To appear on Google Maps and in the map box on Google Search, create a free Google Business Profile at google.com/business, enter your business name, category, location and contact details, and complete Google's verification. Then add hours, photos and services, and ask customers for reviews. You do not need a website to do this.
What a Google Business Profile is
It is the panel that appears when someone searches for a business by name, and the entry that appears on Google Maps and in the box of local results. Google fills those from profiles, not from websites. A business without a profile is mostly invisible in local search, however good its website.
Before you start
- A Google account. Use one that belongs to the business, not a staff member's personal account.
- The business name exactly as it appears on your signage.
- Your address, or the area you serve if customers do not come to you.
- A phone number you answer.
- Your opening hours.
- A few photos: the outside of the premises, the inside, your work or products.
Step by step
- Go to google.com/business and sign in with the business's Google account.
- Search for your business name. Someone may already have created a listing. If it exists, claim it instead of making a duplicate.
- Enter the name as customers know it. Do not add extra words such as the town or “best”. Google can suspend profiles for that.
- Choose the category that describes what the business is, such as “Guest house” or “Hair salon”. This is the main thing Google uses to decide which searches you appear for.
- Add your location. If customers visit you, enter the address and place the pin on the map. If you travel to customers, set a service area instead.
- Add your phone number and your website address if you have one.
- Verify. Google will offer one or more methods, which can include a phone call or text, an email, a video you record, or a postcard. Follow the one you are offered.
After verification
An empty profile does little. Fill in every section:
- Hours, including public holidays.
- Description: two or three plain sentences on what you do and for whom.
- Services or products, with prices where you can.
- Photos. Add real ones, and add more over time.
- Attributes that apply, such as parking or wheelchair access.
Reviews
Ask satisfied customers for a review and send them the link from your profile. Reply to every review, including the bad ones, politely and briefly. Do not write reviews yourself, pay for them, or offer discounts in exchange. Google removes them and can penalise the profile.
Keep your details identical everywhere
Your name, address and phone number should be written the same way on the profile, your website, your Facebook page and any directory. Mismatches make it harder for Google to be sure the listings are the same business.
Common problems
| Problem | What to do |
|---|---|
| A listing already exists and someone else manages it | Use “Claim this business” on the listing and request ownership. |
| There are two listings for the business | Keep the verified one and report the other as a duplicate. |
| The pin is in the wrong place | Edit the location and drag the pin. Small towns are often mapped poorly. |
| Verification failed | Check the name and address match your signage and documents, then try again or contact Google Business Profile support. |
| The profile was suspended | Usually caused by extra words in the name or an address Google cannot confirm. Correct it and request reinstatement. |
Where a website fits
The profile answers “who is nearby and open?”. A website answers everything else: what exactly you offer, what it costs, and why someone should choose you. The two work together: the profile links to the website, and the website confirms the details on the profile.
If you want help setting the profile up correctly, it is part of our search visibility work.
Key terms and where the definitions come from
Show key terms and sources
These explanations are ADA's own words, adapted from the independent sources named. Those organisations do not endorse or work with ADA, and the examples are illustrations, not real clients.
What is a Google Business Profile?
A Google Business Profile is a business listing that can appear on Google Search and Maps. Google says local results depend mainly on relevance, distance and prominence.
Source: Based on Google Business Profile Help, Improve your local ranking on Google.
For a Namibian business: A shop in Rundu that keeps its address, hours and phone number correct is easier for nearby customers to find and contact.
Related ADA service: Search visibility (SEO)
What is SEO?
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation. It means improving a website so search engines can understand its content and people can find relevant information.
Source: Adapted from Google Search Central, SEO Starter Guide.
Reference: Google Search Central: SEO Starter Guide (external site, opens in a new tab)
For a Namibian business: A guesthouse in Rundu with a clear page for each room type and an accurate Google listing is easier for a traveller searching "guest house Rundu" to find than one with a single photo and no text. No one can promise a first-place ranking.
Related ADA service: Search visibility (SEO)