When someone nearby searches for what you do, this is what puts you on Google and the map. It takes about 15 minutes. We'll walk you through it no matter where you're starting from.
First, tell us what you're using. The pictures below will match your screen.
Five minutes of getting ready saves you a do-over.
Before anything else, you need to be signed in to the right Google account. Getting this wrong is the single most common way people lock themselves out of their own listing, so let's take it slow.
Which account should that be? Pick one that will stay with the business for good:
You'll actually sign in on the next step, when you open Google. Right now, just learn how to check and switch which account you're in, because you'll glance at this every time you open a Google page:
Tap this circle to see which account you're in
This changes a couple of small things later. Remember your letter, A or B.
You have a shop, store, or office that people can walk into. (Gift shop, salon, barbershop, studio.)
You travel to your customers and don't have a store they visit. (Plumber, electrician, cleaner, landscaper.)
A lot of businesses already have a Google listing they never set up. Google makes them automatically. So before you create anything, let's check what you've got. It takes 30 seconds.
What did you see? Tap the one that matches:
Not sure which one you're seeing? Take a screenshot and text it to us. We'll tell you exactly which box you're in. levijones@steadycraftsolutions.com
Pick your situation above to see your steps
This happens a lot. A past employee, an old marketing company, or even Google itself may "own" the listing. The good news: you can get it back, and we'll do this part for you so you don't have to wrestle with Google support.
Access requests take Google a few weeks, so start it now rather than waiting. Nothing else you do is blocked by it, and you are not stuck in the meantime.
On your phone, tap this blue button. It opens Google's page for adding a business.
On your computer, click this blue button. It opens Google's page for adding a business in a new tab.
Tip: tap or click the button above so you don't mistype the address.
Add your business to Google
Put your business on Google for free and reach more customers.
Type your business name exactly the way it is on your sign, truck, or receipts.
What's the name of your business?
Start typing what you do and pick the closest match. For example: Gift shop, Embroidery shop, Electrician, or Plumber.
What kind of business is this?
Next, Google asks if customers come to a place you have, like a store or office. Answer with your letter:
Do customers visit your business?
Like a store or office they can walk into.
Pick the top one if you're A, the bottom one if you're B
Where's your business located?
Where do you serve customers?
Type your business phone number and your website address. No website yet? Put your Facebook page in there instead, since an empty website field looks abandoned. That's it for the basics. Your hours, services, description and photos all get filled in afterward, and there is a separate checklist for that part.
Add your contact info
Good news: half the work is already done. Your listing exists. You just need to tell Google it's yours.
Tap that link to start your claim
Google shows you what it already has and may ask a few questions to fill the gaps. Just confirm or fix these:
Google needs to see your business is real before it goes live. The usual way is a short video you record on your phone, right inside the Google screen. It's easier than it sounds. You don't have to be perfect.
Verify with video
Record one video, no stopping, showing your business is real.
Film one slow walk-through, about 30 to 60 seconds. Don't stop and restart. Here's what to show, based on your letter:
Walk it like you're giving a quick tour.
Walk it like you're giving a quick tour.
After you submit, Google reviews it, usually within a few days (up to about 5 business days). You'll get an email telling you if it was successful. Once you're approved, do the last step below.
Good, you've done the hard part already. Your profile exists and you control it, so there is nothing in this guide left for you to set up.
What is worth your time now is filling it in. Most profiles that get created never get finished, and an empty one does not rank. Categories, services, hours, description and photos are what actually move you up the map. Ask us for the free checklist that walks through every field, or read on for what that involves.
Everything above gets your profile created and approved. That is the hard part, and it is done. Nothing below is required, and nothing above depends on it.
What is left is filling the profile in, and that is the part that actually moves you up the map. If you decide you want a website from us, we do all of it as part of the build. You add us as a Manager, we handle the rest, and you stay the Owner with full control and can remove us at any time.
If you would rather do it yourself, skip this step. Ask us for the free checklist instead and we will send you exactly what goes in every field, no strings attached.
Here's how to get to the right place:
This is what your business looks like when you find it (your buttons, not the personal-account menu):
Tap "More," then "Business Profile settings"
People with access
Getting approved is the milestone. The listing exists, it belongs to your Google account, and nobody can take it away from you.
It will also be mostly empty, and empty profiles do not rank. This is what finishing it looks like:
Do all of it yourself with our free checklist. Just ask and we will send it over, nothing attached.
Or if you decide you want a website from us, every one of those is done for you as part of the build, with your review link wired into the site so finished jobs ask for the review on their own, and your live Google rating on the homepage.
Stuck on any step? Send us a screenshot of your screen and we'll jump on a quick call.
Reach us at levijones@steadycraftsolutions.com
