How To Set up Google Business Profile in 2025?

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In today’s digital landscape, having a strong online presence is crucial for businesses of all sizes. One of the most effective ways to boost your visibility is learning how to set up Google Business Profile.

With Google Business Profile, which links to your Google Maps, you can showcase all your solutions and services. This approach builds more trust with people, drawing them towards your business.

It has become crucial today because people are generally not interested in any online profile or face-to-face business unless they can see its reviews.

This powerful tool helps potential customers find your business, view your services, and connect with you directly. But simply creating a profile isn’t enough—you need to optimise it for maximum impact.

When you want to establish your business in local SEO so that whenever someone searches for you or your services within a local area, you appear in the results, creating and optimising your Google Business Profile is extremely important.

What is Google Business Profile?

Google Business Profile is a free marketing tool provided by Google that allows business owners to manage how they appear in online tools like Google Search and Google Maps.

It’s a key driver of growth for local businesses and increases findability to generate more leads. An optimised Google Business Profile listing can significantly improve visibility on search engines, helping businesses appear prominently in local searches and online directories, and ultimately attracting more customers.

Benefits of Google Business Profile

Enhanced Visibility: Increase your business’s presence on Google Search and Google Maps, making it easier for potential customers to find you.
Trust and Credibility: Build trust with potential customers through reviews and accurate business information, showcasing your legitimacy.
Improved Local SEO: Optimise your business profile to appear prominently in local searches, driving more traffic to your physical or online location.
Customer Engagement: Engage with customers through updates, promotions, and direct interactions, fostering stronger relationships.
Performance Insights: Access valuable data on customer interactions with your profile, helping you refine your marketing strategies.
Free Marketing Tool: Benefit from a cost-effective way to promote your business and services without additional advertising expenses.
Customisable Profile: Tailor your business profile with descriptions, photos, and service listings to highlight what makes your business unique.

How To Set up Your Google Business Profile

1. Log in to Google Business Profile Dashboard

You need a Google account to use Google Business Profile, so go ahead and create one if you haven’t already.

I recommend not using your personal Google account to set this up, as you may want to give others access to your Google Business Profile later.

2. Add your business information

Once you’re signed in, the Google Business Profile dashboard will prompt you to enter your business name. This is an essential step as it helps potential customers recognise your brand.

After entering your business name, click ‘Continue’ to proceed to the next step of the setup process.
Next, you’ll be required to input your business address, which is crucial for appearing in local searches and on Google Maps. Make sure to provide the most accurate and up-to-date information.
Additionally, you need to specify your business hours so customers know when you’re open for business. This information is vital for customer convenience and ensuring they visit during operating hours.
Lastly, provide your contact information, including a phone number and email address, to facilitate easy communication with your potential customers.
Add a business description to enhance profile completion and provide unique context about your business. This helps notify potential customers about what makes your business unique.

3. Select your business type and category

You can sign up for Google Business Profile if you sell directly to customers online, have a physical location, or provide an in-person service to your customers. This flexibility allows a wide range of businesses to benefit from increased visibility on Google Search and Google Maps.
You can select all options that apply to your business model, ensuring your Google Business Profile accurately reflects your operations.
Choose a primary business category that precisely aligns with your business and its services to enhance

4. Add Your Business Location

This step helps potential customers find your physical address easily and enhances your visibility in local search results.

Enter Accurate Address: Make sure to provide an accurate and complete business address to ensure customers can locate you without any hassle. This includes street number, street name, city, and postal code. An accurate address also helps Google verify your business location, which is essential for appearing in search results.
Specify Service Areas: If your business does not have a physical location open to customers, such as a delivery service or home-based operation, you can specify service areas instead. This information helps customers understand the geographical range within which you offer your services.
Ensure Consistency: It’s important to ensure that your business address is consistent across all platforms and directories. Inconsistencies can lead to confusion and may negatively impact your local SEO efforts.

