| 🎯 What’s the goal? Create Google My Business profile. | ⚠️ Why does it matter? Google My Business provides you with the ability to list your business location on Google Maps and local search results. You can display important information about your business, including the opening/closing times, contact details or a link to your website. |
| 🏁 What’s the result? Your Google My Business profile set and ready to deploy. | ⌚ When do you do this? Whenever you want to promote your business online. |
| ✅ Any special requirements? You need to have a Google account. | 🙋♂️Who should do it? You – the business owner. |
👉 Where this is done: In the Google My Business section of your Google Account.
⏳ How long will this take? about 15 minutes (+ time to validate your account)
Let’s get started, in 15-min your business will no longer be anonymous.
Environment setup:
- We recommend that you use the Google Chrome browser to navigate the web.
- Access to your Google Account.
Creating your Google My Business account
- Go to Google main page.
- In the upper right corner, choose to “Sign In”.
You should log in, using the Google Account that you are using to manage your business. If you don’t have one, we suggest you create one, so you can keep your business in a professional manner and differ it from your personal account.
- Once you sign in, click on the “Google apps” button.
- From here, select “My Business”.
- You will be redirected to the Google My Business app page. Click on “Menage now”.
- Start off by entering your company name into the box.
- After you put your company name, the pop-up will appear – click on “Create company with that name”.
- First, you should fill in with your Business name(1) – it should be filled automatically after the previous step. Then select the Business category(2).
Just start typing the category of your business…
…and select it from the list that will appear.
- Try to choose the category as accurately as possible. You will be able to change it or add more later. To move to the next step, click on “Next”.
- Now it is time for you to give a location of your business.
It will allow your business to appear in Google Maps. We recommend you to put your office address even if your business allows you to work remotely.
- Select “Yes” and click on “Next”. (If you choose not to give your business address you can skip this step).
- Simply fill in with your business address and click on “Next”.
- Choose if you provide services to customers away from your location and click on “Next”.
- If you choose that you provide services to another location, try to add those areas to your business profile.
- Simply, start typing the locations into the box and select them as they will appear in the results.
- When you finish adding locations, click on “Next”.
- Add contact information that you want to show your customers. Fill in with “Contact phone number” and “Current website URL”. You can select if you don’t need a website(1) or you can get a free website from Google(2). You can also check our SOP001 and SOP019 on how to start your own website for free. Click on “Next” to move to the next step.
Remember to choose the correct prefix from the list, while you are putting your contact phone number.
- Choose if you want to receive recommendations from Google for your business. We highly recommend you to choose “Yes” – those recommendations could be very helpful. Click on “Next”.
- Now it is time to choose a way to verify your business. The method will vary based on your location and if you choose to select a place for your business. We will select the most common method, which is “Postcard by mail”. Google will send you a postcard with a verification code to the address of your business. Remember to fill in “Contact name” – the person who should receive the postcard. Then click on “Mail”.
- Your postcard is on the way! Click on “Continue”.
- If you are working within business hours, now you should add them. If not choose to skip that step.
- To add business hours, simply click on the weekly chart and select the correct hours.
- Once finished, click on “Next”.
- Choose if you want to “Accept Messages” from your customers with the slider and click on “Next” (You can also skip that step).
- You can add your business description. You can also skip this step but it is always a good practice to describe your business for potential customers.
- Click on “Next” (or “Skip” if you decide not to give a description).
- Consider adding photos of your work or service. Simply click on “Add photos” and select desired pictures from your computer.
Consider using Geotagging on your photos, since it will help build your business authority. Check our SOP049 on how to Geotag a picture. You should consider using Geotagging also for your future pictures that you decide to add to your profile.
- Click on “Next”.
- When you are creating your Google My Business account for the 1st time, Google will offer you some free credits to spend on Google Ads. You can choose to “Claim Now” the credits (You will be redirected to Google Ads app when you will have to add a campaign) or you can skip this step and claim those credits later – they will be waiting for you on the main screen of your profile.
- It is almost ready. Click on “Continue”.
- And there it is – your Google Business dashboard.
From here you can claim your Google Ads credits
Also, after receiving the verification code you will able to put it here to complete your My Business account.
- On the left side of the screen, you will see the menu that will allow you to manage your business on Google. But now you are ready to spread your business!
There you have it! Your Google My Business listing is yours to manage! Verify it and begin to be recognisable on Google and Google Maps.
