How to get your business showing on Google Maps for free

Getting onto Google Maps is free: you set up a Google Business Profile, verify it, and fill it in properly. For local trades, shops, salons and cafés it's often the single biggest source of new customers. Here's how.

Who can have one

Businesses that meet customers in person: either customers come to you (a shop, salon or café) or you go to them (a plumber, cleaner or tree surgeon). If you work from home and visit customers, you can hide your address and show the areas you cover instead.

Setting it up

1. 1Go to google.com/business and sign in with a Google account you'll keep.
2. 2Type your business name. If it already appears, claim it; otherwise add it as new.
3. 3Choose your main category carefully, e.g. "Electrician" not "Contractor". It affects which searches you show up for.
4. 4Add your address, or the areas you serve if customers don't visit you.
5. 5Add your phone number and your website.
6. 6Verify. Google asks you to prove the business is real, often by a short video of your premises, van or tools, or sometimes by phone or post.

Fill it in properly

• Opening hours, including holidays.
• Photos: your work, your premises, your team. Profiles with real photos get far more clicks.
• Services and prices, with a line about each.
• A description that says what you do and where, in plain words.

Get reviews

Reviews are the biggest thing that moves you up the map. Ask every happy customer, every time, and reply to every review, good or bad. Our guide on getting more Google reviews covers how to ask without breaking the rules.

Link it to your website

Google trusts businesses whose profile and website agree. Use exactly the same business name, phone number and address on both, and put your website address on the profile.