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

If you run a local business and haven't created your Google Business Profile, you're losing customers every day. That's not an exaggeration: when someone searches "dentist near me" or "locksmith in Madrid," Google shows the businesses with an active, well-configured profile first.

The problem is that many owners set up the profile halfway, leave it unverified or fill in the details in a rush. And that has direct consequences: Google doesn't show you, or it shows you below the competition.

In this article I'll explain how to create your Google Business Profile from scratch, step by step, without skipping anything important.

What a Google Business Profile is and why it directly affects you if you run a local business

Your Google Business Profile is the listing that appears when someone looks up your business on Google or Google Maps. It shows your name, address, phone number, hours, photos, reviews and much more.

But it's not just a business card. It's the first contact a potential customer has with your business before they call you, visit you or go to your website.

That means that if Clínica Dental Sonrisa hasn't created or verified its profile, when someone searches "dental clinic in Seville" on a Friday afternoon, it simply doesn't exist as far as Google is concerned.

Keep in mind that your profile also influences your local rankings. Google uses the information on your profile to decide whether you're relevant for a search in a specific area. An incomplete profile or one with wrong information hurts you directly.

What you need before creating your Google Business Profile

Before you start creating the profile, get this information ready. If you have it on hand, the process is much faster and you avoid mistakes that take time to fix later.

1. A Google account: You need a Gmail or Google Workspace account. Ideally use a business account (e.g. info@restaurantelabrasa.com) rather than your personal email, so the profile is tied to the business and not to you as an individual.
2. Your business's exact name: Exactly as it appears on your premises, your website or your legal documents. Don't add keywords to the name (that's against Google's guidelines and can get your profile suspended).
3. Your physical address or service area: If you have premises, you need the full address. If you go to your customers, like a plumber or an electrician, you can list the areas where you work without showing an address.
4. Phone number and website: If you have a website, add it. If not, you can leave it blank for now, but having one is recommended.

One thing, though: make sure the phone number you enter is the one you actually answer. It sounds obvious, but many businesses list a number they no longer use and miss calls.

How to create your Google Business Profile step by step

Let's go through the complete process. Go to business.google.com with your Google account and follow these steps:

1. Search for your business: Google first asks whether your business already exists. Type the name and see if it appears. If there's already a profile created by Google or by someone else, you can claim it instead of creating a new one.
2. Enter the business name: If it doesn't exist, type your business's exact name and click "Next."
3. Choose the primary category: This is one of the most important decisions. The category tells Google what you do. For example, "Locksmith" or "Restaurant." Pick the one that best describes your main activity. You can add secondary categories later.
4. Say whether you have a physical location: If customers can visit you (a store, an office, a workshop), select "Yes" and enter your address. If you go to where your customers are, select "No" and define your service area.
5. Add your phone number and website: Fill in these fields. They're the contact details customers will see on your profile.
6. Choose the verification method: Google needs to confirm the business is real. We explain this in detail in the next section.

The whole process takes 10 to 15 minutes if you have your information ready. Don't make it more complicated than it needs to be at this first stage.

How to verify your business on Google and why you can't skip this step

Verification is the step most people abandon or put off. And that's a serious mistake: without verification, your profile doesn't appear on Google Maps or in local search results.

Google offers several verification methods depending on the type of business:

• By video: The most common method right now. You record a short video showing the outside of your premises, the inside and some proof that you're the owner (cash register, documents, etc.). Google reviews it within a few days.
• By postcard: Google sends a letter with a code to your address. It takes 5 to 14 days to arrive. When it does, you enter the code on your profile and it's verified.
• By phone or email: Only available for some businesses. You get a code right away.
• Instant verification: If your website is already verified in Google Search Console with the same email address, Google may verify you automatically.

The first thing you should do when you finish creating the profile is start verification that same day. Don't leave it for later. If you get stuck, this step-by-step guide explains how to verify your business on Google Maps.

