How to setup your Google my Business profile

Google My Business is a key part of getting your website to show up in local searches. It allows you to take ownership of your business on Google and ensure all of your business information is correct including your name, telephone number, address and email. It also allows your customers to leave reviews, add photos and more.

Luckily, it’s super easy to setup, it takes around 5 minutes and anyone can do it. All you need is a Google account to get started.

Create a Google account

https://accounts.google.com/signup

The first thing you will need to add your business to Google is a Google Account. If you have one already, you can simply login then jump to the next step. If not, visit the link above and enter your details. It’s always a good idea to keep these safe, adding them to the back of a notepad for example so you don’t forget!

Visit the Google Business website

https://google.com/business

Once logged into Google, visit the link above to start adding your business. To continue, click the ‘Manage Now’ button.

Enter your Business Name

The first thing to do is add your business name. This is how it will appear to anyone looking for your services on Google. For the majority of businesses, adding their trading name here is most appropriate. As you type, Google will automatically search to see if your business name already exists to avoid duplication.

Choose your business category

Next up, select the business category that matches what services your business provides. You might not be able to select the exact service but try and find something as close as possible. It’s super important as what you select here influences what kinds of search terms you will appear in Google for.

Add your services

You can add your exact services here which will be listed in your Google business listing. This will also affect what your business shows up for in Google so keep them as closely related to your business as possible.

Add your business address

Not all businesses will have an address but if you have a physical location such as a store, office or factory, add it here. This will then show your business on Google Maps.

Choose the areas your business serves (optional)

If you don’t have a physical address, you can add the areas your business serves here. Simply start searching for locations and you can start creating a list. Remember you can select regions too for quickness.

Add your contact details

If you have a website setup already, add it here along with your telephone number. This will enable icons within Google Business to click directly to access your website or call you, increasing customer trust.

Complete the verification

Finally, complete verification. You will usually be asked to verify your business in one of three ways depending on the answers you gave in the previous steps.

Postcard Verification
This is where Google will send a postcard to the business address you added when setting up your business profile. Once received, you simply need to visit the website displayed on the card and enter the code.

Phone Verification
If you’re eligible, you can simply use the phone verification where Google will send an automated message and you simply have to follow the instructions then enter the code.

Email Verification
This is only available to a select number of businesses and works in much the same way as phone verification where you will receive instructions to follow and then enter a code.

All done, what next?

Once you are all verified and setup in Google my Business, you can start improving your profile such as adding photos and videos, adding a business description, uploading menus, requesting Google Reviews and much more. We will create a guide for each very soon so keep an eye on the blog for more information.

For help or support creating your Google my Business profile in Newcastle, get in touch by calling 07882 791689 or email hello@debut.studio