Sign up for Business Profile

Before you can engage with potential customers, make sure your profile is set up and verified on Google. Customers can only find your business profile on Google after you complete verification.

Create a Business Profile on Google

1. On your computer, sign in to your Google Account, or create one. 
   • If you create a new Google Account, sign up with your business email domain.
2. Go to create a profile.
3. Enter the name of your business. You may also be able to select your business from the list of suggested businesses as you type. 
   • If you get a message that someone else has already verified the business, request ownership of the Business Profile.
4. Search for your business category.
5. Click Next. 
6. Choose whether you have a location that customers can visit.
   • For businesses with a shopfront staffed during business hours: Click Yes.
     • You may be asked to enter your business address or position a marker on a map for the location of your businesses. When finished, click Next.
   • For businesses that don't have a shop front staffed during business hours: Click No.
7. Enter the service area of your business.
   • You can set your service area based on the cities, postcodes or other areas that you serve. You can add up to 20 service areas. 
   • Tip: We recommend that you don't extend the boundaries of your overall area farther than 2 hours driving time from where your business is based. For some businesses, it may be appropriate to have a larger service area.
8. Enter a phone number and website URL.
9. Click Next.
   • You also have the option to create a website based on your information.
   • Tip: We recommend entering the individual phone number or shop page for each location, rather than a remote call centre.
10. Click Finish.
11. Select a verification option.
    • Tip: We recommend reviewing your information before you request verification.
      • To verify now: At the top, find the red banner and click Verify now.
      • To verify later: Click Verify later  Later.
      • If you’re not authorised to manage the Business Profile for the chain: Find the person in your organisation who’s authorised and continue the process.

Best practices to set up your service business

Create only one Business Profile for the metropolitan area that you serve. Your Google account may be suspended if we find multiple profiles for the same business in the same metropolitan area.

If your business doesn't have a shopfront where you receive customers, you must hide your business address.

During initial set up, you should select that you’re a service area business. If you didn’t make this selection, or changed your business model to become a service area business, follow the steps below:

• If your service business is already verified and displays its address, you must remove or 'hide' your business address. After it’s hidden, your Business Profile only shows your service area. If you didn't enter a service area, a local area is chosen for you by default. You can then edit the local area as needed. To hide your business address:
  1. Go to your Business Profile. Learn how to find your profile.
  2. To manage your service area:
     • With Google Search, select Edit profile  location.
     • With Google Maps, select Edit profile  Business information  location.
  3. Next to 'Business location', select the Edit icon .
  4. Toggle Show business address to customers on or off.

Manage account access

You can add users to your Business Profile, or to a location group that contains several of your profiles. This can help you manage your business presence online.

When you add or remove members from your profile, you must:

• Have their email addresses.
• Select a role for each member.

Learn about the types of roles for Business Profiles.

Transfer ownership of a business

If you’re no longer the owner of the business, but you’re the primary owner on Google, you must transfer ownership to the new owner.