How to set up and maintain your Google Business Profile
Claim and verify your profile, then fill in every field accurately: your real business name, the most specific primary category, address or service areas, hours, services and photos. After that, keep it current by asking for reviews, replying, posting updates and checking Google's suggested edits.
In short
- Claim the existing profile instead of creating a new one; Google hides duplicate profiles.
- Use your real-world business name and the most specific primary category you can.
- Service businesses hide their address and list up to 20 service areas.
- Business Profile chat ended in July 2024, and Q&A is being replaced by AI answers in Maps.
- Review Google's suggested edits within 4 days, or Google may publish them.
Claim, verify and keep ownership
Search for your business on Google Maps first. Google builds profiles from public web data, licensed data and user input, so one may already exist. Claim it: a duplicate profile will not show on Search or Maps.
Google picks your verification method: video recording, phone or text, email, live video call or postcard. If video is offered, Google recommends it. The video must be one unedited recording of at least 30 seconds, made live on your phone, showing your location, your signage or tools, and proof you run the business. Google's review of your verification can take up to 5 business days.
Keep primary ownership in your own Google Account. Add an agency or staff member as a manager instead; managers can edit, reply and post, but they cannot add or remove users or delete the profile.
Set up the core fields
- Name. Use your real-world name from your sign and invoices. Added keywords or cities can get the profile suspended.
- Categories. Pick the most specific primary category ("Nail salon," not "Salon"). You can add up to 9 more, but Google asks for as few as needed. Changing a category can trigger a new verification.
- Address or service area. If customers do not come to you, hide your address and list up to 20 service areas within about 2 hours' drive. Virtual offices are not eligible.
- Hours. Set regular hours, then special hours before each holiday. Otherwise Google may warn searchers that your hours might differ.
- Description. Up to 750 characters on what you do and where. No links, and no focus on prices or promotions.
- Services. List each service with a short description in the words customers use. Products are now limited to retail stores in the US, Canada, the UK and Ireland.
- Attributes. Fill in every one that applies. Google says some attributes can help you show up in searches for them.
Add real photos
Google's photo tips suggest at least three exterior, three interior and three at-work photos. Use JPG or PNG between 10 KB and 5 MB, ideally 720 by 720 pixels. Photos should show reality, with no heavy filters or AI edits.
Skip geotagging tools. Google does not list photo location data as a ranking factor; photos help customers choose you once they find you.
What changed in 2024-2026
- Chat is gone. Business Profile chat and call history ended on July 31, 2024. In some regions you can add a WhatsApp or text message link instead.
- Q&A is being replaced. Google shut down the Q&A API in November 2025, and in December 2025 announced that customers can ask questions in Maps and get instant answers based on your answers and reviews. Answer any questions Google shows in your profile's Q&A section, and put the facts customers ask about in your description, services, attributes and website.
- Stricter fake review rules. Google can block new reviews and show a warning on your profile. Since October 21, 2024, the FTC reviews rule also lets courts impose civil penalties.
Keep it active
- Reviews. Ask every customer with your review link or QR code, and never offer anything in return. Reply where you can add something useful, and keep negative replies calm and short. Our reviews guide has the details.
- Posts. Share updates, offers and events. You can schedule and repeat posts. Posts older than 6 months are archived unless they have a date range.
- Suggested edits. When Google notifies you of a suggested edit, you have 4 days to accept or reject it. After that, Google may publish it if public info, such as your website, supports it.
- Performance. Check calls, direction requests, website clicks and search terms each month.
Suspensions and spam competitors
Google suspends profiles that break its guidelines. Common causes are stuffed names, virtual office addresses, duplicates and service businesses that show an address. Fix the problem first, then appeal with Google's appeals tool. Attach a business license, registration or utility bill that matches the profile's name and address, and do not create a new profile while you wait.
For a competitor with a fake name or address, use "Suggest an edit" on their listing. For fraud involving a name, phone number or website, use the Business Redressal Complaint Form. Google does not promise action or updates, so include clear evidence.
Frequently asked questions
Can customers still ask questions on my Business Profile?
Not the old way. Since late 2025 Google has been replacing public Q&A with instant answers in Google Maps, built from business answers and reviews. Where your profile still shows a Q&A section, answer the questions there.
Should my marketing agency own my Google Business Profile?
No. Keep primary ownership in a Google Account you control and add the agency as a manager. Managers can do the day-to-day work, and you will not need an ownership transfer if you part ways.
Will editing my name, category or address trigger re-verification?
It can. Google says a category edit or a name change after verification may require verifying again, and moving to a new address does. Make these changes only when they are real, one at a time.
Can I use a virtual office or P.O. box as my address?
No. Google does not accept P.O. boxes or rented mailing addresses where you do not operate. A co-working office qualifies only if it has clear signage, is staffed and receives customers during business hours.
Do Google posts help my ranking?
Google does not list posts among its local ranking tips. Posts still help customers: they show current offers, events and news on your profile. For what does affect ranking, see how the map pack works.
Want to know where your business actually stands?
Apply for a free visibility audit: your rankings, your AI-assistant mentions, and where competitors are ahead. Free, and yours to keep either way.