How to set up your Google Business Profile, step by step

What a Google Business Profile is

A Google Business Profile (it used to be called Google My Business) is the box with your name, rating, phone number, hours and photos that appears on Google Search and Google Maps. For local searches like "dentist near me" or "CA in Delhi", these profiles appear above the normal website results.

It is free, and it is the single most valuable thing a local business can set up online.

Before you start

Keep these ready so you can finish in one sitting:

• A Google account (a Gmail address) that you will keep using. Use one you own, not an employee's.
• Your business name exactly as it appears on your signboard and documents.
• Your full address, or the areas you serve if customers do not visit you.
• Your phone number and your website link.
• Five or more good photos: the outside of your shop, the inside, your team, your work or products.

Create the profile

1. Go to google.com/business and sign in with your Google account.
2. Enter your business name. If Google suggests an existing listing with your name, claim that one instead of making a new one.
3. Choose your main business category. Pick the most specific one, for example "Dental clinic" rather than "Doctor". It matters a lot for which searches you show up in.
4. Add your address if customers visit you. If you go to customers (such as plumbers, tutors or consultants), choose the option to hide your address and add your service areas instead.
5. Add your phone number and website. If you are on Indiexis, use your indiexis.com/yourbusiness link.
6. Finish, then move on to verification.

Verify it

Google will not show your profile fully until you verify that the business is real. Google chooses the method, and it differs from business to business. Common methods are a short video of your premises and signboard, a phone call or SMS, or an email.

For a video, record one continuous clip that shows your signboard or shop name, the street or area around it, and something that proves you run the business, such as opening the shop, your equipment or your work area. Verification can take a few days to review.

Fill in everything

Profiles with complete information rank better and get more calls. After you are verified:

• Hours: add your regular hours and update special hours for festivals and holidays.
• Description: say what you do, who you serve and where, in plain words. Do not fill it with keywords.
• Services or products: add each one with a short description and a price if you can.
• Photos: add new photos every month. Profiles with recent photos look active.
• Attributes: tick what applies, such as wheelchair access, online appointments or women-owned.

Get reviews, and reply to them

Reviews are one of the strongest signals for local ranking, and customers read them before calling. Ask happy customers for a review right after a good experience. In your profile, use "Ask for reviews" to get a short link and send it on WhatsApp.

Reply to every review, good or bad, politely and within a few days. Never buy reviews or offer discounts in exchange for them. That breaks Google's rules and can get your profile suspended.

Connect it to your website

Your profile and your website help each other. Google checks that your name, address and phone number match everywhere they appear, so keep them exactly the same on both. Your Indiexis page already includes your details in the structured format Google reads, plus a map and a link for directions.

No website yet? Get your page on Indiexis and add the link to your profile.