Mel Gibbons
23 October, 2024
Formerly known as Google My Business, the Google Business Profile is an essential tool for increasing your business’s visibility online, especially in local searches. This allows potential customers to find your business in search results on Google and Google Maps while also providing valuable information such as contact details, business hours, and even reviews. When you have a verified GBP with adequate optimisation, users are more likely to trust your business and your presence online will be bigger and impact a much wider audience.
This process is much easier than you think and it sets the foundation for boosting your business’s online visibility. Start by visiting the Google Business Profile website. Click “Manage now” and sign in with your Google account. From there, you just need to follow the step-by-step and enter your business name, address, and contact details. One thing to remember is that your business name must reflect your business’s real-world name to avoid issues in the verification process.
You can also specify whether your business has a physical location or operates as a service-area business. The difference between these two options is that the first one applies when you have a physical location for the public and you want people to be able to visit you, while the second option is for businesses that don’t have a physical location and work delivering products or providing services in the customers in the customer’s home. Once you’ve added all the essential details, the next step is the verification process.
Do you imagine being able to create any business without them existing? That is precisely why the verification process is so important for Google. It consists of demonstrating that you are the rightful owner or manager of the business you are listing. This enhances your credibility with customers, increases the likelihood of your business showing up in local searches, and gives you access to profile management features such as responding to reviews, posting updates, and viewing insights. But how can you get your business verified?
Once your profile is complete, Google will offer different verification methods depending on your location and business type. The most common verification methods are:
One of the most common options is the postcard method. Google will send one to your business address, usually within 5-10 days, containing a verification code.
If available, you can receive a phone call or SMS with your verification code.
This method is similar to the postcard one, but Google will send the code via email. It’s one of the easiest ways and will save you time and effort.
This is an option where you’ll record and submit a video showing proof of your business location and equipment. This video should be at least 30 seconds long but no longer than five minutes (we recommend between 30 and 60 seconds), will be recorded directly on Google’s platform and can’t be an old video given that the GBP doesn’t allow you to upload an existing file. In the video you must show:
Google will review the video to confirm your details, but the time required could vary from 10 minutes to even 30 days depending on each case (it’s likely to be less than 5 business days).
This method is less common and it applies when you’ve already verified your business with Google Search Console.
If you want to know more about the instant verification and the other validation methods available, you can visit the GBP Help Centre for more information.
Once you receive your code via the chosen method, log into your Google Business Profile account, navigate to the verification page, and enter the code. Ensure you input it exactly as received to avoid errors. For postcard verification, click “Verify now” and enter the code from the postcard.
After verifying, you’ll gain full access to your Google Business Profile. Take the time to update as much information as possible because it will increase your profile’s strength and result in better performance. Details such as your business hours, location, services, and images are the most important to ensure your profile is accurate and engaging for potential customers.
Occasionally, you may encounter some verification problems, such as:
There is an additional step if you don’t have a physical location or you have a service-area business (a type of business that provides services directly to customers at their locations, rather than having a physical storefront that customers visit). In this case, you need to enter the postcodes of the areas that your business operates in instead of a traditional address.
Once your business is verified, maintaining an active and accurate profile is essential to obtain good performance out of your GBP. Keep your business hours, location, and services up to date to ensure customers always have accurate information. Regular updates, such as posting promotions or sharing images, can also improve your profile’s visibility in search results.
As you can see, creating and verifying your Google Business Profile is not as complicated as you might think. This versatile tool will be key for building trust with customers and increasing your online presence without spending a lot of time or money in the process. Once verified, you’ll have the tools to optimise your profile, respond to reviews, and drive engagement in a very simple way while securing your business’s digital footprint on Google.
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