How do I set up a Google Business Profile for my small business?

To set up a Google Business Profile, sign in to a Google account, search for your business name, and claim the listing if one exists. If none exists, create one. Then verify that you run the business. Google will not show your profile on Maps or in local results until you do. The profile is free. It is the box with your hours, phone number, photos, and reviews that appears when someone searches for you or for your trade in Armstrong, Vernon, Salmon Arm, or anywhere else.

A website and a profile do different jobs. The profile answers “are they open, where are they, and what do other people say.” The website answers everything else. If you are not sure what belongs on yours, read what a small business website should include.

Before you start

Pick the Google account first. Use one that belongs to the business, not a personal account and not an employee’s. Whoever owns that account controls the profile. If your web designer or a nephew sets it up under their own login, you will need their help to change your hours later. This is the same problem as an unowned website.

Gather these:

• Your business name as it appears on your sign, invoices, and website
• Your address, or the areas you serve if customers do not visit you
• A phone number you answer
• Your website address
• Your hours
• A few photos of real work, your shop, or your team

The steps

1. Check if a listing already exists. Search your business name on Google while signed in. Google sometimes creates listings from public information, so one may be there already. If you see an option to claim or manage it, use that. Do not create a second one. Two listings for one business split your reviews and confuse customers.

2. Enter your business name. Use the name people see in the real world. Do not add keywords. “Smith Roofing” is correct. “Smith Roofing Best Roofer Vernon Cheap” is against Google’s guidelines and can get the profile suspended.

3. Choose a primary category. This is the line of text under your name, such as “Roofing contractor” or “Dentist.” Pick the one that describes your main work. You can add secondary categories for other services. Choose from the list Google offers. You cannot type your own.

4. Add your location. If customers come to you, enter the street address. If you travel to customers, you can hide your address and list the towns or areas you serve. Many trades work from home, so this matters. I wrote about showing a local address on your website, and the same thinking applies here. The address must match everywhere.

5. Add phone, website, and hours. Use the same phone number and address as your website. Link to your website’s home page unless a more specific page fits better. Set your hours by day. If you close for a holiday, edit the hours for that date.

6. Verify. Google asks you to prove the business is real. The options depend on your business and can include a postcard with a code, a phone call, a text, an email, or a short video of your location and equipment. Google decides which ones to offer. A postcard can take days, so start early. Do not request a new code every day. Wait for the first one.

7. Fill in the rest. After verification, add your services, a short description, and photos. Use your own photos: the front of the shop, the truck, finished jobs, the people who answer the phone. Stock images add nothing here.

Reviews

Reviews carry weight on a profile. Ask customers after a good job, by text or in person. Google gives you a link that opens the review box directly. Send that.

Do not pay for reviews or offer a discount for them. Google’s policies forbid it. Do not write your own either.

Reply to every review, including the bad ones. Write the reply as if the next customer is reading it, because that customer is. Say what you will do. Keep it to a few sentences. Do not argue.

Mistakes that cause trouble

Using an address that is not yours. A mailbox rental or a shared office where you do not work can get a profile suspended. If you work from home, hide the address and list your service area.

Creating duplicates. If you moved or changed your name, edit the old profile. Do not start a new one.

Letting hours go stale. A customer who drives to a closed shop remembers it. Update holiday hours before the holiday.

Mismatched details. The phone number on your profile, website, and invoices should be the same. So should the business name and address.

Losing the login. Write down which Google account owns the profile. Add a second owner or manager you trust, so one forgotten password does not lock you out.

After it is live

The profile has a performance section. It shows how many people called, asked for directions, or clicked through to your website. I do not know what a good number is for your trade, so compare your own month to month. For tracking what happens after the click, see website analytics options.

Check the profile once a month. Look at hours, photos, and new reviews. It fits into a monthly SEO checklist and takes a few minutes.

If you want the profile set up and matched to your website, book a consult. I will check that your name, address, phone number, and hours agree everywhere before anything goes live.