By accurately adding your business location, you not only improve your chances of appearing in relevant local searches but also make it easier for potential customers to find and engage with your business.

Verifying Your Business

Verify your business to increase credibility

Verifying your business is a crucial step that significantly boosts your credibility and trustworthiness in the eyes of potential customers. When your business is verified, it signals to customers that your business is legitimate and reliable, which can lead to increased trust and more customer engagement.

Verification also plays a vital role in ensuring that your business information remains accurate and up-to-date across Google Search and Google Maps. This accuracy is essential for helping customers find the right information about your business, such as your location, contact details, and operating hours, which can directly impact their decision to visit or contact you.
Additionally, a verified Google Business Profile enhances your visibility in local searches, making it easier for potential customers to discover your business when searching for relevant services or products in your area.

Methods for verifying your business

After setting up your business, you will need to verify it. There are several methods for verification: the first is video verification, the second is postcard verification, and the third is phone verification. Most often, video verification is used. This method provides an additional layer of accuracy, as it allows Google to see your billboard or banner. This enhances your trust factor on Google, making it more likely for your business to appear higher in search results. As a result, more customers can find you easily.

Troubleshooting verification issues

If you’re encountering issues while verifying your business, Google offers solutions to help you complete the verification process. You can submit a video through the help option or opt for a live call with Google. This call typically lasts around 30 seconds, after which Google completes the verification for you.

Optimising Your Google My Business Profile

After verifying your business, make sure to add your services, including any sub-services or expansions you offer. For example, if you are an electrician, specify the types of installations you handle, such as outlets, switches, and fixtures. By detailing these elements, you enhance your service offerings and improve your business profile.

Add Business Hours for Your Business

Adding business hours to your Google Business Profile is a crucial step in ensuring your customers know when you’re open and ready to serve them. Accurate business hours help prevent customer frustration and ensure they visit during your operating times.

Add real images of your business

Photos help generate interest and catch people’s eye in search results.
For physical locations, this is easy: take some great photos of your business in operation.

Add a custom description

You can add a custom description up to 750 words which appears across Google services, including search and Maps.

Use this space to showcase what’s truly unique about your business.

Completing Your Google Business Listing

Add More Information About Your Business

If there is any additional information you want to include about your business, such as whether appointments are required, available activities for groups, or accessibility features like wheelchair support, you can add these details directly from the ‘More’ section.

Managing Your Online Presence

Add contact information and location targeting

Ensure you add accurate contact information and specify your location targeting details to effectively reach the areas where you offer your services. This can be easily managed by navigating to the location settings and selecting your business location or service areas. Providing precise service area information is crucial to ensure your business appears in searches within the regions you serve.

Import your products

If you offer specific products or services that you wish to showcase, you can highlight them directly in the Google My Business section. There is a dedicated section for products that will appear alongside your business profile on Google Search and Google Maps.

Monitoring Your Performance

Track Your Performance with Google My Business Insights

Google Business Profile Insights provides valuable data on how customers interact with your profile. Track metrics such as profile views, search queries, and customer actions (like website clicks or requests for driving directions). Analyze this data to refine your Google Business Profile for better local search performance.

Managing Reviews

In the Google Business Profile, there’s a dedicated section for managing reviews, which allows you to view, reply to, or report comments. This feature is invaluable for local businesses, as it provides insights into the types of reviews you’re receiving. You have the opportunity to engage with your customers by responding to their feedback, whether it’s positive or negative. Addressing reviews is crucial because it shows that you value customer opinions and are committed to improving their experience. This interaction can help build trust and enhance your business reputation.

Respond to negative reviews

This section also enables you to address negative reviews by either explaining what occurred and how you resolved the issue or by acknowledging the feedback to improve your services. By doing so, you demonstrate to potential customers that you genuinely value their feedback and are committed to enhancing their experience.

Keep Your Google Business Profile Updated

Announce New Products or Services

Keep your customers informed by sharing details about new product launches or services. Include descriptions, feedback, and images to create engaging posts that capture attention.

