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How to Create a Google Business Profile

A Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is a free listing that shows your business on Google Search and Google Maps. When someone searches for a contractor in your area, a complete profile helps you show up in those results with your phone number, hours, and reviews - all for free.

This guide walks you through setting one up from scratch. It takes about 5-10 minutes.

Before You Start

You’ll need a Gmail or Google Workspace account. If you don’t have one, create one at google.com before continuing.

Setting Up Your Profile

Instructions:

  1. Go to business.google.com and click “Manage now”. Sign in with your Google account.

  2. Enter your business name. Google will search for an existing profile as you type.

    • If your business already appears in the list, click it to claim it rather than creating a duplicate.
    • If nothing matches, click “Create a business with this name” to continue.

  3. Choose your business type:

    • Service business - You go to your customers (most contractors choose this)
    • Local store - Customers come to your physical location
    • Both - You do both

    Select whichever fits your situation and click Next.

  4. Select your business category. Start typing and choose the most accurate match, for example “General Contractor,” “Roofing Contractor,” or “Plumber.” You can add more categories later.

  5. Add your service area. Enter the cities, counties, or regions where you work. You can add multiple areas.

  6. Add your contact information:

    • Phone number
    • Website (if you have one - skip it if not)

  7. Turn on messaging (optional). This lets customers message you directly from your Google listing. You can skip this for now and enable it later.

  8. Write a short business description. Up to 750 characters. Keep it simple: what you do, where you work, and what makes you reliable. You can add this later too.

  9. Add photos. Upload a few photos of your work, your team, or your equipment. Profiles with photos get significantly more clicks. Even a few phone photos are better than none.

Verifying Your Business

Verification proves to Google that you’re a real business. You can’t publish your profile until this step is complete - this is the one part that sometimes takes a little time.

Google will offer one or more of these options:

Video verification (most common): Record a short video walking through your workspace or job site. Google reviews it within a few days.

Postcard: Google mails a card with a verification code to your business address. It usually arrives within 5 days. When it arrives, sign in to business.google.com and enter the code.

Phone or email: Some accounts are offered instant verification by phone call or email. If you see this option, it’s the fastest route.

If you’re not sure which option to choose, video verification is now the standard and works for most contractors.

After Verification

Once your profile is verified, it goes live on Google Search and Maps. A few things worth doing right away:

  • Set your hours so customers know when to call
  • Add more photos as you complete jobs
  • Ask satisfied customers to leave you a review - this is the single biggest factor in how often you show up in searches

Your profile is something you can keep building over time. Just having it live is a solid start.

Additional Resources

Need Help?

If you run into any trouble, reach out to Node Creek at [email protected] and we can walk you through it.