Customers check Google before they visit, call, or buy, so an unclaimed or half-finished business listing sends them to a competitor instead. But how do you get your business listed on Google?
Google My Business, now called Google Business Profile (GBP), is the answer.
This guide covers how to claim an existing Google Business Profile, how to create one from scratch, and how to optimize it so it earns clicks, calls, and reviews.
Let’s get started.
What is Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business)?
Google Business Profile is a free tool that lets you manage how your business appears in Google Search and Google Maps to reach new customers. Google renamed Google My Business to Google Business Profile, so both names refer to the same tool.
Here’s what a Google Business Profile looks like:
To manage your profile, sign in to the Google Account associated with it, then search for your business name and city. Or search “my business” on Google.
(We’ll show you how to claim and create GBPs in greater detail in the following sections.)
Maintaining a GBP lets you control your business’s online appearance, build credibility through reviews, and improve your visibility on Google. Accurate business information and credible reviews also help your AI visibility.
Plus, local results on Google are mainly based on relevance, distance, and prominence, according to Google’s local ranking guidance.
How to claim an existing Google Business Profile
Claim an existing Google Business Profile by searching for your business on Google, selecting it from the search results, and clicking “Claim this business.” Some listings may show “Own this business?” instead.
You’ll see one of two options, depending on how the listing was created:
- Automatic listing: Google automatically sourced your business details from other websites. You’ll see the option to “Manage now.”
- Listing created by someone else: Another person created a profile. You’ll see part of their email address and the option to “Request access.”
How to claim an automatically created Google Business Profile
Claim an automatically created GBP by clicking “Manage now” on the listing.
Google will ask you to verify ownership. Google determines the verification options you see based on your business type, location, and hours. Verification methods include a phone call, text, or video recording.
Select one of the available methods, then click “Next.”
For verifications via phone, choose between a call or a text message. Then click “Next.”
Enter the code you received. Click “Verify.”
After completing verification, you’ll gain full access to your Google Business Profile.
How to request access to a listing managed by someone else
Request access to a listing managed by someone else by clicking “Request access.”
Fill out the form with these details:
- Level of access: Choose “Management” if you’re an employee or an agency asking the owner for access. Choose “Ownership” if you’re a business owner.
- Relationship to the business: Choose owner, agency, or employee
- Contact information: Enter your name and phone number
Decide whether the profile owner can view your public details and email address. Then, click “Submit.”
After you submit your request, Google notifies the current owner by email, and they have three days to respond. If they approve, you’ll get access to the profile. If they don’t respond within three days, you may be able to claim the profile yourself.
If your business serves customers at their location and has no physical shop or office (like a plumber or an electrician), Google asks you to contact support to request a transfer instead of using the form.
How to create a Google Business Profile from scratch
To create a Google Business Profile from scratch, add your business to Google and fill out its details. Search for your business on Google first. If a profile already exists, claim it instead so you don’t create a duplicate.
Follow these six steps to create one in about 15 minutes:
- Add your business to Google
- Fill out your business name and category
- Add business location
- Choose your service area
- Add contact information
- Verify your business
We’ll talk you through each step.
Further reading: How to Create a Google Business Profile with Semrush Local Toolkit
1. Add your business to Google
Add your business to Google by going to business.google.com/add and clicking “Add your business to Google.”
You can also start from Google Maps. Open Google Maps and click the menu in the top-left corner.
Select “Add your business.”
2. Fill out your business name and category
Fill out your business name and category. If your business name appears in the drop-down, select it and skip ahead to the verification step.
If your business name doesn’t appear, select “Create a business with this name.”
Enter your business category. Click “Next.”
3. Add business location
Add a business location if your business has a physical location customers can visit. Click the circle next to “Yes” followed by “Next.” For some categories, like “Restaurants,” this is a mandatory step.
If you don’t have a physical location, select the circle next to “No.”
If you choose “Yes,” enter your address. Ensure accuracy because Google will use it for verification (more on that soon). Click “Next.”
Google may suggest similar business names. If you see your business, select it and jump to the verification step. If none match, select “None of these.” Then, click “Next.”
4. Choose your service area
Choose a service area to indicate whether you offer deliveries or on-site services.
If you don’t, select the circle next to “No,” and proceed to the next step to learn how to add your business contact information.
If you do, click the circle next to “Yes” and select “Next.”
Enter the areas you serve. Click “Next.”
