Google Business Profile: create it, get it verified and optimize it

Optimizing your Google Business Profile: what matters in 30 seconds?

Your Google listing (officially called “Google Business Profile”, formerly “Google My Business”) is your business’s identity card on Google Maps and in search results. When someone types “bakery near me” or the name of your restaurant, this is what appears: address, opening hours, phone number, photos, rating, reviews, a directions button, and links to your website or bookings.

The good news: the listing is free, and most of the work only has to be done once. After that, a few minutes a week keep it alive. The bad news: a half-filled listing with wrong hours or five-year-old photos often puts customers off before they ever walk through the door.

In this guide you will find how to create and verify the listing, the complete checklist of what to fill in, description examples to adapt, the most common mistakes, and advice specific to each trade.

Why does the Google listing matter so much for a local business?

For a neighbourhood business, many customers arrive through a search on their phone: “italian restaurant Bristol”, “hairdresser open Monday”, “emergency plumber”. For these searches, Google first shows a map with a handful of listings, then the websites. Being present and well presented on that map often makes the difference between a customer who comes to you and one who goes next door.

How Google picks the listings it shows

In its help page “Tips to improve your local ranking on Google”, Google names three criteria:

• Relevance: does your listing match what the person is looking for? This is where your category, description, services and products count.
• Distance: how far are you from the person or the place they searched for? You cannot change it, but an exact address avoids being misplaced.
• Prominence: how well known is your business? Google takes into account reviews (count and rating), links to your website and articles that mention you.

Google adds that complete and accurate information, up-to-date hours, photos and replies to reviews help your listing. There is no magic button: it is mostly about filling in every section seriously and keeping it current.

What customers look at before they come

Beyond Google, think about the customer: they usually look at the rating, the latest reviews, the photos and today’s hours, then tap “Directions” or “Call”. Every empty or wrong section is one more reason to hesitate. A complete listing reassures; an abandoned one worries.

How do you create and verify your Google listing, step by step?

Before creating anything, search for your business on Google Maps. A listing often already exists, created by Google or by a customer. In that case, do not create a second one: claim it (“Own this business?” button).

1. Sign in with a business Google account. Use an address you will keep (for example hello@yourbusiness.com), not the personal address of an employee who might leave.
2. Go to the Google Business Profile page and choose “Manage now”, or claim the existing listing you found on Maps.
3. Enter the exact name of your business, the one on your sign and your paperwork. No town or slogan added.
4. Choose the most precise primary category (“Pizza restaurant” rather than “Restaurant”, “Hair salon” rather than “Beauty”).
5. Enter your address if you welcome customers, or a service area if you travel to them (tradespeople, repairs, home services).
6. Add your phone number and website, then start verification.
7. Verify the listing using whatever Google offers for your business: a postcard with a code, a phone call or text, an email, or a short video showing your sign, the inside and a business document.
8. Fill in everything else once verified: hours, description, photos, services, products, attributes, booking link.

What if someone else already owns the listing?

This happens after a change of owner, or when a former agency created the listing. Google offers an access request: the current owner is notified and can accept or decline. If they do not answer, Google usually suggests another way to prove you run the business. Keep supporting documents (company registration, an invoice, a photo of your sign) to hand.

What do you need to fill in for a complete Google listing?

Here is the checklist we use with our customers. Work through it in order: the first rows matter most to your customers.

Photos: what really reassures people

Put yourself in the shoes of a customer who does not know you: they want to recognise the shopfront when they arrive, see what the room looks like and know what they will eat or get. Take photos in daylight, without heavy filters, and renew them when your menu, decor or team changes. Add a logo and a good cover photo. Customers’ photos also appear: they are valuable, but they do not replace yours.

Hours: the section that annoys people when it is wrong

A customer who makes the trip for nothing often leaves an annoyed review. Think about special hours before each bank holiday, annual closures and seasonal changes. Google lets you schedule special hours in advance: do it as soon as you know your dates.

How do you write a good Google Business Profile description?

The description is limited to 750 characters. It must not contain links, phone numbers or short-term promotions. Write it for a customer, not for a robot: in a few sentences, say who you are, what is special about what you offer, who it is for and where to find you. The words your customers use (“wood-fired pizza”, “men’s haircut”, “boiler repair”) naturally belong there, without repeating them ten times.

A simple structure that works well:

1. One sentence saying what you are and where (“Artisan bakery in the heart of the old town”).
2. What sets you apart (homemade, a speciality, know-how, years in business if true).
3. Your main products or services.
4. A practical detail (outdoor seating, access, online booking, Saturday call-outs).

A few examples to adapt:

Restaurant: “A neighbourhood bistro two minutes from the covered market, The Little Market cooks fresh produce bought the same morning. On the menu: daily specials, slow-cooked meats, homemade desserts and a short list of regional wines. Terrace in good weather, room for groups of up to twenty. Book online straight from this listing.”

Hair salon: “A unisex hair salon in the town centre. We cut, colour and style for women, men and children, by appointment or walk-in when we have space. Specialists in gentle colours and short cuts. Professional products for sale in the salon. Book your appointment online in a few clicks.”

Tradesperson: “Plumbing and heating engineer based in Exeter, I work for homeowners and small businesses on leaks, boiler repairs, bathroom installations and annual servicing. Free quotes, fast call-outs within thirty miles of Exeter.”

How do you keep your listing alive every week without spending hours on it?

A listing that is carefully filled in on day one and then forgotten quickly loses its value: photos age, hours change, reviews pile up unanswered. The goal is not to spend hours on it, but to have a small routine.

