How to Create a Google Business Profile (2026 Step-by-Step Guide)

Before You Begin: Check for an Existing Listing

Before creating a new listing, search for your business name in Google Maps and Google Search. Google automatically generates listings for businesses it identifies through web crawls, Maps data, and third-party sources. If an auto-generated listing already exists for your business, you need to claim it rather than create a duplicate — duplicate listings for the same address violate GBP policy and can result in both listings being suspended.

To check for an existing listing, search your exact business name at business.google.com. If Google finds a match, it will offer you the option to claim the existing listing rather than create a new one. The verification process is identical whether you are claiming an existing listing or creating a new one, but claiming preserves any reviews and search history already associated with the auto-generated listing — which can be a significant advantage for businesses that have been trading for some time.

Also confirm that you have the correct Google account ready. The account you use to create the listing becomes the Primary Owner — the account with full control, including the ability to add and remove other users. Use a business Google Workspace account if you have one, or a dedicated business Gmail. Avoid using a personal Gmail account for a business listing you may eventually need to share access to with employees, agencies, or business partners.

Step 1: Enter Your Business Name

Navigate to business.google.com and click "Manage now" or "Add your business." Sign in with your chosen Google account. The first screen asks for your business name.

Enter your exact trading name — the name that appears on your signage, business cards, invoices, and official registration. Do not add keywords, location names, service descriptors, or taglines beyond your actual name. "Smith's Bakery" is correct. "Smith's Bakery — Best Croissants Manchester" is a policy violation that risks suspension and will likely be flagged by competitors or Google's own automated systems.

What Happens if Your Name Already Exists

As you type your business name, Google will suggest matching businesses from its existing database. If your business appears in the suggestions — which happens when Google has auto-generated a listing or another user has previously created one — click the suggestion and follow the claim process rather than continuing to create a new listing. If no matches appear or the matches are not your business, continue typing your full business name and proceed to the next screen.

Name Changes After Creation

You can update your business name at any time after the listing is created and verified. However, name changes on verified listings require a review period, and significant changes — such as a complete rebrand — may trigger a re-verification requirement. It is better to enter your correct name at creation than to rely on updating it later.

Step 2: Select Your Primary Business Category

Category selection is the most consequential decision in the entire GBP creation process. Your primary category is the strongest single signal that determines which search queries trigger your listing in local results. A plumber who selects "Plumber" as their primary category will appear for "plumber near me" searches. A plumber who selects "Home Improvement Store" will not. Spend time on this screen — it is worth getting right.

How to Find the Right Category

Type a word describing your business into the category search box and browse the suggestions. Google's category database contains over 4,000 options and is frequently updated to reflect new business types. In most cases, there is a category that closely matches what you do — the challenge is finding the most specific option rather than settling for a broad one. A "Dental Clinic" is more precise than "Healthcare Provider" and will rank better for dental-specific queries.

If you are uncertain which category is optimal, search Google Maps for your top direct competitors and examine which category their listings are assigned to. The category displayed beneath a competitor's name in Maps is their primary category. Matching the primary category of well-ranking competitors in your area is one of the most reliable ways to ensure you are competing for the same queries they are targeting.

Primary vs Secondary Categories

You can only select your primary category during the creation flow. Secondary categories — which allow you to capture adjacent service queries — are added after creation through your GBP dashboard. Focus on selecting the single most accurate primary category during setup. You have the opportunity to add up to 9 secondary categories once your listing is live, each targeting a related query type. A physiotherapy practice might use "Physiotherapist" as primary and add "Sports Injury Clinic," "Rehabilitation Centre," and "Acupuncture Clinic" as secondaries.

Step 3: Add Your Location or Service Area

The third screen asks whether you have a location customers can visit. This is the branching point between brick-and-mortar and service area business configurations.

For Businesses with a Physical Location

Select "Yes" and enter your full street address — building number, street name, town or city, and postcode. Google will attempt to pin your address on the map as you type. If Google's suggestion does not match your exact location — which can happen for newer buildings, rural addresses, or recently renamed streets — you can manually adjust the map pin after entering your address. Accuracy here affects both your Maps pin placement and your proximity-based ranking calculations for nearby searches.

After entering your address, Google may ask whether you also deliver goods or provide services to customer locations. If your business has a physical premises but also makes site visits or deliveries — a restaurant that also delivers, a clinic that also offers home visits — select "Yes" and set your delivery or service area in the next sub-screen. This creates a hybrid configuration: your physical address is displayed, and your service area defines your SAB reach.

For Service Area Businesses

Select "No, I deliver goods and services to my customers" if you do not have a customer-facing premises. This takes you to the service area configuration screen, where you define your operational geography. You can set service areas by city, region, county, or postcode. Add only the areas where you genuinely accept and fulfil work — over-specifying service areas reduces your geographic relevance signal in each individual area. Detailed SAB-specific guidance is covered in the Setup for SABs guide.

Step 4: Add Your Phone Number and Website

The fourth screen collects your contact details. Enter the primary phone number customers use to reach your business. For brick-and-mortar businesses, a local number — with your area's geographic dialling code — typically performs better for local trust signals than a national 0800 or 0333 number. If you have both a local and national number, use the local number as your primary GBP contact and list the national number in your business description or on your website.

