How to set up your Google Business Profile

1. Open Google Maps.
2. Search your business name and city. If needed, search the phone number or address too.
3. If the correct business appears, use Google's claim or management option. If it does not, continue to step 3 to create one.

A profile claimed by a former employee or agency may need an ownership request. Do not create a duplicate just to avoid that process.

1. Confirm that you meet customers in person at a staffed location or travel to them for service.
2. Decide whether customers visit your address, you visit them, or both.
3. Review Google's eligibility rules before proceeding.

Online-only businesses generally are not eligible. A mailbox or unstaffed virtual office is not a customer-facing location.

1. With the owner's account, open Google's Business Profile setup.
2. Enter your real-world business name as it appears on your signage, website, and customer materials.
3. Choose the primary category that best describes the core business, such as HVAC contractor, plumber, roofing contractor, or electrician, if those categories apply.

Do not add extra keywords or cities to the business name. If the profile already exists, go back and claim it.

1. If customers visit a staffed shop or office during stated hours, enter that address.
2. If technicians travel to customers and customers do not visit your address, set up a service-area profile and hide the address from the public listing.
3. Enter cities or ZIP codes you actually serve. Keep the area accurate; adding distant cities does not make you rank there.

For example, an HVAC business with a staffed showroom may show its address. A home-based plumbing company visiting customers should hide its residential address. See Google's location rules and service-area instructions.

1. Enter the phone number customers should use to reach this business.
2. Link to the relevant business website, ideally a page that clearly describes your services and locations.
3. Add your real operating hours and update special hours for holidays. Represent emergency availability accurately.

Check these details before submitting. You can edit them later, but significant changes can sometimes require another verification. See Google's profile editing guide.

1. Review the verification method shown in your account. Google chooses the available methods, which may include video, phone or text, email, postcard, or live video.
2. Follow the on-screen instructions. If asked for a video, prepare to show the real location or service equipment and proof you manage the business.
3. Wait for Google's review and respond to any additional instructions in your account.

Verification methods vary. A service provider may be asked to show tools or a work vehicle; a storefront may need signage and access to staff-only areas. Use Google's verification help and its video checklist.

1. Add the services you actually provide: for HVAC, that might include AC repair, heat pump installation, and maintenance.
2. Upload genuine photos of your team, vehicles, location, and completed work; write a clear business description.
3. Review the profile on Search and Maps. Keep hours, service areas, and contact details current.

To work with LGD later, the owner can invite an authorized manager without sharing a password. The owner should retain primary ownership.