How to Get Your Business on Google (Free, Step by Step)

Set up a free Google Business Profile step by step: who qualifies, how to hide a home address, which verification Google offers, and what gets profiles pulled.

Entrepreneurship

Sep 29, 2026

See article summary

Create a free profile at business.google.com/add, then verify it with the method Google offers; review takes up to 5 business days.
Only businesses that meet customers in person qualify, so online-only shops, P.O. boxes, and virtual offices are out.
Working from home? Hide your address and list up to 20 service areas within about 2 hours' drive.
Ask every customer for an honest review, and never offer a discount, freebie, or payment for one.
Link a website you own, like a free JIM Website with your catalog and payments built in, so people who find you can buy.

To get your business on Google, create a free Business Profile, fill in every field, and verify it with the method Google offers you. Once verified, your business can show up on Google Search and Maps when nearby customers look for what you do.

Google says you can add or claim your business at no charge, and it reviews verification in up to 5 business days. The real work is entering accurate details once, then keeping them current.

Is your business eligible for a Google Business Profile?

Your business qualifies if it meets customers in person during the hours you list, at your location or at theirs. That is the core rule in Google's eligibility guidelines, and it rules out a few common setups.

Eligible: A storefront with permanent signage, a service-area business that travels to customers (a plumber, a cleaner, a mobile groomer), or a hybrid that does both.
Not eligible: Online-only shops and brands, lead generation agents, rental properties, and any business listed at a P.O. box or a remote mailbox.
Also not allowed: A virtual office you rent but don't work from, or a coworking desk without signage and staff during business hours.
Age-restricted products: If you sell alcohol, cannabis, or weapons, Google requires a storefront. You can't list as a service-area business.

Selling only online? Skip the profile and put that time into your own site. JIM's guide on how to make a website for a small business walks through the build, from pages to hosting.

How do you add your business to Google Maps?

Create the profile at business.google.com/add while signed in to a Google Account you control, because that account owns the profile. Google's add or claim steps take a few minutes:

1. Sign in: Use a Google Account with Gmail or any email you already use for the business. Google requires an account to sign up.
2. Add your business: Go to business.google.com/add, select Add your business to Google, and type your business name exactly as customers see it.
3. Pick a category and location: Choose your primary category, then add your street address, your service area, or both.
4. Add contact details: Enter a phone number you answer yourself and the website you want customers to visit.
5. Verify: Select one of the verification options Google shows and follow the on-screen steps.

Already see your business on Maps? An unverified profile may exist. Search your business name and city in Google Maps, select Claim this business, then Manage now. If someone else already verified it, request ownership instead of creating a second profile, since Google allows one profile per business.

What should you enter in each Business Profile field?

Fill every field Google offers for your category. Google says businesses with complete and accurate info are more likely to show up in local search results. Use this table as your checklist:

Profile field	What to enter	Tip
Business name	Your real-world name, as it appears on your sign, cards, and invoices	No taglines, cities, keywords, or phone numbers
Category	One primary category that completes "This business IS a..."	Up to 9 more are allowed; use as few as you can
Address or service area	Your street address if customers visit you, or the cities and ZIP codes you serve	Up to 20 service areas, about 2 hours' drive from your base
Hours	Your regular customer-facing hours	Set special hours for holidays. By-appointment-only businesses shouldn't list hours
Phone	A number you answer directly	Up to 2 extra numbers. No premium-rate lines
Website	Your own site, with the full https:// address	No links that redirect to another business's page
Description	What you offer, what sets you apart, how long you've operated	750 characters max. No links, prices, or promotions
Services	Google's suggested services plus custom ones	Put prices in the service details, not in the name
Photos	Exterior or work photos, products, logo, cover photo	JPG or PNG, 10 KB to 5 MB, 720 x 720 px recommended

Sources: Google's Edit your Business Profile, representation guidelines, and photo requirements pages, accessed September 2026.

