How to Set Up Your Google Business Profile Properly (Step by Step)

If you only do one thing this month for your business's visibility, make it this. It's free, it takes about 20 minutes of actual effort, and it's the single biggest lever for being found in local search and by AI assistants — bigger than any amount spent on ads.

Step 1 — Check you don't already have one

Search your business name in Google first. Profiles sometimes get created automatically or by a previous owner, and starting a duplicate creates exactly the kind of inconsistency that confuses both Google and AI systems. If one exists, claim it rather than creating a new one.

Step 2 — Claim and verify

Head to business.google.com and follow the setup flow. Verification usually happens by phone or email these days, though some categories still use a postcard through the post, which can take up to two weeks — start this step first if that applies to you, then carry on with everything else while you wait.

Step 3 — Fill in every field, not just the required ones

Google only requires the basics to publish a profile. Don't stop there. Categories, full service list, complete hours, business description, attributes — every field you skip is a gap that leaves both customers and AI models guessing.

Step 4 — Add your first 10 photos

Real photos: the premises, the team, work you've completed, before-and-afters if relevant. Not stock images — they're easy to spot and they undermine trust rather than build it.

Step 5 — Write your first post

A short update about anything genuinely current: a recent job, an offer, a seasonal note. This is the first signal to Google (and to any AI system reading your profile) that someone is actively running this business.

Step 6 — Set a recurring reminder

Ten minutes a month keeps a profile "alive" in the eyes of both Google and AI assistants. Profiles that go quiet for months read as abandoned, regardless of how good they looked on day one.