Google Business Profile

Provide all information

It might sound obvious, but it’s important to fill in all the information Google asks for. This includes the area you serve, your hours, a public phone number and URL. But also, any other information such as free WiFi, or wheelchair accessibility.

Not only will this provide your customers with any information they might need, but it will also stop others from suggesting edits on your page.

Anyone can suggest an edit to a business listing, so you’ll want to make sure that you, the owner, have everything correct. Check in to your dashboard regularly to ensure that no one has suggested any unwanted edits.

You can manage your Business Profile directly by signing onto your account through Google Search or downloading the Google Maps app to your mobile.

Check out Google’s guidance on editing your Business Profile.

Select your business categories

Adding business categories on your Business Profile allows Google to know what your business is and what it offers and then connect it to customers who are searching for that type of business.

Google Business Profile has over 4000 predefined categories. It is important that you select a primary category that best describes what your business is. You can then select up to nine additional categories that reflect what your business has.

For example, you might select ‘Hotel’ as your primary category and then select 'gym’, ‘swimming pool’ and ‘restaurant’ as additional categories.

Find out more with Google’s guidance on managing your business categories.

Add photos and video

Great imagery can help your profile stand out in the search engine results pages, so make sure to add a few different pictures.

• A logo can help customers recognise your business.
• A cover photo can show your personality as a business.
• Use photos and videos that put the spotlight on your products or services.
• Use photos that reflect reality – avoid excessive alterations and edits.

Photo guidelines

• format: JPG or PNG
• size: between 10 KB and 5 MB.
• recommended resolution:  720 px tall, 720 px wide.
• minimum resolution:  250 px tall, 250 px wide.

Videos guidelines

• duration: up to 30 seconds long
• file size: up to 100 MB
• resolution: 720 pixels or higher

Check out Google's guidance on managing profile photos and videos.

Create Business Profile posts

Posts on your Business Profile are a great way of keeping your customers informed on what’s happening at your business and can also grab the attention of potential customers.

These posts can be customised with text, images and video. The three types of posts are:

• updates – share information about your business
• offers – provide deals from your business
• events – promote an event at your business

Depending on the type of post, you’ll be able to add dates, timings and link to terms and conditions.

Find out more about creating and managing posts on your Business Profile.

Engage with customers

Having a verified profile means that you can engage with customers in several different ways. These include:

• posting updates, announcements and offers
• chatting through text or WhatsApp feature
• linking to your social media channels
• receiving and responding to reviews

Browse Google’s guidance on engaging with customers through your Business Profile.

Use performance data

Think of all the customers who find you through maps and search. Getting insights on how they interacted with your Business Profile can help you identify what works in attracting more customers.

Google Business Profile performance data provides:

• insights into how customers found you
• the actions customers take
• which sections get the most clicks and views
• the ability to track data over time

Check out Google’s guidance on understanding your Business Profile’s performance.

Get more support

The Google Business Profile Help Centre provides extensive help with all the ways you can optimise your Business Profile.

Browse all the help content for your Google Business Profile