Website URL

Enter your business website URL — the homepage URL is standard unless you have a specific landing page better aligned with local searches, such as a dedicated local services page. Ensure the URL you enter is the live, final URL and not a redirect. If your website uses HTTPS (which it should in 2026), ensure you enter the https:// version of the URL. The website link on your GBP listing drives referral traffic to your site and is tracked in GBP Performance Insights as "Website clicks."

No Website?

If your business does not have a website, you can leave the website field blank — it is not mandatory for listing creation. Google previously offered a free "Google Website" feature that generated a basic website from your GBP data, but this feature was discontinued in 2024. Businesses without a website will have a listing without a website link, which reduces the conversion options available to searchers. A simple, low-cost website is a worthwhile investment even for businesses that rely primarily on GBP for customer acquisition.

Step 5: Set Your Opening Hours

The fifth screen asks for your business hours. Enter the hours during which you are physically present at your location (for brick-and-mortar businesses) or during which you accept and take bookings (for SABs). Do not enter hours that are aspirational or based on when your phone is answered if those differ from when you actually operate.

Set hours for each day of the week individually. If you are closed on specific days, mark those days as closed rather than leaving them blank. Accuracy matters — inaccurate hours are among the most common triggers for negative reviews ("they were listed as open but the door was locked") and among the most common causes of user-submitted edit suggestions that can change your listing's information without your approval.

Special Hours and Holiday Hours

Standard hours set during creation cover your regular week. Special hours — for public holidays, seasonal variations, or exceptional trading periods — are added through your GBP dashboard after creation. Google proactively prompts businesses to confirm hours around major public holidays. If you do not respond to these prompts, Google may display a "Hours might differ" warning on your listing around those dates, which reduces searcher confidence in your listing's accuracy.

24-Hour and Always-Open Businesses

If your business operates 24 hours, select the "24 hours" option for each applicable day. Online businesses that have a physical premises accessible at all hours — 24-hour gyms, automated service kiosks, petrol stations — should reflect their actual access hours. For businesses that are genuinely always open, marking every day as 24 hours is correct. Do not mark 24-hour hours on a listing that is not genuinely accessible at all times — this is a common manipulation tactic that Google's systems are designed to detect.

Step 6: Choose Your Verification Method

After completing the basic information screens, Google presents your verification options. Verification confirms that you are a legitimate representative of the business at the address you have specified. Until verification is complete, your listing exists in an unverified state — it may appear partially in some search results but will not rank competitively and will be marked as unverified.

The verification methods available to you depend on your business type, location, and account history. Not all methods are available to all businesses. The full verification guide covers each method in detail — the overview below covers what to expect at this stage of the creation flow.

Video Verification (Default in 2026)

Video verification became the default method for most new GBP listings in 2024 and remains the standard in 2026. You are asked to record a short video — typically 1 to 2 minutes — that shows your business exterior (including street view and any signage), your interior, and evidence that you operate the business (equipment, stock, staff in action). The video is reviewed by Google's team, typically within 3–5 business days. For step-by-step video verification instructions, see the Verify Your Profile guide.

Postcard Verification

Some businesses are offered postcard verification as an alternative to video. Google mails a physical postcard to your listed address containing a 5-digit verification code. The postcard typically arrives within 5–14 days. When it arrives, you enter the code in your GBP dashboard to complete verification. Postcard verification is slower than video but may be the only option available for businesses whose address Google cannot easily verify through imagery or web data.

Phone and Email Verification

Some established businesses — particularly those with existing data in Google's systems from prior listings — are offered phone or email verification. Phone verification sends an automated call or text with a verification code. Email verification sends a code to the email address on your Google account. Both methods are completed within minutes when available, but they are only offered to listings where Google already has sufficient confidence in the business's legitimacy.

Instant Verification

Businesses with verified Google Search Console accounts for their website domain may qualify for instant verification, which bypasses the manual review process entirely. If instant verification is available, it is offered automatically during the creation flow. Connecting your website to Search Console before creating your GBP listing is worthwhile if you anticipate needing the fastest possible verification path.

After Creation: What to Do While Awaiting Verification

Once you have submitted your verification, you can access your GBP dashboard immediately and begin adding information to your listing — even before verification is complete. The information you add will be queued and will appear on your live listing once it is verified.

Use the time between creation and verification to complete Phase 2 of the setup process. Add your secondary categories through the "Edit profile" section of your dashboard. Write and save your business description. Upload your initial set of photos. Begin building your services or products list. Configure your messaging welcome message. By the time your verification is approved and your listing goes live, your profile can be fully complete rather than starting from a bare-bones state.

What a New Listing Looks Like in Search

New verified listings start with minimal local pack visibility. Google's systems need time to assess a new listing's quality signals before it begins ranking competitively for category and service queries. In the first 1–3 months, a new listing will primarily appear for direct branded searches (people searching for your business name) and may only appear in the local three-pack for low-competition queries. This is normal — consistent management, review accumulation, and profile completion gradually improve your listing's prominence score and competitive ranking over time.

Common Errors to Correct Immediately

After your listing goes live, check it in Google Search from a device that is not logged into your GBP account — this shows you the public-facing view that customers and searchers see. Verify that your address pin is correctly placed on the map, your phone number displays accurately and is clickable, your hours are correct, and your primary category is as expected. If anything is inaccurate, correct it through your dashboard before your listing accumulates visibility — early corrections are less disruptive than changes made to a listing that has already established ranking positions.