5. Add contact information
Add contact information because searchers will use it to find and contact you.
Enter your phone number and website URL. Click “Next.”
6. Verify your business
Google determines which verification options you see based on your business type, location, and hours, so you can only choose from the methods it offers.
Depending on those factors, you’ll get one or more of these options to verify your business:
- By phone: You’ll receive a Google automated call or text with your verification code
- By email: You’ll receive an email containing your verification code
- By postcard: You’ll receive a postcard at your registered address containing your verification code (not available for all businesses)
- By video recording: Record a video showing proof of your location, business equipment, and that you are an authorized manager
- By live video call: Provide proof of your location, business equipment, and that you’re an authorized manager during a live call with a support representative
Google recommends video verification if it is available for your business. If you verify by phone, make sure someone can answer your business number or receive texts, because automated phone systems can’t receive the code.
Select an available option, then click “Next.”
For verifications via phone, choose between receiving a text or an automated phone call. Click “Next.”
Enter the code you received, and click “Verify.”
If you have multiple businesses or locations, track the status of each verification in Google Business Profile Manager. The column “Status” will show if the listing is verified or if you need to complete some extra steps.
Further reading: How to Verify Your Google Business Profile
How to optimize a Google Business Profile
Optimize your Google Business Profile by keeping your details accurate and complete, adding photos, and responding to reviews and publishing posts. Doing this increases your visibility in local searches and gives customers the information they need.
To see optimization in action, let’s review a competitive keyword: “bakery new york.”
- According to data from Semrush’s Keyword Overview, this term gets 590 average monthly searches in the US
- The keyword difficulty (a prediction of how hard it is to show in Google’s top 10 results for this term) is 33% out of 100%, which makes it moderately competitive
Even at moderate difficulty, the top local listings set the bar, so optimize your profile carefully. Next, we’ll look at what some top New York bakeries are doing well.
Ensure name, address, and phone number accuracy and consistency
Ensuring your name, address, and phone number (NAP) are accurate in your Google Business Profile helps customers find and contact you.
Accurate NAP information also signals to search systems that your business is legitimate and trustworthy. Consistent details also make it easier for AI search platforms, like Google AI Overviews and ChatGPT, to match every mention of your business to a single entity.
Google may pull business details from other online sources. For that reason, maintain consistent NAP information across your website and directories.
Use Semrush’s Listing Management to check where your business appears, verify NAP accuracy, and update information in one step.
Start typing the business name in Listing Management. Select it when it appears in the drop-down.
Listing Management then analyzes your online presence and assigns a rating. For Levain Bakery, the rating is “Medium” because their information is inaccurate in 17 listings.
At the same time, Levain Bakery’s information is accurate in more than 20 listings, which helps them stay competitive in local search results.
To distribute updated information via Listing Management, click “Enhance listings now.”
Enter your business details and click “Distribute business info” so your updated details go out to every listing at once.
After distribution, you can track the status of each listing directly in the tool.
Write a business description
Writing a clear business description in your Google Business Profile lets you share your products, services, mission, and history. And Google says detailed business info helps it match your profile to relevant searches.
Take this example from Levain Bakery:
Google recommends using your business description to provide helpful and relevant details. Avoid keyword stuffing. Focus on information that supports customer decisions. Specific, plain-language details also give AI search platforms clean passages to reuse when they answer questions about your business.
Here’s what Google warns against including in your business description:
- Low-quality, distracting, or irrelevant content
- Sales and promotional messages
- Links to external sites
For complete guidance, read the full list of guidelines for representing your business on Google.
Complete every profile field
Completing every field in your Business Profile gives Google the information it needs to match your business to relevant searches, and Google says businesses with complete and accurate info are more likely to show up in local results.
Fill in these fields so customers know what to expect before they visit:
- Business hours: Add regular and special hours so customers know when you’re open
- Business categories: Choose the most specific category that describes your business, and add more only if they complete the sentence “This business is a…,” so Google can match you to the right searches
- Website link: Send customers to the page where they can take the next step
- Attributes: Add details such as parking or Wi-Fi availability so customers can decide before they arrive
After you complete your profile, use Semrush’s GBP Optimization to see your views, clicks, and calls over time.
Further reading: Google Business Profile Optimization: 5 Tips to Drive Business
Add high-quality photos
Adding high-quality photos to your Google Business Profile shows customers what you offer and what to expect when they visit.
