ads account. This guide will walk you through exactly why this connection is so important for local businesses and provide a step-by-step tutorial on how to get it done right.

Why Link Your Google Business Profile to Google Ads?

Connecting these two platforms unlocks a feature called Location Assets (previously known as Location Extensions). When activated, they automatically add pieces of your business information to your ads when shown to users nearby. This isn't just a minor tweak, it fundamentally changes how potential local customers see your ads.

Instead of a standard text-only ad, users might see:

• Your physical address
• A map showing your location
• The distance to your business
• A clickable "Call" button with your phone number
• Your business hours and star rating

Here’s why that matters so much for your bottom line.

Supercharge Your Ad's Visibility and Click-Through Rate (CTR)

Location assets make your ads physically larger on the search results page, so they take up more screen real estate and grab more attention. More importantly, they provide immediate, relevant information that local searchers are looking for. An ad for a nearby coffee shop is far more compelling when it instantly tells you it's "0.4 miles away" and open now. This relevance significantly lifts click-through rates because you are directly answering the user's unspoken question: "Is this place near me and convenient?"

Drive Real Foot Traffic to Your Store

For restaurants, retail shops, salons, and any business relying on customers walking through the door, this is the main event. By displaying a map and your address, you’re not just generating a click, you’re generating a visit. Mobile users can tap the address and get directions directly in Google Maps, removing a significant point of friction between seeing your ad and walking into your store.

Build Instant Trust and Credibility

An ad with a physical address feels more legitimate and established. It shows you're a real, local business with a presence in the community, not just a faceless online entity. The inclusion of Google's star ratings pulls from your Business Profile, acting as immediate social proof that builds trust before a user even visits your website.

Unlock Deeper Performance Insights

The connection gives you access to valuable reports you wouldn't get otherwise. You can start tracking metrics like store visit conversions (an estimate of how many people who clicked your ad later visited your location), clicks on the "get directions" link, and local inbound calls made directly from your ads. This data gives you a much clearer picture of how your online ad spend is translating into offline results.

Before You Begin: The Pre-Flight Check

Before you jump into the setup, taking a moment to confirm a few details will save you a lot of headaches. Most linking problems originate from mismatched permissions or an out-of-date profile.

Confirm You Have Full Access

To create the link, you must have administrative access - not just standard or read-only - to both the Google Ads account and the Google Business Profile you want to connect. The simplest way to handle this is to use the same Google account (the same Gmail address) as the primary owner or manager for both platforms. If different people manage ads and the business profile, that's okay, but you’ll need their cooperation for the approval step.

Make Sure Your Business Profile is Polished

Remember, linking your profile will pull its existing information directly into your ads. It's a "garbage in, garbage out" situation. If your profile information is outdated or incomplete, your ads will be, too. Take five minutes to review your Google Business Profile and make sure:

• The business name, address, and phone number (NAP) are 100% accurate.
• Your business hours are current.
• You have high-quality photos uploaded.
• You have some recent, positive Google Reviews. An ad showing a 4.8-star rating is far more powerful than one showing no rating at all.

How to Link Google Business Profile to Google Ads: Step-by-Step

Linking the two accounts is a straightforward process handled entirely within the Google Ads dashboard.

Linking Directly Within Google Ads (The Recommended Method)

Follow these steps to establish the connection.

1. Sign in to Google Ads: Head to ads.google.com and log in to your account.

2. Navigate to Assets: In the left-hand navigation menu, click on Campaigns. A secondary menu will appear below it. Find and click on Ads & assets, and from the dropdown, select Assets.

3. Create a New Location Asset: Click the blue plus icon (+) to add a new asset. From the list of options, choose Location asset.

4. Find Your Business Profile: Google Ads will now give you a few ways to find your profile:

• The Easy Way: If you use the same email for both Ads and your Business Profile, Google will often automatically find and display your managed Business Profiles. If you see yours in the list, just check the box next to it, and click Continue. You’re practically done!
• The Manual Link: If your profile isn't listed, you can link to an account managed by someone else. Select the option to 'Link to a Business Profile Manager account I know.' You will be prompted to enter the email address of the manager of the Google Business Profile. Google Ads will send a linking request to that email address.

5. Approve the Request (If Needed): If you sent a request, the owner of the Google Business Profile needs to approve it. They will receive an email notification and see a request in their GBP dashboard under a section often labeled "Linked accounts." Once they click 'Approve,' the connection is officially made.

Putting It to Work: Activating Location Assets in Your Campaigns

Just linking your account isn’t the final step. You also have to tell Google Ads where to use that location information. This is powerful, as it allows you to associate different business locations with different ad campaigns.

After your link is approved, your business address will appear in the main Assets table. Now, you can specify how it should be applied.

Applying Locations at Different Levels

You have flexibility in how you use location assets:

• Account Level: If you add the location asset at the account level, it will be eligible to show across all of your campaigns and ad groups. This is the simplest and best choice for a business with just one physical location.
• Campaign Level: This is perfect for businesses with multiple locations. For example, a restaurant chain could have a separate campaign for its San Francisco and Los Angeles locations. You would apply the SF address only to the "San Francisco Campaign" and the LA address only to the "Los Angeles Campaign." This keeps your ads hyper-relevant.
• Ad Group Level: For even more granular control, you can apply locations at the ad group level. This is less common but could be useful if you're promoting specific services offered at one location but not another, all within the same campaign budget.

To assign them, go to your Assets list, select your Location Asset, and choose the level (Campaign or Ad Group) where you want it applied.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Sometimes things don’t go as planned. Here are some of the most common hangups and how to fix them.

"My Google Business Profile Isn't Showing Up for Me to Select"

This is almost always a permissions issue. First, triple-check that you're signed into the Google account that has manager or owner access to the profile. A less common issue is that a different manager may have already linked the profile to another Google Ads account - a business profile can only be linked to one Ads account at a time.

"The Business Profile Manager Never Received the Linking Request"

First, have them check their junk or spam mail folder. Second, confirm you sent it to the correct email address for the account's manager. If all else fails, simply cancel the pending request from your Google Ads dashboard and resend it.

"I've Linked Everything, but My Ads Aren't Showing the Address"

This is a frequent point of confusion. Location assets, like all ad assets, do not show 100% of the time. Google's algorithm decides when to show them based on factors like the user's location, the device they are using, your ad position on the page, and other competing assets. Your location could be eligible but not displayed in every single auction. As long as your asset is listed as "Approved" in your dashboard and applied to an active campaign, it's working as intended. Just give it some time to start appearing.

Final Thoughts

Linking your Google Business Profile to Google Ads is a non-negotiable step for any local business serious about paid search. It takes just a few minutes but transforms your ads into powerful, localized messages that build trust, drive directions, and ultimately bring more customers to your door.

Speaking of making powerful connections, streamlining your digital marketing doesn't stop with Google. Once your ads are optimized for local, there's still the daily demand of social media to handle without it eating up your whole week. We built Postbase because we got tired of wrestling with clunky, outdated social media tools. Our platform gives you a clean visual calendar, reliable scheduling that truly supports video, and a unified inbox so you have everything you need to manage your social presence, get your time back, and focus on growing your business as a whole.