Google Business Profile: A Step-by-Step Setup Guide

Nordlyte Web Studio · SEO Guide · 6 min read

How do you set up a Google Business Profile? In short: it's completely free, and the full setup — from claiming your listing to getting verified — takes about 20 minutes.

Before you spend anything on ads or worry about ranking your website, there's one tool almost every local business underuses: Google Business Profile. It's what puts you on Google Maps and in "near me" search results, and you may also know it by its old name, Google My Business. Here's the full setup and configuration walkthrough, step by step.

1 Create or claim your profile

Search for your business name on Google Maps, or go to google.com/business. If it already exists (sometimes created automatically from map data), claim it. If not, create a new profile from scratch. Sign in with a Google account that belongs to the business, not a personal one that could be lost if someone leaves.

2 Choose the right category

Pick the most specific category that matches your business — "Web Designer" rather than just "Business Service," or "Bakery" rather than "Restaurant." Accurate categories directly affect which searches you show up in. You can add a few secondary categories too.

3 Add your location correctly

If you serve customers at a physical location, pin it precisely on the map. If you're a service-area business without a public storefront, you can hide the exact address and instead list the areas you serve. Our local SEO guide explains how to decide.

4 Fill in hours, phone, and website

Keep your hours accurate and up to date — inconsistent or wrong hours are one of the most common reasons customers get frustrated with a business online. Link directly to your website so visitors have a next step beyond just calling.

5 Add your description, services and attributes

Write a short description of what you do, who you serve and where, in plain, factual language. List each service or product you offer, and tick the attributes that apply to you, such as online appointments or wheelchair access. This is also where words like "setup", "installation" or "configuration" belong, if that's how customers describe what you do.

6 Add real photos

Profiles with photos typically get more clicks and direction requests than those without. Add photos of your storefront, products, or team — real photos, not stock images.

7 Verify your profile

Google will ask you to confirm that you manage the business, and the options you see depend on your business and location. Today, many businesses are asked to record a short video from a mobile phone, showing the business location, your signage or premises, and proof that you manage it. Other options can include phone, text, email or a postcard. Until you're verified, your profile may not show fully in search results, so don't skip this step.

8 Ask for reviews and respond to them

Reviews build trust with people deciding whether to visit you, and Google's own guidance says positive reviews can improve your visibility. After a good project or sale, it's completely reasonable to ask a happy customer for a quick review — and always respond, even briefly, to the ones you get. Never pay for reviews or offer rewards for them, because that breaks Google's rules.

9 Post updates occasionally

Google Business Profile lets you post short updates — offers, new products, announcements — similar to a mini social feed. It's optional, but keeping the profile active shows customers that the business is genuinely operating.

Setting up in Kenya

• Address: include the building, floor and any unit details, for example "Ground floor, ABC Plaza, Kilimani, Nairobi". Only add a nearby landmark if the official address isn't accurate, and don't write the address as directions such as "opposite the mall".
• Phone: use one format everywhere, such as +254 7XX XXX XXX, and add a WhatsApp number if customers contact you that way.
• Verification: Google decides which options you see. If you're asked for a video, be at the business with your phone charged and your signage in view.

For more on addresses and on hiding yours, see our local SEO guide.

Why this matters more than people expect

For many local businesses, a complete Google Business Profile is one of the quickest ways to show up in nearby searches, and it costs nothing. See our local SEO guide for how it works alongside your website.