The short answer
To set up a Google Business Profile for a new business, go to business.google.com/add on a computer (or open the Google Maps app and tap Contribute, then Add place), enter your business name, category and location or service area, then choose one of the verification options Google offers you. Google says adding or claiming a profile is free (see our Google Business Profile tool notes). Once you finish the verification steps, Google's review takes up to 5 business days, and occasionally longer.
Entering the details is quick. What slows most new owners down is verification, and the details that cause trouble later: a name stuffed with keywords, a home address shown to the public, or a postcard code ruined by an early edit. This guide walks through each step in order, with the rules from Google's own help pages.
Before you start: check you are eligible
Google Business Profile is for businesses that meet customers in person. Google's guidelines say a business qualifies if it "either has a physical location that customers can visit, or travels to customers where they are". In practice that means:
- Storefronts such as cafés, salons, clinics and shops, where customers come to you during stated hours.
- Service area businesses such as cleaners, plumbers, movers and mobile groomers, who go to the customer.
- Not eligible: virtual offices, P.O. boxes or remote mailboxes, and online only businesses with no in person service. Google's video verification page says online only businesses are not eligible for verification.
Have these ready: a Google Account you will keep (use a business email you control, not a staff member's personal account), your exact business name as it appears on your sign or registration, a local phone number you answer, your website if you have one, and your regular hours.
Step by step setup
1. Add your business
On a computer, go to business.google.com/add and click "Add your business to Google". On a phone, open the Google Maps app, tap Contribute, then Add place, and say yes when asked if it is your business. If Google already shows a listing for your business (a customer may have added it), search for it on Google or Maps and choose "Own this business?" or "Claim this business" instead of creating a second one. Google allows only one profile per location.
2. Enter the basics carefully
Name. Use your real world name and nothing else. Google's guidelines do not allow taglines, phone numbers, website addresses, location details or descriptions of your services in the name. "Maple Leaf Plumbing" is fine; "Maple Leaf Plumbing Toronto 24/7 Emergency Plumber" is not permitted.
Category. Google asks you to use as few categories as possible, chosen from its list, and as specific as possible. A helpful test from the guidelines: the category should complete the sentence "This business is a...", not describe something the business has. A bakery is a bakery, not "fresh bread".
Location or service area. If customers visit you, enter the full street address, with any suite number on the second line. If you work from home and go to customers, Google says you should hide your address and set a service area instead. That service area should not reach farther than about two hours of driving from where you are based. Listing the GTA, Hamilton and Barrie is reasonable for a Mississauga cleaner; listing all of Ontario is not.
Phone and website. Google prefers a local number under your direct control rather than a call centre line. Your website link should go to a page for this business, not to a social media page or a redirect.
3. Verify your business
Google picks which verification methods you see, based on your business type, public information, region and hours, and you cannot change the choice. You may be asked for more than one. The options Google lists are:
- Phone call or text to the business number. An automated answering system will not pass the code along, so answer it yourself.
- Email to an address shown on the verification screen.
- Live video call with a Google representative, only during your business hours.
- Postcard with a 5 digit code. Google says most codes arrive within 14 days and expire after 30 days.
- Video recording, which Google recommends when your business is eligible.
If you get the video recording option, plan it before you press record. Google requires one continuous, unedited clip of at least 30 seconds, recorded and uploaded from your phone through the profile. It should show three things: where you are (street signs, the building number, neighbouring shops), that the business exists (your permanent sign with the same name as your profile, or for service businesses your tools, equipment or branded van), and that you manage it (the till, the kitchen or storage room, or unlocking your work vehicle). Do not film bank or tax numbers, ID, or other people's faces. Home based service businesses can film signs and landmarks in the immediate neighbourhood.
4. Wait for the review, and do not edit
After you finish, Google's review takes up to 5 business days. If you chose the postcard, do not change your name, address or category while you wait, and do not request a new code: Google says either one makes the mailed code stop working. If your video is rejected, you will see "Review issues". Google's advice is to record a new video that includes everything from the first one plus whatever was missing.
5. Fill in the rest of the profile
While the review runs, prepare the details that help customers choose you:
- Hours. Your regular customer facing hours. Seasonal businesses can mark the profile temporarily closed in the off season.
- Description. Up to 750 characters about what you do and who you serve. Google asks for no links or HTML, and for details about the business rather than promotions, prices or sales.
- Opening date. Just the month and year. You can enter a date up to a year ahead; Google shows it from 90 days before.
- Photos. Your storefront or van, the inside, your work and your team. Real phone photos are fine.
Our Google Business Profile checklist covers what to add next, from services to booking links.
Mistakes that cause trouble later
- Setting it up under an employee's account. If they leave, you can lose access. Keep the profile under an account the business owns.
- Showing a home address. If customers do not come to you, hide it.
- Changing the name or address soon after verifying. Google reviews edits before they go live, and says a new name might need verifying again, while a move must be verified again.
- Asking friends for reviews in exchange for a coffee. Incentives break Google's rules. Our guide on getting more Google reviews explains what is allowed.
Frequently asked questions
Is a Google Business Profile free in Canada?
Yes. Google says you can add or claim your business at no charge. You do not need to buy ads to have a profile.
How long does Google Business Profile verification take?
After you complete the verification steps, Google says its review takes up to 5 business days, and on rare occasions longer. If you verify by postcard, add the mailing time: most codes arrive within 14 days.
Can I set up a Google Business Profile without a storefront?
Yes, if you travel to customers. Set it up as a service area business, hide your home address and list the areas you serve, within about two hours of driving. Online only businesses with no in person service are not eligible.
Why can I not choose postcard verification?
Google decides which verification methods each business is offered, based on business type, public information, region and hours, and the choice cannot be changed. Use one of the methods shown to you, such as a video recording or a phone call.
Can I use a P.O. box as my business address?
No. Google's guidelines say P.O. boxes and mailboxes at remote locations are not acceptable, and virtual offices are not eligible. Use your real location, or hide your address if you are a service area business.
Sources
- Google Business Profile Help: How to add or claim your Business Profile on Google
- Google Business Profile Help: Set up a Business Profile
- Google Business Profile Help: Verify your business on Google
- Google Business Profile Help: Verify your business with a video recording
- Google Business Profile Help: Guidelines for representing your business on Google
- Google Business Profile Help: Edit your Business Profile
