Google Business Profile: A Setup Guide

Confirm eligibility, accurate business details and a fair review process before optimizing a Google Business Profile.

Confirm eligibility first

Google Business Profile is intended for businesses that make in-person contact with customers during their stated hours. Online-only businesses are not eligible. Check the official guidelines for your business model rather than creating a listing simply because competitors have one.

Represent the real business

Use the actual business name and a category that best describes the core service. Keep your contact information and hours current. If customers do not visit your address and you visit them, follow the service-area rules and hide the address. Do not add fictitious offices to reach more towns.

Set an accurate service area

Service areas use named cities, postal codes or other supported areas, not a configurable radius. Google allows up to 20 areas and generally recommends an overall boundary within about two hours’ driving time, with some exceptions. These rules do not impose a 20-page limit on your website.

Add useful information and real feedback

Publish services and photos that accurately represent the business. Answer questions and keep temporary changes clear. Request honest reviews without incentives or selectively steering happy customers to public reviews. A posting schedule is not a promise of a ranking increase.

Evaluate results alongside the website

Profile activity and website inquiries are different measures. Check whether the inquiries match your services and become customers. Fix incorrect information promptly and review the official guidance when your location, services or business model changes.

Further reading: Google Business Profile guidelines.