Whether you’re a long-standing local fixture or a newcomer, your Google Business Profile makes it simple for customers to find, learn about, and contact your company online. These are the primary advantages of having a Google My Business account; if that isn’t enough to persuade you, consider the negatives of not having one.

You risk losing customers. Without a Google My Business account, you don’t have control over the information displayed in your Business Profile, and according to a BrightLocal study, 68% of consumers would stop using a local business after finding incorrect information online.

You risk a poor reputation. Without a Google My Business account, you cannot respond to your Google reviews, which is a mandatory section of your Business Profile. And with reviews being both a Google ranking factor and the number one influence on consumer buying, being able to manage them is a must.

You lose out to competitors. An empty or bare-bones Business Profile is akin to having an unkept storefront. If you don’t take care of your business, how can consumers trust that you’ll take care of them? They’ll be much more likely to click on and engage with a Business Profile in the search results that has lots of attractive information and looks lively.

You lose SERP real estate. Google ranks Business Profiles according to their quality, and a Business Profile alone is not enough. A Google Business Profile managed through a Google Business account, however, can be optimized to rank above competitors for relevant keyword searches.

How to Install or Setup Google my Business

Make sure your Google profile is set up and validated before engaging with potential consumers. Customers will only be able to find your business profile on Google when you have completed the verification process.

1. On your computer, sign in to your Google Account, or create one.
   • If you create a new Google Account, sign up with your business email domain.
2. Go to create a profile.
3. Enter the name of your business. You may also be able to select your business from the list of suggested businesses as you type.
   • If you get a message that someone else has already verified the business, request ownership of the Business Profile.
4. Search for your business category.
5. Click Next. 
6. Choose whether you have a location customers can visit.
   • For businesses with a storefront staffed during business hours: Click Yes.
     • You may be asked to enter your business address or position a marker on a map for the location of your businesses. When finished, click Next.
   • For businesses that don’t have a storefront staffed during business hours: Click No.
7. Enter the service area of your business.
   • You can set your service area based on the cities, postal codes, or other areas that you serve. You can add up to 20 service areas. 
   • Tip: We recommend you do not extend the boundaries of your overall area farther than 2 hours driving time from where your business is based. For some businesses, it may be appropriate to have a larger service area.
8. Enter a phone number and website URL.
9. Click Next.
   • You also have the option to create a website based on your information.
   • Tip: We recommend entering the individual phone number or store page for each location, rather than a remote call center.
10. Click Finish.
11. Select a verification option.
    • Tip: We recommend reviewing your information before you request verification.
      • To verify now: At the top, find the red banner and click Verify now.
      • To verify later: Click Verify later  Later.
      • If you’re not authorized to manage the Business Profile for the chain: Find the person in your organization who’s authorized and continue the process.

Create only one Business Profile for the metropolitan area you serve. Your Google account may be suspended if we find multiple profiles for the same business in the same metropolitan area.

Read Also: How Can I Improve my Google Business Reviews?

If your business doesn’t have a storefront where you receive customers, you must hide your business address.

During initial set up, you should select that you’re a service area business. If you didn’t make this selection, or changed your business model to become a service area business, follow the steps below:

• If your service business is already verified and displays its address, you must remove or “hide” your business address. After it’s hidden, your Business Profile only shows your service area. If you didn’t enter a service area, a local area is chosen for you by default. You can then edit the local area as needed. To hide your business address:
  1. Go to your Business Profile. Learn how to find your profile.
  2. To manage your service area:
     • With Google Search, select Edit profile  Location.
     • With Google Maps, select Edit profile  Business information  Location.
  3. Next to “Business location,” select the Edit icon .
  4. Toggle Show business address to customers on or off.

Verify ownership of your business

This is the home stretch! If you need to grab a Gatorade or some orange slices, I’ll be right here when you get back.

When you click on “Manage now” as instructed, you’ll be asked to provide information to prove you are the rightful owner of the business. Depending on the type of business you have, if you created the Business Profile and you’re logged into your Google My Business account, you might get validated on the spot. If you aren’t the one who created the Business Profile, Google will send you a verification code that you’ll enter into your Google Business dashboard. Depending on the circumstances of your account/security requirements of your industry, you may be given your verification code via regular mail, email, or text.

Once you receive the code and enter it into the box, you will have full ownership of your Business Profile on Google! You can now manage reviews, update information, add more attractive details, and optimize it for successful local marketing.

Finally

Google is altering the way people find and interact with local companies, so if you want to keep reaching out to your audience and gaining clients with your free Business Profile, make sure you follow the procedures outlined above. The process involves several parts and pieces, but with guides like these and possibilities like doing it on mobile, it doesn’t have to be quite so hard. Begin creating, claiming, and validating your Google My Business account immediately to get the most out of this great and free tool.