When someone searches “tacos near me” or “house cleaning Aurora,” the map results at the top come from Google Business Profiles. A profile is free, and for many local businesses it brings in more calls than the website does. Here’s how to set one up the right way.
Before you start
Have this ready:
- Your business name exactly as it appears on your sign, truck or paperwork
- Your address, or the cities you serve if you go to your customers
- A phone number you actually answer
- Your hours, and your website if you have one
- Five to ten good photos: your storefront or truck, your work, your food, your team
1. Create or claim your profile
Go to google.com/business and sign in with a Google account the business will keep, not a personal account you might lose access to. Search for your business name first. Google sometimes creates profiles on its own, and if yours already exists you should claim it instead of making a second one.
2. Choose the right category
Your primary category matters more than almost anything else on the profile. Pick the most specific one that fits: “Mexican restaurant” instead of “Restaurant,” or “House cleaning service” instead of “Cleaning.” You can add a few secondary categories for other things you do.
3. Address or service area
If customers come to you, show your address. If you go to them, like cleaning or catering, and you work from home, hide your address and list the cities you serve instead. Mobile businesses such as food trucks have their own eligibility rules, so check Google’s current guidelines before you set one up.
4. Verify the business
Google will ask you to prove the business is real. Depending on your business, that can be a short video, a phone call or text, an email or a postcard. For video verification, be ready to show your signage or vehicle, your equipment or workspace, and something that proves you run the business. Your profile won’t fully appear on Google until it’s verified.
5. Fill out everything
- Hours, including holiday hours
- Services or menu, with short descriptions
- Description: up to 750 characters on what you do and who you serve, written for people, not for keywords
- Photos: logo, cover photo, inside and outside, your food or finished work
- Links to your website and to ordering or booking if you have them
- Attributes, such as languages spoken or “Latino-owned,” where they apply
Common mistakes that hurt your ranking
- Adding keywords to your business name, like “Rosa’s Tacos Best Tacos Denver.” It breaks Google’s rules and can get the profile suspended.
- Creating duplicate profiles for the same location
- Hours that are out of date
- A phone number or address that doesn’t match your website
- Ignoring reviews
Keep it active
Profiles that get updated tend to do better. Add new photos every month, post updates or specials, keep your hours current and answer every review. Fifteen minutes a month is enough.