A Google Business Profile is the free listing that shows your business on Google Maps and in local search results. To set it up, go to business.google.com, add your business name, category and location or service area, then verify it by phone, text, email, video or postcard. Google ranks local results on three things: relevance, distance and prominence. Complete every field, add real photos, and ask every happy customer for a review.
What is a Google Business Profile?
It's the box that appears on Google Maps and on the right of Google Search when someone looks up your business, and the short list of local businesses that appears for searches like "plumber Centurion" or "accountant near me". It shows your hours, phone number, directions, photos and reviews.
It used to be called Google My Business. It's the same thing with a new name, and creating one is free.[3]
What a customer sees when they search "plumber near me"
The map results come before most websites. A complete profile with reviews stands out.
For a local business, the map results are often worth more than the first website result, because the person searching can call you in one tap.
How do you set up a Google Business Profile?
Setting up your profile
About 15 minutes, plus verification.
- Sign inGo to business.google.com with a Google account you'll keep, ideally a business one, not a staff member's personal email.
- Name and categoryUse your real business name, exactly as customers know it. Choose the primary category that best describes what you do.
- Location or service areaAdd your address if customers visit you. If you go to them, like plumbers, electricians or cleaners, set a service area and hide the address.
- Contact detailsAdd your phone number and website, so people can call or click straight from Maps.
- VerifyProve the business is yours. More on this below.
- Complete everythingHours, services, description, photos and attributes. The more complete, the better.
How do you verify a Google Business Profile?
Google needs to confirm that you own or manage the business before your profile goes fully live. Depending on your business, Google offers one or more of these methods:[2]
| Method | How it works | How long |
|---|---|---|
| Phone or text | Google calls or sends a code to your business number. | Usually quick |
| A code or link sent to your business email. | Usually quick | |
| Video call | A live video showing your location, business and proof that you manage it. | Same day to a few days |
| Postcard | A code posted to your address. | Most codes arrive within 14 days |
After you complete a method, Google says reviews can take up to five business days.[2] In some cases verification is instant, for example if your website is already verified in Google Search Console.[2]
Want more calls from Google?
On a free 30-minute strategy call we'll look at your Google presence, show you a full website built for your business, and map out how we'd bring you more customers.
Book a strategy callHow does Google decide which businesses show first?
Google says local results are based mainly on three factors:[1]
The three local ranking factors
In Google's own words.
You can't change your distance from a customer, but you can improve relevance and prominence. And there's no shortcut: Google states plainly that there is no way to request or pay for a better local ranking.[1]
How do you optimise your Google Business Profile?
Google's own advice is to verify your business, keep your information complete and up to date, respond to reviews, and add photos and videos.[1] In practice, that means:
- Pick the right primary category. It's one of the strongest relevance signals. Add secondary categories for other things you do.
- List your services. Name them the way customers search: "geyser installation", not "hot water solutions".
- Keep your hours accurate, including special hours for public holidays like Heritage Day and Christmas.
- Write a clear description of what you do, where, and who for. Plain language, no keyword stuffing.
- Add real photos of your work, your team, your vehicles and your premises. Keep adding new ones.
- Link to the right page. Send people to a page that matches what they searched for, with a clear way to contact you.
- Post updates about offers, new work or seasonal services to show the profile is active.
How do you get more Google reviews?
Reviews feed prominence, and they're what people read before they choose you. In BrightLocal's 2026 survey of US consumers, 97% said they read reviews for local businesses, and 80% said they're likely to use a business that responds to all of its reviews.[4]
- Ask at the right moment: straight after the job is done and the customer is happy.
- Make it one tap: share your profile's review link by WhatsApp or SMS, not "search for us on Google".
- Ask everyone, not just your favourites. A steady flow of honest reviews looks more trustworthy than a few perfect ones.
- Reply to every review, good and bad. Thank people, and answer complaints calmly with how you fixed it.
- Never buy or reward reviews. Fake or incentivised reviews break Google's policies and can get them removed.
What mistakes hold your profile back?
- Adding keywords or locations to your business name ("Best Plumber Pretoria Cheap"). It breaks Google’s guidelines.
- Using a PO box or a virtual office as your address.
- Creating duplicate profiles for the same business.
- Choosing a vague primary category, or the wrong one.
- Leaving hours out of date, especially over public holidays.
- Ignoring reviews, or only replying to the good ones.
Is a Google Business Profile enough on its own?
It's the best free place to start, but it's one step. When people find you on Maps, many tap through to your website before they call, so the page they land on has to convince them. And if you want to appear above the map results, Google Ads can put you there for the searches that matter most. That's the three-step system we use for every client: get the click, convert the visit, and close the enquiry.
- A Google Business Profile is free and puts you on Google Maps and in local search results.
- Set it up at business.google.com, then verify by phone, text, email, video or postcard.
- Google ranks local results by relevance, distance and prominence, and you can't pay for a better ranking.
- Complete every field: category, services, hours, description and real photos.
- Ask every happy customer for a review with a one-tap link, and reply to every review.
Frequently asked questions
Is Google Business Profile free?
Yes. Creating a Business Profile and listing your business on Google is free.
Is Google My Business the same as Google Business Profile?
Yes. Google My Business was renamed Google Business Profile. It's the same free listing.
Can I have a profile without a shop or office?
Yes. Service-area businesses that visit customers, like plumbers or cleaners, can set a service area and hide their address.
How long does verification take?
It depends on the method. Phone, text and email are usually quick, postcards can take up to 14 days to arrive, and Google says reviews can take up to five business days.
Can I pay Google to rank higher on Maps?
No. Google says there's no way to request or pay for a better local ranking. You can pay for Google Ads, which appear separately as sponsored results.
Sources
Founder of Sentaflow. We run customer acquisition for South African businesses, from the ads to the website to the follow-up.
