How to add your business to Google Maps

The short answer

Businesses show up on Google Maps through a Google Business Profile. It's free, and you manage it with an ordinary Google account. You either create a new profile or claim one that already exists (Google sometimes creates a basic listing from public information or customer suggestions), verify that you're the owner, then fill in your details. After verification, and once Google has processed your information, your business can appear on Maps and in local search results.

The steps below cover the process in general terms. Google changes its screens and options from time to time, so if something looks different, check Google's current Business Profile help for the latest wording.

Before you start: check whether a listing already exists

Search Google Maps for your business name and your street or town. If a listing for your business is already there, you don't need to create a new one: claim it instead. Creating a second listing for the same location causes duplicates, which confuse customers and can hold your profile back.

• If you find your business and it isn't managed by anyone, look for an option on the listing to claim or own it.
• If someone else already manages it (a former employee, an agency, a previous owner), Google has a process to request access. Check Google's current help for how it works where you are.
• If nothing comes up, you'll create a new profile from scratch.

Have your basic details ready: the exact business name you trade under, your address or the area you serve, phone number, website (if you have one) and opening hours.

How to create or claim your Business Profile

1. 1

   Sign in with the right Google account

   Use an account you'll keep long term, ideally one the business controls rather than a personal one tied to a single staff member. You can add other managers later.

2. 2

   Start a new profile or claim the existing one

   Go to Google Business Profile, or start from the listing on Google Maps if one exists. Enter your business name exactly as customers see it on your signage and receipts.

3. 3

   Choose your primary category

   Pick the category that best describes what you are, such as hair salon, plumber or bakery. This is one of the most important choices you'll make, so pick the closest match rather than the broadest one.

4. 4

   Add your location or service area

   If customers visit you, enter your address. If you travel to customers (cleaners, electricians, mobile hairdressers), you can set a service area and hide your street address. Some businesses do both.

5. 5

   Add your contact details

   Enter the phone number and website customers should use. If you don't have a website yet, you can add one later.

6. 6

   Verify the business

   Google will ask you to prove you run the business before your profile goes fully live. See the next section.

Verification, in general terms

Verification is how Google confirms that a real business exists at the details you've given and that you're allowed to manage it. Google decides which methods to offer you, and they vary by business type, country and account history. Methods Google has used include a code sent by post, a phone call or text, an email, or a short video showing your premises, signage and proof of management.

• Make sure your name, address and phone number match what's on your signage and paperwork before you start.
• If you're asked to record a video, show the outside of the business, your signage or branded vehicle, and something only the owner would have, such as keys to the premises or business documents.
• Don't edit key details like the name or address while verification is pending; it can restart the process.
• Processing times vary. If it takes longer than expected, check Google's current help rather than creating another listing.

What to fill in once you're verified

A verified profile with thin information is easy to overlook. Customers compare listings side by side, and a complete one answers their questions before they have to message you. Work through these:

• Categories: keep the primary category precise, and add a few secondary categories only if they genuinely describe what you do.
• Opening hours: set your regular hours and update special hours for bank holidays, closures and seasonal changes. Wrong hours are one of the fastest ways to lose a customer's trust.
• Photos: add real photos of your shopfront, interior, team at work and finished jobs or products. Replace them every so often so the listing doesn't look abandoned.
• Services or products: list what you offer with plain names and, where it makes sense, a short description or starting price.
• Description: a few sentences on what you do, who for and where. Write for people, not keywords.
• Attributes: where Google offers them for your category, tick the ones that apply, such as accessibility details or payment options.
• Website and booking link: point customers somewhere they can learn more or book.

Keep your business name, address and phone number identical everywhere they appear: on your website, social profiles and directories. Consistency makes it easier for Google and for customers to trust that they're all the same business.

Turn your listing into a website, bookings and an inbox

Once your listing is live, it already holds most of what a basic online presence needs: your name, address, hours, photos and reviews. Darvix AI can use that. Paste your Google Maps link and it reads the public listing and builds your website, booking calendar, online store and a unified inbox for WhatsApp, Instagram and website chat, in about 60 seconds. You can then add the new website and booking link back to your profile yourself.

To be clear about what it doesn't do: Darvix AI does not create, verify or manage your Google Business Profile. It only reads the public Maps listing at setup. Edits to your profile, verification and replies to Google reviews stay with you, in Google's own tools. See how the generated site works on the website feature page.

The bottom line

Search for your business first, claim it if it exists, create it if it doesn't, and verify with whichever method Google offers. Then spend half an hour on the details: precise category, accurate hours, real photos and a clear list of services. If your business still doesn't appear after that, work through why a business doesn't show on Google Maps. And once you're live, start building reviews with how to get more Google reviews.