The Google Business Profile, from A to Z

1. Create or claim the profile

Search for your business on Google Maps. Three cases:

• The profile exists and shows "Own this business?" — claim it (verification by phone, email, video or postcard depending on the case).
• The profile exists and someone else controls it — a former provider, an ex-partner: request an ownership transfer from the profile; Google contacts the current holder.
• No profile at all — create it on business.google.com. Storefront business: address displayed; tradesperson working at customers' homes: "service-area" profile, with no public address.

Golden rule from this moment on: the profile belongs to the business, never to a provider. Whoever helps you should be a "manager", not an "owner".

2. The name: the real one, nothing but the real one

The profile name must be your real name, as it appears on your storefront — not "Marco's – best pizzeria downtown delivery". Keyword stuffing in the name violates Google's rules: it can work for a while, then the profile gets corrected or suspended, and you start over from zero.

3. Categories: the choice that weighs the most

The primary category is the number one relevance signal. Pick the most precise one that describes you: "Pizzeria" rather than "Restaurant", "Barber shop" rather than "Hair salon" if that's your core. Then add secondary categories for the rest of the business — without piling on ten: every category must match something you actually do.

4. The information: everything, and only the truth

• Hours — the real ones, including public holidays and exceptional closures (Google asks for them in advance; a customer facing a closed door doesn't forgive).
• Phone and website — the number someone actually answers, the website address (even a single page).
• Description — 750 characters to say who you are, what you do, for whom. Write it for a human; natural keywords find their place on their own.
• Attributes — terrace, wheelchair access, pets, contactless payment… Every attribute is a search filter you either tick or lose.

5. Photos: recent, real, regular

Photos are the first content people look at. What counts: photos of your own (never stock images), recent (the current decor, the current menu), varied (exterior so you're recognised, interior, products, team), and added regularly — a profile whose last photo is two years old sends the same signal as a shuttered storefront.

6. Services, products, menu: say what you sell

Fill in the services sections (with prices when possible) or menu / products depending on your trade. This is what lets Google surface you for precise searches ("balayage", "mussels and fries", "boiler repair") — and what tells AI assistants what to say about you. A photographed menu is not a readable menu: type it out as text.

7. Reviews: the engine of trust

Reviews weigh on ranking and win customers over. Two habits, always the same: ask — systematically, at the right moment, with the direct link (see how to get more reviews) — and reply to everything, compliments and criticism alike (see how to reply to a negative review). Never buy reviews, never filter who you ask: Google's rules forbid it, and the penalties hit the entire profile.

8. Posts: the sign of life

Google posts (news, offers, events) appear on the profile and signal a living business. A weekly rhythm is enough; what matters is consistency. This is exactly the kind of task that gets abandoned after three weeks when done by hand — and the heart of what 1440° automates and then has you approve.

9. Questions & answers: don't let others answer for you

The Q&A section is public: anyone can ask a question, and anyone can answer it. Watch it, answer as the business, and post the frequent questions yourself (parking? bookings? gluten-free?) with your own answers.

10. Measure: the profile has statistics

The performance tab shows how people find you (direct searches or discovery), the words they search, the calls, the direction requests. That's useful — but it doesn't tell you where you appear compared to your competitors, nor what the AIs answer. For that you need to measure from the outside: that's the job of a visibility scan.

The 5 mistakes that cost the most

1. Leaving the profile unclaimed (or in the hands of a former provider).
2. A generic primary category.
3. Wrong hours on public holidays.
4. Never replying to reviews.
5. Stuffing the name with keywords — the one shortcut that ends in suspension.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Google Business Profile cost?

Nothing: the profile is free, creation included. What can cost money is the regular upkeep — see our comparison of management costs.

My profile has been suspended, what do I do?

First check the likely cause (name edited with keywords, inconsistent address, a burst of changes), fix it, then file a reinstatement form with Google along with your supporting documents (proof of business registration, photos of the storefront, invoices). Allow a few days to a few weeks.

How often should you touch your profile?

A healthy rhythm: one post per week, photos every month, reviews answered as they come, special hours before every holiday period — and a general check every quarter, because Google sometimes applies suggested edits without warning you.

Is the profile enough, without a website?

For basic local visibility, a complete profile goes a long way. A website — even one page — becomes important for AI assistants, which cross-check sources, and for everything the profile doesn't tell.