When someone searches for a barber, plumber, dentist or restaurant "near me", Google shows a map with a handful of businesses before it shows any website. Your Google Business Profile, formerly Google My Business, is what puts you in that map. It is free, and a complete one often outperforms a website for local discovery.
Step by step
- Search for your business first. You may already have a listing that Google or a customer created. If so, claim it instead of creating a duplicate.
- Create or claim the profile at business.google.com, using the name your customers know you by, exactly as it appears on your signage and invoices.
- Choose the right primary category. This is the most important setting. Pick the most specific one, such as "Barber shop" rather than "Beauty salon", and add secondary categories only where they truly apply.
- Add your address or service area. A shop customers visit needs a street address. If you travel to customers, such as a plumber or mobile mechanic, you can hide your address and list the areas you serve.
- Verify the profile. Google will ask you to confirm you are the owner, usually by phone, email or video. Until you verify, the profile will not show properly.
- Add hours, phone, website and services, including special hours for public holidays.
- Upload real photos: your storefront, your inside, your team and your work. Profiles with photos get noticeably more engagement.
Keep it working after setup
- Ask for reviews from happy customers, using your profile's review link, and reply to every review, good or bad. Do not offer rewards for reviews, because Google's rules forbid it.
- Post updates and offers every so often so the profile looks alive.
- Answer questions that customers ask on your profile.
- Keep your name, address and phone number identical on your website, social pages and any directories. Consistency builds trust with Google.
Mistakes that get profiles suspended
- Stuffing keywords into the business name, for example adding "Best Cheap Plumber Pretoria" to your actual name.
- Using a virtual office, a PO Box or someone else's address as your location.
- Creating several profiles for the same business.
Your website matters too
A strong profile and a strong website lift each other. The profile gets you seen on the map, and the website gives people the detail to choose you and gives Google more to understand. Our local SEO guide for South African small businesses shows the full order of work, and we set profiles up as part of our SEO services from R800.
Is Google Business Profile free in South Africa?
Yes. Creating and managing a Google Business Profile is free. You only pay if you choose to run Google ads or hire someone to set it up and manage it for you.
How long does it take to verify a Google Business Profile?
It can be quick, sometimes within minutes or days, depending on the verification method Google offers for your business. Complete the steps it gives you and check your email and phone.
Do I need a website to have a Google Business Profile?
You can have a profile without one, but a website helps you rank and convinces customers to choose you. Linking a good website to your profile strengthens both.
Can I hide my address on Google Business Profile?
Yes, if you serve customers at their location rather than yours, such as a mobile business. You can hide the address and list the areas you serve instead.