How to set up a Google Business Profile that actually brings in calls

When someone searches "plumber near me" or "best brunch in Austin", the first thing they usually see is a map with three businesses under it. Those come from Google Business Profiles. For most local businesses, that box sends more calls than the website does.

It’s free. Here’s how to set it up properly.

1. Check if you already have one

Search for your business name and town on Google Maps. Google sometimes creates listings automatically from public data. If you see your business with a "Claim this business" or "Own this business?" link, claim it instead of making a new one. Duplicate listings split your reviews and confuse Google.

2. Create the profile

Go to business.google.com and sign in with a Google account your business controls. Use a business email if you can, not a personal one that might leave with an employee.

Enter your business name exactly as it appears on your sign, van, or invoices. Don’t add keywords like "Best Plumber Austin" to the name. It breaks Google’s rules and can get the listing suspended.

3. Pick your primary category carefully

This is the most important choice on the whole profile. Choose the category that describes your main service as precisely as possible: "Emergency locksmith" rather than "Locksmith" if that’s what you do most, "Pediatric dentist" rather than "Dentist" if you only see kids.

You can add secondary categories for other services, but the primary one does most of the work.

4. Address or service area

• Customers come to you (salon, restaurant, clinic): add your street address.
• You go to customers (plumber, cleaner, mobile groomer): add a service area and hide your address. Google allows this and expects it for home-based businesses.

5. Verify it

Google needs to confirm you’re the real owner before the profile goes fully live. Depending on your business, it may offer a short video of your premises and signage, a phone call or text, an email, or a postcard. You don’t get to choose the options. Google picks them. Video is increasingly common, so have your signage, tools, or branded vehicle ready to show.

6. Fill in every field

A half-empty profile tells Google, and customers, that you might not be around. Add:

• Hours, including holiday hours when they change
• Phone number that someone actually answers
• Website link, ideally to a page that matches what the profile promises
• Services or menu, with short descriptions and prices if you can
• Description: two or three plain sentences about what you do and where
• Attributes such as wheelchair access, women-owned, or online appointments

7. Add real photos

Upload photos of your work, your team, your storefront, and your vehicle. Real photos beat stock images by a mile. Add new ones every month or two. Fresh photos are a sign the business is active.

8. Ask for reviews from day one

Reviews are the other big ranking factor, and the thing customers read most. Our guide on how to get more Google reviews covers how to ask without being awkward, and what not to do.

9. Connect it to a good website

Google cross-checks your profile against your website. Your name, address, phone number, and services should match on both. A clear website also turns the people who click through into customers instead of bouncing. If you don’t have one, or yours is out of date, see what we build for local businesses.

Common mistakes

• Using a virtual office or PO box as your address
• Stuffing keywords into the business name
• Letting the profile sit untouched for a year
• Ignoring reviews, especially negative ones
• Having a different phone number on the profile and the website