Inform your audience about any upcoming holidays or vacation closures. This ensures customers are aware of your availability and can plan their visits accordingly.

Promote Special Offers

Highlight special promotions, such as a 20% discount for the upcoming week or festive deals during Christmas. These offers can attract more customers and boost sales.

Host Event Announcements

If you’re organizing an event at your local business, make sure to announce it in the update section. This can increase attendance and engagement with your community.

All these updates will be visible on your Google Business Profile, Google Search, and Google Maps, ensuring that potential customers are always in the loop about your latest news and offerings.

Best Practices for Optimising Your Google Business Profile

Now that you have created your business profile, it is time to learn about some of the best practices that can help you stand out and become more prominent to customers.

Ensure Correct Business Information

First of all, you need to make sure that your business information is correct. Your business name, address, and contact details must be visible and accurate. If people find your profile but cannot connect with you, you are just losing leads.

Connect Your Contact Information

Number two, make sure that your email address and phone number are connected. If you have your phone number, ensure it’s also on WhatsApp so that people can connect with you via messages if they don’t want to call you, or if they find your phone number at, say, 1:00 AM, which is outside your opening hours. This way, they can leave a message directly on your WhatsApp number. Having more open channels available is crucial so people can reach out to you.

Provide All Services in Your Profile

Next, make sure that you provide all of your services in the services section on your Google My Business Profile and Google Maps. If your services are not listed, most people will not be able to find you by those services. For example, if you are an electrician who also provides plumbing services, and people search for plumbers but you have not listed plumbing as a service, Google will not show you, and you are just losing leads.

Gather Positive Reviews

Fourth, make sure that you have a lot of reviews. When I talk about a lot of reviews, I mean original reviews from the service area where you are targeting your customers. If you are targeting customers in New York, then you should have more people reviewing your business from New York. This will help you stand out, and people who see your business will trust that you are a reliable business because you have more customers from the same area.

Use High-Quality Photos and Videos

Now, ensure that you have high-quality photos or videos of the type of service you provide. For instance, if you are a dentist, you should have photos and videos of your clinic, such as the front of the clinic, the dentist’s chair, and the services you provide. Show yourself in a video cleaning teeth, for example. Also, include photos of your clinic from the main road so that people can easily identify your location.

Utilize Relevant Keywords

Finally, make sure that you use relevant keywords related to your business. You can find these keywords directly on Google Search, or Google will recommend some to you. You can also use keyword software, many of which are free, or Google Maps, which shows auto-complete suggestions. Use these keywords to rank for your particular services.

Regularly Update with Promotions

Last but not least, make sure that you add promotions and updates regarding your business regularly. I’m not saying you should do this daily, but on a monthly basis, share what’s new or updated. If you change something in your clinic, add that to your Google profile. Tell people about these changes because when they know about you through Google Maps or Google profiles, they will see you as a trusted authority or a trusted local business. In local business, it’s all about trust. When people trust you more, they will come to you more. This is how business grows and the purpose of the Google My Business Profile.

Bottom line

In conclusion, setting up and optimising your Google Business Profile is essential for enhancing your visibility in local searches and attracting more potential customers. By providing accurate business information, gathering positive reviews, and regularly updating your profile with high-quality photos and relevant keywords, you can effectively manage your online presence and build trust with your audience. Embrace these strategies to ensure your business stands out on Google Search and Google Maps, ultimately driving growth and success.

How does WP Creative help Optimise Your Google Business Profile?

WP Creative provides comprehensive services in SEO, Google Business Profile optimisation, and website development. If you’re a local business aiming to leverage the digital landscape for increased visibility and lead generation, WP Creative is your go-to solution. Specialising in Australia, we have collaborated with top businesses, including local enterprises like dentists, electricians, plumbers, and even e-commerce stores with physical locations. We have not only enhanced their Google Business Profiles but also boosted their overall business visibility, lead generation, and ROI.

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