How to get your business on Google Maps in 2026
Updated October 2026
Short answer
Create a free Google Business Profile at business.google.com, add your business name, category, address or service area, phone number and website, then verify it with the method Google offers you (phone, text, email, video or postcard). Verification can take up to 5 business days. After that, add photos, hours and services, and ask happy customers for reviews.
Step by step
- 1Go to business.google.com and sign in with a Google account that belongs to the business, not to an employee.
- 2Search for your business name. If it already exists, claim it. If not, choose "Add your business".
- 3Choose your main category carefully, for example "Plumber" or "Roofing contractor". It is one of the most important settings of your profile.
- 4Add your address. If you travel to your customers (plumbers, cleaners, landscapers), set a service area and hide your home address.
- 5Add your phone number and your website, so customers can check your services before they call.
- 6Verify your profile. Google chooses the method for you: phone or text, email, live video or postcard. Reviews can take up to 5 business days.
- 7Complete everything: hours, services, a short description, photos of your work and your logo.
How Google decides who shows up first
Google uses three factors for local results. Relevance: how well your profile matches what the person is searching for. Distance: how close you are to the person or to the area in the search. Prominence: how well known your business is, which includes your reviews and the links that point to your website.
Google also says there is no way to request or pay for a better local ranking. Ads can appear above the map, but they are labeled as sponsored and work separately.
How to show up higher
- Fill in every field: categories, services, hours, service area and description.
- Get reviews regularly, and reply to every one, good or bad.
- Add real photos of your work, your team and your vehicles.
- Keep your hours up to date, including holidays.
- Link a website that shows the same business name, address and phone number as your profile.
- Use the same name, address and phone number everywhere: directories, social media and invoices.
Why reviews matter so much
According to BrightLocal’s 2026 survey, 97% of consumers read reviews for local businesses, 74% pay most attention to reviews from the last three months, and 47% will not use a business with fewer than 20 reviews.
After reading positive reviews, 54% of consumers visit the business’s website. A profile with good reviews and a clear website turns more searches into calls.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Creating the profile with an employee’s personal account. If they leave, you can lose access.
- Adding keywords or cities to your business name. Google can suspend profiles that do this.
- Choosing a category that is too general, like "Contractor" instead of "Roofing contractor".
- Buying or writing fake reviews. It breaks Google’s rules and can get the profile removed.
- Using a P.O. box as your address.
We set it up for you
Every Ulimby plan includes your Google Business Profile setup, connected to your new website. We guide you through verification.
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