How to set up Google Business Profile
the right way in 2026

Use the Google account you want permanently associated with this business — ideally a business email, not a personal Gmail. If you leave the business or hand it off, account ownership matters. Go to business.google.com and click "Manage now."

Your business name should be exactly what it is — no keyword stuffing, no adding "best" or your city name. Google penalizes this and it looks unprofessional to customers. If your business is "Mike's Plumbing," it's "Mike's Plumbing," not "Mike's Plumbing — Best Emergency Plumber Austin TX."

Your primary category is the most important single field on your entire profile. It determines which searches you're eligible to appear in. Be specific: "Plumber" is better than "Contractor." "Emergency Plumber" or "Drain Cleaning Service" may rank better still depending on what your customers actually search in your area.

If customers come to you (restaurant, salon, retail store), add your physical address. If you go to customers (plumber, cleaner, landscaper), set a service area instead — you can define it by city, county, or radius. You can also do both if you have a shopfront but also serve people at their homes.

Service-area businesses: don't add a physical address unless customers actually visit you there. Google has tightened this up — listing a home address or a virtual office as your business location can trigger a suspension.

Use a primary business phone number that customers can reliably reach you on. Local numbers are often preferred by customers because they signal geographic relevance — a local area code builds trust before the call is even answered. Website should be your actual domain, not a social media profile or a directory listing.

Hours matter more than most people realize. Businesses that list accurate hours get significantly more clicks — and businesses whose listed hours don't match reality get negative reviews about it. Update hours for holidays, seasonal changes, and anything else that affects when you're available.

This is where 2026 is different. Google has significantly expanded video verification and most businesses — especially service-area businesses — are now required to submit a verification video. This trips up a lot of people who've never done it before. Here's everything you need to know before you press record.

How to access it: Open the Google Maps app on your phone (not a browser — the Maps app specifically). Sign in with the Google account that manages your Business Profile. Find your profile, tap "Get verified," then select "Business video." Follow the on-screen prompts until you reach the record screen. Do not press Start Recording until you're physically outside your business and ready to walk the full route.

What phone to use and how to set it up: Any modern smartphone works — iPhone or Android. Before you record, go to your camera settings and lower the video quality to 720p or the lowest HD setting available. This is not about making a nice video. Lower resolution means a smaller file, which uploads more reliably. High-resolution footage (4K, 1080p60) frequently times out or fails during upload — and that's counted as a submission attempt. Use mobile data rather than Wi-Fi if your office connection is patchy; switching networks mid-upload causes Google to flag the video as discontinuous.

How long should the video be: Aim for 60–90 seconds. Under 30 seconds gets rejected for insufficient coverage. Over 2–3 minutes causes upload errors and slower review. The sweet spot is one continuous walk from street to desk. Most successful verifications take about 75 seconds of footage.

Plan your route before you press record. You need to capture all three things in one unbroken take, moving naturally from outside to inside:

Before you submit: Watch it back inside the app. If anything is unclear — signage hard to read, too dark, missed the street sign — tap "Try again" and re-record. This does not count as a failed attempt. Only submitting a video that Google then rejects counts against you.

Submitting: Stay on mobile data and keep the app open while it uploads. Don't switch apps, lock your screen, or let your phone go to sleep mid-upload. Depending on your connection and file size, upload takes 30 seconds to a few minutes.

How long does review take: Google says up to 5 business days. In practice, many are reviewed within a few hours. Some take the full 5 days. If nothing has happened after 7 days, contact Google Business Profile support directly through the Help Centre.

If it gets rejected: Google will tell you which specific requirement failed — this is genuinely useful, read it carefully. Go back to Google Maps, tap "Review issues," address the exact problem, and re-record. Wait 24 hours before resubmitting. There's no hard limit on attempts, but repeated rapid resubmissions slow down review times.