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Before you create a profile, search for your business and pick a type
Start by searching Google for your business name and town. If the profile exists and nobody has claimed it, claim it. If it isn't there, add it with a Google Account, which you can open with any email address, not just Gmail.
Next, decide how you serve customers. If you have premises with permanent signage, the profile shows your address. If you travel to customers, like a plumber, you hide the address and set a service area. Google says that area generally shouldn't stretch beyond about two hours' drive from your base. If you do both, like a restaurant that also delivers, you're a hybrid business.
| Business type | How it serves customers | What the profile shows |
|---|---|---|
| Storefront | At the premises, with permanent signage and staff during opening hours | The address |
| Service-area | Travels to customers or delivers to them | The service area, with the address hidden |
| Hybrid | At the premises and at customers' locations | The address and the service area |
Which category to choose for your profile
The category tells Google and customers what your business is. Choose the most specific one on the list and use as few as you need to describe your core business. Google suggests a simple test. The category should complete the sentence “this business is”, not “this business has”.
Say you run a hotel in Tossa de Mar with a pool. The category is Hotel, not Swimming pool. Don't use categories as keywords, and don't add the category of a business operating inside yours, like the hotel bar if another company runs it. If you can't find your category, pick a more general one.
Can I have a Business Profile if I work from home?
Yes, as a service-area business. Google says that if you don't serve customers at your address, you should hide it and list the areas you cover. To verify by video, you can film street signs and landmarks in your neighbourhood.
What to fill in so your profile is complete
Google says businesses with complete and accurate information are more likely to show up in local results. If something is wrong, your profile may not appear for relevant searches in your area. Fill in these sections and check them again whenever something changes.
Some businesses, such as hotels, schools or cinemas, shouldn't list hours at all. Reviews also help you show up on Maps. To learn how to ask for them without breaking the rules, read the reviews guide linked below.
- Services. A barber, a spa or a garage can list the services they offer.
- Attributes, such as parking or Wi-Fi.
- Regular hours and holiday hours. Out of season you can mark the business as temporarily closed.
- A description of the business, without offers, prices or links.
- Photos and videos that show what you offer.
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Let's talkHow to verify your profile, including by video
Until your profile is verified, you can't edit it or see how many people view it. Google decides which verification methods you get, and you can't change them. They may include a phone call or text, an email, a live video call, a postcard with a code or a video you record yourself. If video is offered, Google recommends using it.
Record the video live on your phone, from within the profile. It must be at least 30 seconds long and shot in one continuous take, with no cuts or pauses. Keep other people's faces and private details, such as ID or bank numbers, out of shot. Google can take up to five business days to review it. Before you hit record, plan how you'll show these three things.
- Where it is. Film the street sign, the building number or the businesses next door.
- That it exists. Film a sign that shows the same name as your profile, or your work tools if you travel to customers.
- That you run it. Open the till, the kitchen or the storeroom, or your branded van if you travel to customers.
How long does Google take to verify a profile?
Google says it can take up to five business days to review your verification, and on rare occasions longer. If you get a postcard, most codes arrive within 14 days and expire after 30 days. While you wait, don't change your business name, address or category, or the code won't work.
Your name, address and phone number should match your website
The profile name must be your real business name, the one on your sign, website and stationery. The address must be exact. The phone number must be one you control that rings at that business. A local number is better than a call centre line, and premium-rate numbers are never allowed.
For the website, use your own site rather than a social media page. Put the same name, address and phone number on your contact page and footer as on the profile. Google says that when it ranks local results, it also looks at how many websites link to your business.
What not to do with your Business Profile
Google can suspend a profile that breaks its guidelines. For example, if a carpentry workshop's sign only shows its name, don't add “custom furniture Girona” to the name on its profile. These are the mistakes Google won't accept.
Watch out for duplicates too. Google says there should only be one profile per business. A doctor shouldn't have a separate profile for each specialty either. Duplicates can make your information show up wrong on Maps. If you find an old listing, claim it instead of creating a new one.
- Adding slogans, services, your town, opening hours or a phone number to the name.
- Using a virtual office, meaning a rented address where you don't actually work.
- Listing a coworking address unless you have signage there and your own staff to see customers during business hours.
Can I have a Business Profile if I only sell online?
No. Google says online-only businesses, such as e-commerce shops with no in-person service, aren't eligible for a Business Profile. If you also have premises where you serve customers, the profile is for that location, and your website handles the online sales.
How to tell if your profile brings in customers
Once your profile is verified, the Performance section shows how people find you on Search and Maps and what they do next. You can pick the dates you want to look at. The figures cover both organic results and Google Ads.
Focus on calls, directions and clicks, because those are people who want to visit or get in touch. If your business is seasonal, like so many on the Costa Brava, compare each month with the same month last year.
- Searches, the terms people used to find you. They update at the start of each month.
- Views, how many people saw your profile. Each person counts once a day.
- Calls, direction requests, website clicks, messages and bookings.
