Your Ideal Clients Are Searching Google Right Now. Make Sure They Find YOU.
How to Set Up Your Google Business Profile (And Actually Get Found Online)
If you're a creative entrepreneur who's been putting off setting up your Google Business Profile, I get it. It feels like just another thing on the endless to-do list. But here's the reality: when someone in your area searches for what you do, you want to be the one they find. Not your competitor down the street who took 30 minutes to claim their listing.
Your Google Business Profile is free real estate on the world's most popular search engine. It's how you show up in local searches, on Google Maps, and in those handy business cards that appear when someone Googles your business name. And unlike social media algorithms that change every other week, Google actually wants to show your business to people actively looking for your services.
Let me walk you through exactly how to set this up so you can finally check it off your list and start showing up where your ideal clients are searching.
Before You Start: What You’ll Need
Don't start this process while you're waiting in the school pickup line. You'll need about 30 minutes of focused time and these items ready to go:
Your Google account (any Gmail will work)
Business name, address, and phone number
Your regular business hours
Your primary business category
At least 5-10 good photos (logo, workspace, you in action, finished work)
A short description of what you do and who you serve
Pro tip: If you have ADHD like me, set a timer for a focused 30-minute sprint. This is absolutely doable in one sitting if you have everything gathered first.
Step 1: Claim Your Digital Territory
Head to business.google.com and sign in with your Google account. This is your command center for managing how your business appears across Google Search and Maps.
Click "Manage now" or "Add your business" to get started. If your business already has a listing that someone else created (yes, that happens), you'll see an option to claim it. Go ahead and claim what's yours.
Step 2: Get Your Business Name Right
Enter your business name exactly as you want it to appear. This matters more than you think. Use your actual business name, not "Best Wedding Florist in Nashville" or "Award-Winning Brand Strategist." Google's gotten smart about keyword stuffing, and it looks unprofessional anyway.
If you do business under your personal name, use that. If you have a business name like "The Brandess" or "Silk House Bridal," use that consistently everywhere online.
Step 3: Choose Your Category Wisely
This is where Google decides when to show your business in search results. Your primary category should be the most specific option that describes what you actually do.
For example:
"Brand Agency" not just "Marketing Agency"
"Wedding Planner" not just "Event Planner"
"Florist" not "Gift Shop"
You can add secondary categories later, but your primary category is the one that carries the most weight. Choose carefully.
Step 4: Set Up Your Location (Or Service Area)
This part depends on how you work with clients.
If clients come to you (you have a studio, shop, or office): Enter your complete street address. Make sure it's accurate because Google will be sending you verification mail here.
If you go to clients (you're service-based, mobile, or work from home): Select "I deliver goods and services to my customers." Then specify your service area by cities, zip codes, or radius from your location. You can choose to hide your actual address if you work from home and don't want it publicly listed.
For most creative entrepreneurs, the service-area option makes sense. You don't need random people showing up at your house.
Step 5: Add Your Contact Information
Add a phone number where clients can actually reach you. If you're using your personal cell, that's fine, but consider setting up a Google Voice number or business line if you want to keep things separate.
Add your website URL. If you don't have a website yet, you can create a free basic site through Google Business Profile, but I'd recommend getting a proper website sooner rather than later. Your website is the one piece of online real estate you actually own.
Step 6: The Verification Process (Yes, You Have to Wait)
Here's where most people get stuck. Google needs to verify you're legit before they'll publish your listing. For most businesses, this means waiting for a postcard in the mail.
Within 5-7 business days, you'll receive a postcard at your business address with a verification code. When it arrives, log back into your Business Profile Manager and enter the code. That's it—you're verified.
Some businesses might qualify for instant verification:
If you've already verified your website in Google Search Console
If Google can verify through phone or email (rare, but possible)
Don't try to game the system or create multiple listings. Google's smarter than that, and you'll just end up suspended.
Step 7: Fill Out Your Profile Completely
Once you're verified, it's time to make your profile actually work for you. A complete profile gets significantly more engagement than a bare-bones one.
Set Your Hours: Be honest and accurate. If you're closed Sundays, say so. Update immediately for holidays. Nothing frustrates potential clients more than showing up to a "closed" business because your hours were wrong.
Write Your Description: You have 750 characters to explain what you do and why someone should choose you. This isn't the place for flowery language or vague promises. Be specific:
Weak: "We create beautiful brands for amazing clients." Strong: "The Brandess helps creative entrepreneurs build strategic brands that attract premium clients. With 25+ years of experience across 200+ clients, we specialize in brand strategy, visual identity, and operational systems for service-based businesses."
