How do I show up on Google Maps?

Create and verify a Google Business Profile, fill in every detail accurately, and keep it active with photos, hours and reviews. Google ranks Maps results by relevance, distance and prominence.

Your business shows up on Google Maps through a Google Business Profile. Once the profile is verified, Google decides when to show it based on three things it names: relevance (how well the profile matches the search), distance (how far you are from the searcher) and prominence (how well known the business is). Google also says there is no way to pay for a better local ranking.

What you need

A Google account owned by the business, not a personal account of an employee.
Your real business name, address or service area, phone, hours and main category.
Time to complete Google's verification. Google chooses the method based on your business.

Steps

Official guide: https://support.google.com/business/answer/7091

Create or claim your Business Profile and complete Google's verification.
Choose the main category that best describes your business, and add extra categories only if they fit.
Fill in every field: hours, phone, website, services, attributes such as accessibility or parking.
If customers do not come to you, hide your address and list your service area instead. Google asks home-based service businesses to do this.
Add real photos of your business, your work and your team.
Ask customers for reviews and reply to them.
Keep it up to date, including holiday hours.

Rules to follow

Google's guidelines for representing your business include:

Use your real business name as it appears on your sign and website. Do not add keywords or towns to the name.
Use a real address with your own signage. P.O. boxes are not allowed.
Keep the service area to a realistic distance from your base.

Breaking these rules can get a profile suspended.

We can do this for you. Open a request in your client portal and our team will set up or tidy your Business Profile. We will ask you to add us as a manager rather than share a password.

Common problems

If you show up for your name but not your services, check your categories and services list, and keep earning reviews.
If you only show up close to your address, that is distance at work. You cannot fully overcome it, but strong relevance and prominence help.
If someone else already claimed your profile, use Google's request access process. See the article on recovering accounts.
If your profile is suspended, do not create a second profile. Open a request in your client portal and our team will help you work through Google's process.

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