Client guide
Setting up your Google Business Profile
This is the listing that shows up on Google Maps and in search results. It is free, takes about twenty minutes, and you only do it once.
The short version
A Google Business Profile is what appears when someone searches for a business like yours nearby. It shows your name, phone, hours, photos, and reviews, and it is where the "Call" and "Directions" buttons come from. It costs nothing. Google makes money selling ads, and the profile is not one of them.
The profile has to be created on your own Google account so that you own it. Once it exists, you add us as a manager and we handle photos, posts, hours, and review responses from then on. You stay the owner and can remove our access any time.
Before you start
- Use your phone, not a computer. The verification step needs the camera.
- Have your Gmail password handy.
- If you can, do this at a job site or next to your work truck. Google wants to see that the business is real.
- Check your inbox for the category and service towns we sent you, so you can paste them in.
Part 1: create the profile
About fifteen minutes. If Google finds a listing that already has your name on it, choose Claim rather than creating a second one.
- On your phone, go to google.com/business, tap Manage now, and sign in with your Gmail. If you do not have one, create a free Gmail first.
- Enter your business name exactly as it appears on your trucks and invoices, then pick your main category. For most of our clients that is Remodeler, Roofing Contractor, Plumber, Electrician, or similar. We will send you the right one.
- When Google asks whether customers can visit a location, choose No if you work at customer sites. This keeps your home address off the map. Then list the towns you serve.
- Add your business phone number and your website address.
- Verify the business. Google will usually ask for a short video. Point the camera at your truck, tools, signage, or the job you are on and say the business name. Some approvals are instant. Some take up to five business days. Nothing shows on Google until this is approved.
Things to skip
During and after setup, Google will offer to boost your listing, start an ad campaign, or add a payment method. None of it is required. The profile works fully without spending a dollar. If a screen asks for a credit card, you are in the wrong place. Back out and keep going.
Part 2: add us as a manager
Two minutes. A manager can update the listing but cannot delete it or remove you.
- Search Google for your business name while signed in to the same Gmail. You will see a panel labeled Your business on Google. Or go back to google.com/business.
- Tap the three-dot menu, then Business Profile settings, then People and access.
- Tap Add, enter tyler@northsiteweb.com, choose the Manager role, and tap Invite.
- Tell us it is sent. We accept the invite and take it from there.
What happens next
Once verification is approved and our invite is accepted, we fill in the rest: your services with short descriptions, hours, photos from your website, and a first post. From then on we keep it current. When a review comes in, we will let you know and draft a response for your okay.
If the screen does not match
Google moves these menus around from time to time, so the wording you see may not match this page exactly. Do not guess. Send us a screenshot of what you are looking at and we will tell you where to tap. If the verification video has you stuck, we can do it together on a quick call.
Questions on any of it, email tyler@northsiteweb.com.