Is Google Business Profile free?

Yes. Creating and managing a profile costs nothing.

Do I need a shop to have a profile?

Many businesses without a shopfront can have one by setting a service area, as long as they meet Google's eligibility rules.

How long until I see results?

Changes to your profile can show within days, while building reviews and a track record takes months. We'll do our best to help the right customers find you.

Can I let someone else manage my profile?

Yes. You can invite a manager from your profile settings, stay the owner and remove their access at any time.

Google Business Profile checklist for small businesses

By Nayan Patel, Eagle Digital Services. Updated 16 October 2026.

Your Google Business Profile is often the first thing a local customer sees: your name, reviews, hours, photos and a button to call or visit your website. It is free to create and manage, and a complete, active profile gives Google the information it needs to show you for local searches. Work through this checklist in order.

How Google decides who to show

Google says local results are based mainly on three things: relevance (how well your profile matches the search), distance (how far you are from the person searching) and prominence (how well known you are, including reviews and mentions across the web). You cannot change distance, but you can improve the other two.

The checklist

1. Claim and verify your profile

Search for your business while signed in to Google, then claim it or create it and complete verification. The methods Google offers vary by business and location, such as video, phone, email or postcard, so follow the options it shows you. Some are quick, and a postcard can take up to a couple of weeks.

2. Choose the right categories

Pick the primary category that best describes your main service. It is one of the strongest signals for what you appear for. Add a few secondary categories for your other services.

3. Fill in every detail

Use the name customers know you by, exactly as it appears on your shopfront or van, with no extra keywords added. Add your hours (and holiday hours), phone number, website link, services and any attributes that apply. If you travel to customers, set a service area and hide your address when you do not serve customers there.

4. Write your description

You have up to 750 characters. Say what you do, who you serve and where, in plain words. Leave out links and anything that is not true.

5. Add real photos

Your own photos of your premises, team and work build trust. Add a clear logo and cover photo, and add fresh photos regularly so the profile looks alive.

6. Collect and answer reviews

Ask happy customers for a review soon after the job, and send them a direct link to make it easy. Reply to every review in a friendly, specific way. Never buy reviews or offer rewards in exchange for them, because Google's rules do not allow it.

7. Post updates

Share offers, news and recent work. Regular posts show customers, and Google, that your business is active.

8. Put your answers where they are still seen

Google began retiring the public Questions and Answers section on Business Profiles in late 2025 and has been replacing it with automated answers in Maps. That makes the information you control more important: your description, services, posts and the FAQ on your website. Put your most common answers there, in plain words.

9. Keep your details the same everywhere

Use the same business name, address or service area and website link on your website, social profiles and directory listings. Consistent details help Google trust that they are right.

10. Check your results

Open the Performance section to see views, calls, direction requests and website clicks. Look once a month and note what changes after each update.

A 30-minute monthly routine

Reply to any new reviews.
Add two or three new photos.
Post one update or offer.
Check your hours before bank holidays.
Look at your performance numbers and note anything that moved.

Common mistakes to avoid

Adding extra keywords to the name on your profile. It can get the profile suspended.
Leaving hours out of date.
Using stock photos instead of your own.
Ignoring reviews, especially the critical ones. A calm, helpful reply shows other customers how you work.
Choosing a primary category that does not match your main service.

Want a hand?

Our Google Profile Pack (£149 one-off) sets up and polishes your profile, and Local SEO Monthly (£199 a month) keeps it fresh with monthly posts, review-reply drafts and a monthly report. You invite us as a manager and stay in control. See the details on our local SEO page.