A description that passes Google's rules

Suppose you run a mobile dog grooming van in Austin. This example uses 401 of the 750 characters and skips prices, links, and sale language, which the description rules don't allow:

Example description: Tidy Tails is a mobile dog grooming service that comes to your driveway in Austin, Round Rock, and Pflugerville. Every groom happens one dog at a time inside a climate-controlled van, so pets skip the kennel wait and the car ride. Services include baths, haircuts, nail trims, and de-shedding for dogs of every size. Owner Marcus Hill has groomed dogs since 2014 and handles every appointment himself.
Why it works: It says what the business is, where it works, what it offers, and who does the work. Nothing expires, so you won't need to edit it next month.

Need a first draft? JIM's AI builds your JIM Website from your business info, so its text makes a good starting point, and the JIM agent in the app gives personalized promotion tips. Trim the draft to 750 characters and remove any prices.

How do you list a service-area business without showing your address?

Hide your address and list the places you serve. Google tells service-area businesses to hide the business address, and its own example is a plumber who works from home and clears the address from the profile.

Turn off the address: Go to Edit profile, then Location. Next to Business location, select Edit and turn off Show business address to customers.
Add service areas: Enter up to 20 cities, ZIP codes, or other areas. Google doesn't accept a radius drawn around your base.
Keep it realistic: The whole area shouldn't reach past about 2 hours of driving from where you're based.
Hybrid businesses: If customers also come to you, keep the address visible and add service areas. The location needs staff during your stated hours.
Verification still uses your address: Google checks your address to verify you, even when it's hidden from customers. Home-based pros can film street signs in the neighborhood during video verification.

How do you verify your Google Business Profile?

Use the method Google gives you, and pick video when it's on the list, because Google recommends video verification for eligible businesses. You can't choose or change the options: Google sets them by business type, public info, region, and hours, and some profiles need more than one method.

Method	How it works	Watch out for
Phone or text	Google calls or texts a code to your business number	Automated phone menus can't receive the code
Email	You follow the steps in an email from Google	Use an inbox you can open right away
Video recording	You record one live, unedited clip of at least 30 seconds on your phone	No bank, tax, or ID numbers, and no other people's faces
Live video call	A Google support rep watches as you show your location and tools	Available only during your business hours
Postcard	Google mails a 5-digit code to your address	Don't edit your name, address, or category while you wait

Video verification checklist: show where you operate, your tools, proof you run the business, one live take of 30+ seconds

For a service-area business, Google's video requirements ask for where you operate, proof the business exists, and proof you run it, like doing a service or unlocking a branded van. Plan the shot list first, since pre-recorded clips aren't accepted.

How long does it take for your business to show up on Google?

Plan on about a week with phone, email, or video verification, and about 3 weeks with a postcard. That estimate adds Google's review window of up to 5 business days to the postcard's mail time.

Photos stay hidden until the profile is verified, then take 24 to 48 hours to appear. Postcard codes expire after 30 days, and requesting a new one cancels the code already in the mail, so wait the full 14 days before you ask again. If the Get verified button shows up again after review, Google couldn't finish; try another method it lists.

Which photos, products, and services should you add?

Start with a photo that helps customers recognize you, like your storefront or your van, then add your logo, a cover photo, and a few finished jobs. Google wants photos in focus, well lit, and without heavy filters.

Service pros should fill the services editor next. Google suggests services for your category, like "Install faucet" for a plumber, and you can add custom ones with a description and price. US retailers can add in-store products with the Product Editor instead.

How do you ask customers for Google reviews?

Ask every customer right after the job, send your Google review link or QR code, and never offer anything in return. Google calls discounts or free services in exchange for reviews fake and misleading content and strictly prohibits them. Its Maps content policy spells out the rest:

Allowed: Asking any customer for an honest review by link, QR code, text, or email.
Not allowed: rewards: Payment, discounts, or free goods or services for posting, changing, or removing a review.
Not allowed: filtering: Asking only happy customers for reviews, or discouraging negative ones.
Not allowed: pressure: Requiring a review before the customer leaves, or asking for specific words, like a staff member's name.
How to reply: Keep replies short and polite, skip promotions, and move complex complaints to phone or email.