Use natural language and include relevant keywords, but write for humans first.
Add Photos (Lots of Them): This is non-negotiable. Businesses with photos get 42% more requests for directions and 35% more clicks to their websites.
At minimum, upload:
Your logo (square, at least 720x720px)
A cover photo (landscape, 1024x576px)
3-5 photos of your work
1-2 photos of your workspace or you in action
Keep adding photos regularly. Google loves fresh content, and so do potential clients who want to see what they're getting.
Add Attributes: These are the little details that help people understand your business at a glance. Things like "wheelchair accessible," "LGBTQ+ friendly," "online appointments," "women-led," etc. Be thorough here.
List Your Services: Add your main offerings with brief descriptions. You can include pricing if you want (this can filter out bargain hunters), but it's optional. For service-based businesses, list 5-10 core services rather than trying to list everything.
Step 8: Enable Messaging (If You Want It)
Google lets customers message you directly through your Business Profile. This can be incredibly convenient, but only turn it on if you're actually going to respond quickly.
Download the Google Business Profile app on your phone to get message notifications. If you're not going to check it regularly, don't enable it. An ignored message is worse than no messaging option at all.
Step 9: Start Posting Updates
Think of Google Posts like mini social media updates that appear in your Business Profile. They're perfect for:
Announcing new services or products
Sharing seasonal offers
Highlighting recent work
Promoting events or workshops
Posts expire after 7 days, so plan to update weekly if possible. Even monthly is better than nothing.
Step 10: Get Ready for Reviews
Here's the truth about reviews: they're coming whether you're ready or not. Enable review notifications so you know when someone leaves feedback.
Commit to responding to every review—positive and negative—within 48 hours. Thank people for positive reviews. For negative reviews, stay professional, acknowledge their concern, and offer to make it right. How you handle criticism publicly says everything about your business.
Don't ask everyone for reviews, but do ask happy clients. A simple "If you enjoyed working together, I'd love if you could leave a review on Google" works perfectly.
What Happens After Setup
Your Google Business Profile isn't a "set it and forget it" situation. The businesses that rank highest in local search are the ones that stay active.
Weekly maintenance:
Post an update (new work, client win, helpful tip)
Respond to any new reviews
Answer questions in the Q&A section
Monthly maintenance:
Add 2-3 new photos
Update any changed information
Check your insights to see how people find you
Quarterly maintenance:
Review and update your services list
Refresh your business description if needed
Update seasonal hours or offerings
The Google Business Profile app makes this incredibly easy to do from your phone in under 10 minutes.
Common Problems (And How to Fix Them)
"My business isn't showing up in search" If you just verified, give it 1-2 weeks. Google needs time to index your listing. Make sure your profile is 100% complete—incomplete profiles don't rank well.
"Someone created a duplicate listing for my business" Claim it and request removal through Google Business support. Don't leave duplicate listings floating around.
"My verification postcard never came" Wait the full 14 days (it can take that long). If it still hasn't arrived, request a new one through your Business Profile Manager. Check that your address is exactly right.
"I got a bad review that's not even from a real client" You can flag reviews that violate Google's policies, but legitimate negative reviews need to be addressed, not removed. Respond professionally and publicly to show how you handle problems.
Why This Actually Matters for Your Business
I know this feels like just another marketing task, but your Google Business Profile is one of the highest-ROI things you can do for your local visibility. It's free, it ranks in search results, and it shows up when people are actively looking for what you offer.
When someone searches "brand strategist Nashville" or "wedding florist near me," you want to be in that map pack at the top of the results. That's not luck—it's a complete, optimized, actively maintained Google Business Profile.
Think about your own behavior. When you need to find a restaurant, a plumber, or a new hairdresser, where do you look? Google. And what do you click on? The businesses with good photos, recent reviews, and complete information.
Your ideal clients are doing the same thing when they're looking for your services. Make it easy for them to find you, trust you, and choose you.
Your Next Steps
Here's your action plan:
This week: Set up your Google Business Profile with complete information and at least 5 photos
After verification: Add 5 more photos and your first Google Post
Ongoing: Commit to one post per week and responding to all reviews within 48 hours
That's it. Not overwhelming, completely doable, and it will make a real difference in how findable your business is online.
Now stop putting it off and go claim your spot on Google. Your future clients are searching for you right now.
Need help with your overall brand strategy and business systems? That's what I do. Visit deannaburks.com to learn how The Brandess can help you build a strategic brand that actually attracts the clients you want to work with.
