Before You Begin
The purpose of verifying your GBP is to prove to Google that your business is legitimate, that the business qualifies for a profile, and that the name, address and phone number that you have indicated on the profile are accurate.
During the verification process, Google looks not just at the GBP, but at the entire online existence of the business. If the business has some additional online assets in place already such as an aged website, key citations (Facebook, Yelp, Bing Places, Manta, Foursquare, BBB and if the business is a brick and mortar, Apple Maps and Mapquest) the GBP is exponentially more likely to get approved on the first attempt. It may even qualify for instant verification if there are strong enough trust factors to satisfy Google. If any of these additional key platforms contain any information that is inconsistent with what was claimed on the GBP, you need to edit those other listings before trying to get the GBP verified.
PRO-TIP: When you are ready to start your new GBP, be sure to use a gmail address that is also connected to Google Search Console. It is best to be at the location but if you cannot be at the physical location of the business when filling out the preliminary profile fields, use a chrome extension such as GS Location Changer and set your IP to the physical address that you will be using for the GBP. These extra steps could potentially trigger an instant verification.
Please note that if you are creating the GBP remotely, you will need to be at the physical location when it comes time to verify the profile.
Once you are ready to get started…
1. Go to Google Business Profile Manager
Visit: https://www.google.com/business
Click “Manage now” to begin the setup.
2. Enter Your Business Name
Type your exact business name as it appears to the public on your signage, branded vehicles, etc. It should also match EXACTLY your business license, DBA Registration or Fictitious Name Filing. Do NOT embellish, keyword stuff, or add a location to the name unless this is the legal name of your business. Do not include Inc, LLC, Corp, etc. If your business already exists in Google’s database (perhaps from past entries or user contributions), you can select it. If not, click to create a new listing.
3. Choose the Business Category
This step is crucial for SEO.
Select a primary category that best fits your business (e.g., Plumber, Landscaping Company, Roofing Contractor). If you have more than 1 applicable category, e.g. HVAC and Plumbing, use your primary operations as the primary category. You can also look at your top competitors to see what they are using as a primary category. You can add secondary categories later.
4. Select The Type of Business
- If you serve customers at a physical storefront, select “yes” to this question and enter your physical business address.
- If you offer services at customer locations only (like mobile services or home visits), you will define your service area in this step. You can list counties, cities, suburbs, or postal codes where you operate. Your service area should be within a 2 hour drive from the address used to verify the profile.
- If you have a brick & mortar storefront AND you also go to your customers locations, complete both sections as outlined above.
5. Enter Contact Details
Add:
- Phone number (use a local number)
- Website URL (or select “I don’t have a website”)
Pro Tip: Make sure your NAP (Name, Address, Phone) is consistent with what’s listed elsewhere online. Google is going to look everywhere – the website, social profiles, citations, etc to verify your business. If there are conflicting details on the web, odds are that your profile will not get approved. Clean up any inconsistencies before attempting to verify your GBP.
6. Enter the Address for Verification
Even if you previously indicated that you are a service area business, you will still need to enter an address for verification purposes, but it will not be displayed on the public-facing profile. The address that you use here will still need to be verified, so it must match the address on your business license, tax ID letter, insurance policy, or a utility bill in the business name.
7. Choose Verification Method
To activate your profile, Google requires verification. Options may include:
- Phone call or text: you will receive an automated call or text from Google with a 6-digit code that you will enter on the profile verification screen when prompted. The phone call option will not work if the phone system has any menu selections, e.g. “press 1 for sales”.
- Email: must be a domain-based email. Google will send you a 6-digit code that you will enter on the profile verification screen when prompted.
- Instant verification: available for some trusted businesses, rare, but it does sometimes happen.
- Video verification: most common method, video verification requires you to show your business premises or vehicle via a live or recorded video. You must be on site and show all required documents and items.
- For a brick & mortar, or a hybrid (brick & mortar plus service area business), you will need to capture:
- Street sign (needs to match the street that is listed on the GBP)
- Building number (needs to match the address that is listed on the GBP)
- Exterior sign showing business name (must match EXACTLY what is claimed on the GBP)
- Unlocking the business door, opening a cash register, or logging into the business website or operating system
- Interior customer area (with office furnishings and staff – do not show an empty, vacant space)
- Any ONE of: Business license, DBA registration, tax ID letter, utility bill. The name and address on the document MUST match what is listed on the GBP. I have also successfully used a Certificate of Insurance or Declarations page, or property lease, though Google does not include these on their list of approved documents.
