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Google Business Profile: How your business appears in Maps and Search

When someone searches for "hairdresser nearby", they see the map first – and there are the businesses with a business profile. Here's how to set one up, get it verified, and keep it current.

By Gabriel Bosnjak · Updated 19 October 2026 · 4 min read

Setting up the profile

The business profile is your company's listing on Google Maps and on the right side of Google Search – with address, opening hours, photos, and reviews. It is created at business.google.com/add: select "Add your business to Google", enter the information, and choose a verification method. The profile costs nothing.

You can get a profile if you have a location that customers can visit, or if you visit customers on-site. For businesses without a physical storefront – such as a painting contractor who works at the customer's location – Google provides a service area; your own address is then hidden. Post office boxes and remote mailboxes do not count as a location.

What goes in the profile

• The name, as your business is actually called – without advertising slogans, without search terms, without opening hours or phone numbers in the name. Google can suspend profiles with such additions.
• Categories: as few as possible, and those that describe your business most accurately.
• Phone: a local number if possible, rather than a hotline.
• Opening hours: the regular times when customers can visit – public holidays and vacation separately.
• Photos: JPG or PNG between 10 KB and 5 MB, recommended 720 × 720 pixels, minimum 250 × 250. Sharp, well-lit, and as it actually looks at your location – without heavy filters. Exterior view, interior, team, products, and work examples are suitable.

Verification

Only a verified profile appears reliably, and only then can you respond to reviews. Google offers phone or SMS, email, a video recording, a live video call, and postcard. Which method is offered is decided by Google – you cannot choose it, and sometimes multiple methods are needed.

• The live video call only works on-site and during opening hours.
• The postcard carries a five-digit code, usually arrives within 14 days, and the code expires after 30 days. Do not change the name, address, or category during this time – otherwise the code becomes invalid.
• According to Google, verification takes up to five business days.
• Google never asks you for your verification code. Anyone who calls and asks for it is not Google.

What matters for local ranking

Google mentions three things: relevance (does the profile match the search?), distance (how close is the business?), and prominence. Prominence is influenced by links to your website and the number and rating of reviews. You cannot buy a better ranking – not even for payment, Google explicitly states.

What you can do yourself: complete the profile fully, get it verified, keep opening hours current, add photos, and respond to reviews. That is exactly what Google recommends.

Managing posts and photos

In your profile you can publish posts – as a news item, as an offer, or as an event, scheduled or recurring if desired. Posts without a time frame are archived after six months. Google reviews each post after publication; content about regulated products such as alcohol, tobacco, or gambling is not allowed, and a phone number in the post text can lead to rejection.

Responding to reviews

You can respond once the profile is verified. Google also reviews responses – usually within minutes, up to 30 days in individual cases. The person who wrote the review is notified and can edit it afterwards. Your response can be edited or deleted at any time.

Google recommends brief, factual responses: no advertising, no offers, no personal information or personal attacks in response to criticism. Resolve a difficult case better by phone or email. Say thank you, apologize if necessary, sign with your name or initials – and do not wait for weeks.

Checklist

• Profile created at business.google.com/add, name without additions, few appropriate categories.
• Verification completed – do not change the name, address and category until the postcard arrives.
• Opening hours, phone number and website address are correct; holidays and closures entered.
• Authentic photos from outside, inside, of your team and your work.
• Responded to new reviews within a few days – including critical ones.

Sources

1. Google Business Profile Help – Add or claim your business profile
2. Google Business Profile Help – Verify your business on Google
3. Google Business Profile Help – Guidelines for presenting your business on Google
4. Google Business Profile Help – Improve your ranking in local search results on Google
5. Google Business Profile Help – Create and manage posts in your business profile
6. Google Business Profile Help – Tips for business-specific photos
7. Google Business Profile Help – Manage customer reviews

All sources retrieved on 19 October 2026. General information, not legal advice. The law and information from authorities are authoritative – in individual cases, seek advice from a specialist.