The fifteen-minute weekly routine

• Reply to new reviews, positive and negative. A short, personal reply is enough. Our guide to replying to Google reviews has templates for every case.
• Check next week’s hours (bank holiday, time off, event).
• Add one or two photos: dish of the day, new collection, finished job, seasonal window.
• Post an update when you have something to say: new product, festive menu, workshop, exceptional closure. See our article on Google Business posts.
• Ask for reviews from happy customers, with a QR code or a direct link. Everything is explained in our guide to getting more Google reviews.

Once a month

• Reread your description and services: are they still accurate?
• Look at your listing’s statistics (searches, calls, direction requests) to see what is changing.
• Check edits suggested by the public: Google sometimes accepts changes proposed by users (hours, category). Correct them if they are wrong.
• Compare your listing with your direct competitors’: do they have more photos, more recent reviews, better-described services?

Connecting your listing to the rest of your online presence

Your listing works better when it points to a real website (with the same name, address and phone number) and to a booking or appointment link. To go further, read our guides on creating a website for your business and setting up online booking without commission, plus the article on adding a booking link to your Google listing. Your social media posts can also feed your listing: see the guide on social media for local businesses.

Which mistakes should you avoid on your Google listing?

Some mistakes are simply clumsy; others can get your listing suspended. Here are the ones we see most often.

1. Adding keywords to the name. “Martin’s Garage, cheap car repairs Leeds” instead of “Martin’s Garage” breaks Google’s rules and is a frequent cause of suspension. The name must be your trading name, nothing more.
2. Creating several listings for the same business. One listing per real location. Duplicates compete with each other and can be removed.
3. Using an address where you never see customers. A PO box, a virtual office or your home shown while you travel to customers: use a service area instead.
4. Leaving wrong hours. It causes many avoidable negative reviews.
5. Choosing a primary category that is too broad or wrong. It shapes the searches you appear in.
6. Never replying to reviews. An unanswered negative review stays visible for a long time, and customers also read how you react.
7. Buying reviews or only asking happy customers. Google forbids fake reviews and filtering customers before asking for a review. In the UK and the EU, fake reviews are also an unfair commercial practice.
8. Handing the listing to an agency without keeping access. Always remain the primary owner of your listing and add agencies as managers.
9. Changing address or name outside the listing. A move is updated on the existing listing (not by creating a new one) so you keep your reviews.

For a more detailed list, read the Google Business Profile mistakes to avoid.

What are the specifics for your trade?

The main principles are the same for everyone, but each trade has its own points to watch.

Restaurants and bars

Add your menu (or a link to your online menu), photos of signature dishes and of the dining room, useful attributes (outdoor seating, vegetarian options, wheelchair access, groups) and a direct booking link. Service hours matter more than opening hours: say if the kitchen closes earlier. See our page Voxtya for restaurants, the page for bars and the article optimizing your restaurant’s Google profile.

Hair salons and beauty salons

List your services with their duration and a guide price, show the salon and your work (with customers’ consent), and make your online appointment link easy to find. Say whether you accept walk-ins. See Voxtya for salons.

Bakeries, delis and food shops

Early opening hours and closing days must be spot on. Photos of the window and seasonal products make people want to come; an update for festive orders usually goes down well. See Voxtya for bakeries.

Tradespeople without a shop (plumbers, electricians, decorators…)

If you do not welcome customers at your premises, hide the address and set a service area (towns or counties). Add photos of finished jobs, describe your work in the services section and ask for a review at the end of every job. See Voxtya for tradespeople and, for garages, the dedicated page.

Hotels, B&Bs and holiday lets

Google shows information specific to accommodation (amenities, check-in and check-out times). Take care with photos of rooms and shared areas, and add a link to your direct booking so not everything goes through the platforms. See Voxtya for hotels.

Health practices

Be careful about medical confidentiality when replying to reviews: never confirm that someone is your patient. Explain clearly how to book and how accessible the practice is. See Voxtya for health professionals.

How can you check where your listing stands and get help?

The simplest place to start is an overview. Our free visibility check looks at your Google listing and your presence in assistants like ChatGPT, gives you a score out of 100 and the three things to fix first. The Google listing optimizer, also free, gives you a one-off checklist of what is missing.

If you want follow-up over time, Voxtya’s Visibility & insights module compares your rating and review count each month with 3 to 5 competitors you choose, reruns the audit monthly and sends you a report with three concrete actions. It costs €29 a month, with a 30-day free trial, and pairs with the Social media module for €49 a month.

To go further on rankings, read our page on increasing your Google rankings, the checklist for small businesses and the article explaining why a Google listing alone is no longer enough.

The steps at a glance

The steps to create (or claim) your business’s Google listing, get it verified and fill it in completely.

1. Check whether the listing already exists. Search for your business name on Google Maps. If a listing exists, claim it instead of creating a new one.
2. Sign in with a business Google account. Use an email address you will keep, in the business’s name.
3. Enter the exact name and primary category. Your trading name with no added keywords, and the most precise category available.
4. Set your address or service area. Your exact address if you welcome customers, otherwise the towns you serve.
5. Verify the listing. Follow the method Google offers: postcard, phone, email or video.
6. Add hours, description and photos. Regular and special hours, a description of up to 750 characters, recent photos of the shopfront, interior and products.
7. Add services, attributes and a booking link. Describe your services, tick the right attributes and add the direct link to your bookings or appointments.
8. Keep the listing alive every week. Reply to reviews, add photos, post updates and ask happy customers for reviews.

Go further

• Optimize your restaurant’s Google profile: checklist
• Google Business Profile mistakes to avoid
• Google Business posts: why use them
• Google Business posts: the complete guide
• Improve your Google ranking: concrete levers
• Add a booking link to your Google listing
• How to increase your Google rankings
• Visibility checklist for small businesses