- For a service area business, you will need to capture:
- Any TWO of the following: Business license, DBA registration, tax ID letter, utility bill. The name and address on the document MUST match what is listed on the GBP. I have also successfully used a Certificate of Insurance or Declarations page, or property lease, though Google does not include these on their list of approved documents.
- Street sign and Building number (needs to match the address that was used to verify the GBP, and also match what is listed on the documents that you are providing as proof)
- Unlocking and starting a branded vehicle
- Tools of the trade
- Doesn’t hurt to add in anything else that shows the business name, e.g. branded uniform shorts, business cards, letterhead/invoices, branded company swag
- For a brick & mortar, or a hybrid (brick & mortar plus service area business), you will need to capture:
⚠️ If you’re stuck in the verification process or facing suspension, Unfuck Your GBP offers expert GBP support and verification services.
Creating and Verifying a GBP For A Brick & Mortar or Hybrid (Brick & Mortar + Service Area) Business
Once Verified, Complete the Profile ASAP
Once verified, you will need to complete the rest of the profile as soon as possible. An incomplete profile will be deemed low quality and will get suspended.
Categories: add any additional categories that are relevant to the business. Do not overreach. Every category that you claim here needs to be reinforced by the website content.
Description: Do not be redundant. The category and location/service area is already listed on the profile. You can elaborate on that here, but don’t just simply reiterate the same info that is already listed elsewhere. Include things like years in service, unique value propositions, etc. Do not include a phone number in the about section.
Opening date: If known, add the exact date.
Contact information: You should have already entered the local phone number during initial set up but if there is a secondary number such as a toll-free number, you can enter it here.
Website: if you did not enter this during the initial set up, you can enter it now.
Chat: add this only if you want to be contacted by scammers.
Social Profiles: add all that the business has here. This helps prove to Google that the business is legit and also helps built authority/credibility.
Location/Service Area: You can build out your service area here, up to 20 entries. You can use state, counties, cities, or zip codes but your service area should not exceed a 2-hour drive from the address used to verify the profile. If your service area is larger than that, you are not considered a local business and therefore not eligible for a GBP.
Business Hours: Google prefers businesses that are open 24 hours, but they will randomly call to spot check this so do not claim that you are open 24/7 unless calls are truly answered around the clock. The hours claimed here need to match what is displayed on the website, social profiles, and citations.
More: not really a ranking factor but can be a conversion factor in that some customers prefer to patronize local businesses that are vet owned, women owned, black owned, latino owned, asian owned, indigenous owned, disabled owned, or lgbtq owned.
Crowd: indicate if the business is LGBTQ friendly.
Payments: select which forms of payment the business accepts
Service Options: these will be self explanatory
PHOTOS
At the very least, add the business logo, cover image, and a half dozen photos that may include any or all of the team/staff, a branded vehicle, some finished jobs, and the exterior and interior if it is a brick & mortar business. Give each photo a descriptive name before uploading it to the GBP.
SERVICES
If the company is a service-based business, this is where you will list all of the services offered, a description of each service, and a price (if possible). This section does impact the rankings so use keywords and geo-rich terms in your service names and descriptions, but do not be spammy and do NOT include any phone numbers in the service descriptions or the profile will get suspended. Google will also add services based on what it expects to see for each of the chosen categories. Delete any that are not applicable and add descriptions to those that are applicable.
PRODUCTS
If the business sells any products, this is where you can list each product, a description, prices, and photos. This section is also a ranking factor so use it to its fullest potential if it is applicable.
Q&A
Not an essential section for completing a profile, but it can help with conversions. You, as the profile owner or manager, can ask the questions and answer them with the same gmail without any concern of penalty or suspension. Prospects can also ask questions here for the business to answer.
POSTS
Also not an essential section for completing a profile, but can help with conversions, plus Google likes to see fresh content. This is a great way to display any specials or offers.