SEO & AI
How to add your business to Google Maps and show up in local searches
Create and verify a Google Business Profile, choose the right category, place the pin correctly, collect reviews and keep your details consistent, so customers nearby find you first.
When someone nearby searches for what you sell, Google often shows a map with three businesses before any website. Getting into those three is free, and it starts with a Google Business Profile. Here is how to set one up properly, and what decides who appears first.
Create the profile
- Open Google Business Profile and sign in with a Google account the business owns, not an employee’s personal account.
- Enter the business name exactly as it appears on your sign and your papers. Don’t add keywords or the area to the name.
- Choose the main category that describes what you are, then add a few secondary ones.
- Add the address and place the pin on your actual entrance, and check it on the map. If you serve clients at their place, you can hide the address and set a service area instead.
- Add the phone, website and hours, including special hours for holidays and Ramadan.
- Verify. Google may ask for a video of the location, a code by phone or email, or a postcard. Until it is verified, the profile may not appear.
What decides who shows up first
Google says local results depend on three things: relevance, how well a profile matches the search; distance, how far the business is from the person searching or from the area in the search; and prominence, how well known the business is, including its reviews and how it appears across the web.
| Factor | What you can do |
|---|---|
| Relevance | The right categories, a full description, your services and products listed, and photos of the real place |
| Distance | A correct pin and address, and one profile per real location |
| Prominence | Reviews, replies to reviews, a good website, and the same details in every directory |
Reviews: the part you control most
Ask every happy customer, and make it easy with a direct review link on WhatsApp or a QR code at the counter. Ask them to mention the service and the area in their own words. Reply to every review, including the negative ones, calmly and briefly. Never buy reviews or offer anything in exchange for a positive one: it breaks Google’s policies and can get the profile suspended.
Keep your details the same everywhere
Your name, address and phone should match exactly on your website, Google, Bing Places, Apple Business Connect, Facebook and every directory you appear in. Different spellings and old addresses leave search engines unsure which one is right, and a pin in the wrong place can show your business in the wrong area for months.
Several branches
Create one profile for each real location, with its own address, hours and, if possible, phone, and a page for each branch on your website for the profile to link to. Use the same brand name for all of them, and let the address tell them apart.
Keep the profile active
- Post updates and offers every week or two.
- Add new photos regularly: the place, the team and the work.
- Check the Performance report for calls, direction requests and website clicks.
Questions about Google Maps
My business shows in the wrong place. What do I do?
Edit the profile, move the pin to the right entrance and save. Google may review the change for a few days. Then update the same address on Bing Places and the other directories, since many of them copy from each other.
Can I add a business that works from home?
Yes. Hide the address and set the areas you serve instead.
Why was my profile suspended?
Common reasons are keywords stuffed into the name, a virtual office address, or several profiles for the same place. Fix the cause before you ask for reinstatement.
Our local SEO service sets up and manages a profile for every branch, with consistent details and a plan for reviews.