For example, Levain Bakery uploaded images two years ago, and those photos still show customers what to expect today.
As your business grows, customers will also add photos through reviews. These images expand your profile content and give customers more to look at before they choose you.
Top bakeries like these have large photo galleries, many uploaded by their customers.
Add products and services
Adding products and services to your Business Profile shows customers what you sell before they visit or call. Use a clear name and description for each item, and keep them current as your offer changes.
Some product features are only available to eligible businesses, such as retail stores in eligible countries, so check which options your profile shows.
Further reading: A Complete Guide to Adding Google Business Profile Products
Get Google reviews
Getting Google reviews for your Business Profile builds trust with potential customers and provides feedback you can use to improve services. More reviews and positive ratings can help your local ranking, according to Google’s local ranking guidance.
The top three bakeries in our example each have thousands of reviews and strong average ratings.
Earn more Google reviews by:
- Asking customers for reviews at the time of purchase
- Handing out cards with a quick response (QR) code linking to your GBP
- Placing plaques with QR codes or near-field communication (NFC) stands in-store
- Adding a review request to receipts
Respond to reviews
Responding to Google reviews on your Business Profile shows customers that you value their experience, whether feedback is positive or negative.
Review responses also help your business stand out to customers, according to Google.
Levain Bakery thoughtfully responds to positive feedback:
And acknowledges negative comments:
By addressing customer frustrations, Levain Bakery builds trust. By collecting feedback, they identify opportunities to improve products and services.
Customers also review businesses on sites like Facebook and Yelp, so monitor and reply across those channels too. Review volume, ratings, and sentiment across these sites shape how trustworthy your business looks to AI search platforms, so keep your replies and profiles consistent.
Managing reviews across multiple profiles can feel overwhelming. Semrush’s Review Management tool makes it easier by allowing you to:
- Monitor reviews from one place
- Respond directly within the tool
- Use AI features to generate draft replies
Publish Google Posts
Publishing Google Posts in your Business Profile lets you promote offers, events, products, and services directly in search results. Posts can increase conversions and customer engagement.
Google Posts appear in the “Updates” section at the bottom of your profile.
Le Parisien Bakery uses Google Posts to highlight seasonal offers and promotions, like this:
Types of Google Posts you can publish include:
- Offers: Share promotional sales or offers
- What’s New: Post general updates or link to recent blog posts
- Events: Promote events hosted at your business location
Further reading: What Are Google Business Profile Posts?
Google Business Profile FAQs
Is Google My Business the same as Google Business Profile?
Yes, Google My Business is the former name of Google Business Profile. Both names refer to the same free tool for managing how your business appears in Google Search and Google Maps.
How do I log in to Google Business Profile?
To log in to Google Business Profile, sign in to the Google Account associated with your profile, then search for your business name and city or “my business” on Google to find your profile.
Can I have more than one Google Business Profile at the same address?
Whether you can have more than one Google Business Profile at the same address depends on whether the profiles represent the same business or separate ones. If you have two profiles for the same business, merge them instead of keeping both.
Our guide to merging Google Business Profiles explains when that’s the right move and when it isn’t.
For separate businesses that share an address, Google’s guidelines for representing your business determine whether each one qualifies, so check them before you add a second profile.
How do I remove a bad review from my Business Profile?
To remove a bad review, go to your Business Profile, select “Report” next to the review, and choose the reason for flagging it.
Google removes only reviews that violate its content policies, and it doesn’t remove reviews just because you disagree with them.
Evaluation typically takes several days, so reply to the review professionally in the meantime. Read Google’s guide to reporting inappropriate reviews for the full steps.
How do I remove my business from Google?
To remove your business from Google, a primary owner can remove the profile through “Business Profile settings” and mark the business as permanently closed if it has shut down. Your business may still appear in Search and Maps for a while afterward, according to Google’s guide to removing a Google Business Profile.
Manage your Google Business Profile with Semrush
Manage your Google Business Profile with Semrush to keep your listings, reviews, and local rankings on track after you claim and optimize it. The Local Toolkit in Semrush covers each recurring task from this guide:
- Listing Management: Keep your name, address, and phone number consistent across directories
- Review Management: Monitor and respond to Google reviews in one place
- GBP Optimization: Track your profile’s views, clicks, and calls over time
- Map Rank Tracker: See where your business ranks on the map for the keywords that matter
Sign up for Semrush and start managing your Google Business Profile today.