A text like this works: "Thanks for booking with Tidy Tails today. If you have a minute, an honest review helps other dog owners find me: [your review link]." Customers need a Google Account to post, and they can create one with a non-Gmail address.

Why do Google Business Profiles get suspended?

Most suspensions trace back to a guideline, so fix the problem before you appeal. Google says it may suspend or disable profiles that don't follow its guidelines. These are the rules solo sellers break most often:

Common cause	Fix
Taglines, cities, or keywords in the name	Use your real-world name only
A P.O. box, remote mailbox, or unstaffed virtual office	Use a staffed location or switch to a service area
Two profiles for one business	Keep one profile per location
Paid or rewarded reviews	Stop the offer and ask for honest reviews
Categories used as keywords	Pick the fewest categories that describe what you are

To appeal, open Google's appeals tool, which shows the reason and the policy involved. Add evidence such as a business registration, license, tax certificate, or business utility bill with the same name and address as the profile, within 60 minutes of opening the form. Don't create a new profile while the appeal is under review.

How does Google rank businesses in local results?

Google ranks local results mainly on relevance, distance, and prominence, and it says there's no way to request or pay for a better local ranking. Here is what each factor means in Google's own words:

Relevance: How well your profile matches the search. Complete, detailed info helps Google match you to the right searches.
Distance: How far you are from the person searching. An accurate address or service area tells Google where you work.
Prominence: How well-known your business is, based on info like how many websites link to your business and how many reviews you have.

Google keeps the algorithm details confidential, so be skeptical of secret ranking tricks. What it does document: verify, keep your info complete, reply to reviews, and add photos.

What website should you link on your Google Business Profile?

Link a site you own that represents this business, so people who find you on Maps can see your services and pay or book in one tap. Google asks for a website that represents your individual business location and rules out links that redirect customers to someone else's page.

No site yet? A JIM Website can fill the Website field. JIM builds it for free when you sign up, with your catalog and payments built in, at an address like jim.com/a/your-handle. Customers pay on the page through a Payment Link at 4.99% + $0.30 per sale, with no monthly fee, and the money lands on your JIM Card right away. Instant settlements subject to terms. To change the page, tell JIM in the app chat what to update. Comparing options? See free website builders compared.

Service pros can add a second link. Depending on your category, Google may let you add up to 10 booking links under Booking and mark one as preferred. Jim Bookings gives you a shareable link from your JIM Website where clients pick a service and a time, with no app or account on their end. You choose whether they pay online when they book, at 4.99% + $0.30, or in person after the service with Tap to Pay at 1.99%, and JIM sends automatic reminders.

JIM is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services are provided by Lead Bank, Member FDIC. Fees and terms are on JIM's pricing page.

Your profile needs one real-world name, a description under 750 characters, and up to 5 business days of review. Give the people who find you a place to act the day it goes live: create my free JIM Website and paste its link into the Website field.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it free to put my business on Google?

Yes. Google says you can add or claim a Business Profile at no charge, and there is no way to pay for a better local ranking.

Can I list my business on Google without an address?

Yes, if you travel to customers. Set up a service-area business, turn off your address, and list up to 20 cities or ZIP codes you serve. A P.O. box or a virtual office doesn't qualify.

How long does Google Business Profile verification take?

Google reviews your info in up to 5 business days after you finish the verification steps. With a postcard, add the mail time: most codes arrive within 14 days.

Can I choose how to verify my Google Business Profile?

No. Google sets the options for each profile based on business type, public info, region, and hours. If video verification appears, Google recommends it.

Can an online-only business get a Google Business Profile?

No. Google requires in-person contact with customers during your stated hours, so online-only shops and brands aren't eligible. Put your effort into a website instead.

Can I offer a discount in exchange for a Google review?

No. Google prohibits discounts, free services, or payment for posting, changing, or removing a review. You can ask every customer for an honest review with no reward attached.

Why can't I see my business on Google Maps yet?

Check two things first: whether the profile is verified, and whether verification is still under review. Photos also stay hidden until verification and can take 24 to 48 hours to appear.