What information to fill in first to start showing up in local searches

Once you're verified, you need to fill in the profile in detail. Google rewards complete profiles with better visibility. Start with these fields:

1. Business description: You get 750 characters. Explain what you do, who you help and what sets you apart. Restaurante La Brasa, for example, could write: "Traditional Castilian restaurant in downtown Burgos, specializing in wood-fired grilled meats and a seasonal daily set menu." No filler.
2. Opening hours: Fill them in completely and keep them up to date. If you have special holiday hours, add them. Wrong hours lead to negative reviews, because customers show up and find the place closed.
3. Additional categories: On top of the primary category, you can add secondary ones. If you're a dental practice, your primary category is "Dentist," and you can add "Orthodontist" or "Dental implants provider" if you offer those services.
4. Photos: At least one photo of the outside, one of the inside and one of your team or product. Profiles with photos get many more visits than those without. Make sure you upload them at the right size for Google Business Profile. You can manage all your images from local brain's Media section.
5. Services or products: Add what you offer, with a description and a price if possible. This helps Google understand your business and helps customers decide before they call you.

Remember that Google also has its own best-practice guide at support.google.com if you want to dig into the official policies.

Common profile setup mistakes that keep Google from showing you

I've seen these mistakes repeated many times. Avoid them from the start:

• Putting keywords in the business name: If your business is called "Cerrajería López," don't use "Cerrajería López – Urgencias 24h Madrid" (24h emergency locksmith, Madrid). Google can suspend your profile for that.
• Choosing the wrong category: If Clínica Dental Sonrisa picks "Medical center" instead of "Dentist," Google won't show it when someone searches for dentists. The category is the single most important piece of data for local rankings.
• Leaving the profile unverified: We've already covered this. Without verification, you don't exist on Google Maps.
• Not updating your hours: Outdated hours during vacations or holidays cause confusion and negative reviews that are very hard to turn around afterward.
• Creating a duplicate profile: If Google had already created a profile for your business automatically and you create another one on top of it, you'll have two profiles competing with each other. Always check first whether one already exists, and claim it.

Keep in mind that Google can suspend profiles that break its guidelines. If that happens, getting access back can take weeks.

How to manage and optimize your Google Business Profile from one place

Creating the profile is just the beginning. For it to really work, you need to keep it active: update your hours, reply to reviews, publish updates, add new photos.

If you have one or more businesses and want to do this in an organized way, local brain lets you manage all your profiles from a single dashboard. No more logging in and out of multiple Google accounts.

From local brain's profile management dashboard you can see the status of each profile, spot which fields are incomplete and act on them directly. Especially useful if you manage several locations or handle profiles for clients.

Reviews are another critical point. Replying to them well and on time has a direct impact on how customers see you and on your rankings. With local brain's ReviewSense you can monitor and reply to reviews from one central place, without missing a single one.

What comes after creating your profile: the work that really makes the difference

Many businesses create the profile, verify it and never touch it again. And that's exactly where the competition overtakes them.

What separates the businesses that show up first on Google from those that don't is ongoing activity on the profile. That includes:

• Publishing updates and news regularly.
• Adding new photos every month.
• Replying to every review, both positive and negative.
• Keeping your hours up to date for holidays and special periods.
• Checking that your contact details are correct.

On top of that, your Google Business Profile works better when it's backed by a website that ranks well. If you want to understand how your website's SEO and your Google profile complement each other, local brain's Web content section has resources to work on both in a coordinated way.

Quick checklist

• ☐ Business Google account ready to use
• ☐ Exact business name (no added keywords)
• ☐ Primary category correctly selected
• ☐ Address or service area entered
• ☐ Phone number and website up to date
• ☐ Verification started the same day
• ☐ Complete business description (up to 750 characters)
• ☐ Opening hours up to date
• ☐ At least 3 photos uploaded (exterior, interior, team or product)
• ☐ Services or products added with descriptions

Creating your Google Business Profile is the first step, and the easiest one. What makes the difference is verifying it properly, filling it in carefully from the start and keeping it active over time.

If you want to do that work more efficiently, without wasting time jumping between tools, local brain is built for exactly that: managing, analyzing and optimizing your Google profiles from one place.