Your Google Business Profile is the box that appears on Google Maps and on the right of search results when someone looks up your business — with your address, hours, phone number, photos and reviews. For local customers, it is often the first thing they see, before your website.
It is free, and it is the most effective single step a local business can take on Google.
Before you start
Have these ready:
- Your business name exactly as customers know it — no extra keywords.
- Your address, as it appears on your signboard and documents.
- One main phone number and your website address.
- Opening hours.
- A Google account you will keep, ideally one the business owns rather than an employee's personal account.
Step 1: Create the profile
- Go to Google Business Profile at business.google.com and sign in.
- Search for your business name. If it already exists (someone may have added it), request ownership instead of creating a duplicate.
- Enter your business name and choose your primary category.
- Choose whether customers visit you at an address, whether you travel to customers in a service area, or both.
- Add your phone number and website.
Step 2: Choose categories carefully
The primary category affects which searches you appear in more than almost anything else. Pick the most specific accurate one: "Website designer" is better than "Marketing agency" if websites are your main business.
You can add a few secondary categories, but only for things you genuinely offer. Unrelated categories confuse Google and customers.
Step 3: Verify
Google needs to confirm you are the real business at that location. Depending on your business, it may offer verification by phone, SMS, email, or a short video recording showing your signboard, the inside of your premises, and proof that you manage the business (for example, opening the shutter or showing tools of the trade).
Follow the instructions exactly. If verification fails, check that your address and business name match what appears on your signboard and documents.
Step 4: Complete every section
A complete profile ranks better and gets more clicks. Fill in:
- Description — what you do, who you serve, which areas, and what makes you different. Write it for people, not keyword lists.
- Hours — including special hours for holidays.
- Services or products — each with a short description.
- Attributes — such as wheelchair accessibility or online appointments, where relevant.
- Photos — your storefront, interior, team and real work. Avoid stock photos.
Step 5: Ask for reviews the right way
Reviews influence ranking and whether people choose you.
- Ask happy customers right after a good experience.
- Share your direct review link on WhatsApp — it is the easiest way for customers to leave one.
- Never offer payment or discounts for reviews, and never post fake ones. Google removes them and can suspend the profile.
- Reply to every review. Thank people by name for good reviews, and respond calmly and specifically to bad ones. Future customers read your replies.
Step 6: Keep it active
- Post updates when you launch a service, run an event, or have an offer.
- Add new photos regularly.
- Update hours before festivals and holidays.
- Check the profile monthly for edits suggested by Google or the public.
Rules that get profiles suspended
- Keywords in the business name, such as "ABC Interiors — Best Interior Designer Mumbai". Use your real name only.
- Addresses you do not operate from, including virtual offices without staff.
- Multiple profiles for the same business at the same address.
- Fake reviews, written by you or bought.
If you have two real branches, each can have its own profile — with its own address, phone and photos.
Connect it to your website
Your profile and your website should support each other:
- Use exactly the same business name, address and phone number on both.
- Link the profile to the right page — usually your home page, or a branch page if you have several locations.
- Make sure the website is fast and works on phones, because many visitors will arrive from Maps on mobile.
Your profile is one part of local SEO. For the full picture, read our local SEO guide for Mumbai businesses.
Need a website your profile can point to?
ONPAD builds fast, mobile-friendly business websites in Mumbai, with local SEO set up from the start. See our website services or ask for a quote.