Google Business Profile: verification, categories and updates

A profile review starts with access, then moves on to accurate information, categories and attributes. Gather the business’s verified information before changing any fields.

Google does not charge for creating and managing a Google Business Profile. This is stated in Google’s introduction to Business Profiles. Hiring help incurs a cost for work such as maintaining information, images, the website and measurement, not a Google fee for the profile itself. An online-only business without in-person customer contact is not eligible for a profile.

Before starting, the person responsible for the business should be able to answer three questions: does the profile already exist, which account controls it, and how does the business meet customers? Save the profile address and responsible person in the company’s internal work record. This lets the next person continue with the same business rather than creating another profile when access is missing.

Who should own the profile, and how is the business verified?

The business should retain control of its profile, and verification follows the process Google provides for that business. Check owners, managers and recovery details. Check whether the business already has a profile before creating one; Google’s instructions for adding or claiming a Business Profile distinguish these cases. Then sign in with the profile’s account, open the profile and select “Get verified”. Use an option Google offers. Phone or text verification requires access to the code; email requires access to the address shown. Follow the instructions and submit the information. Submission is not completed verification: Google reviews the information and confirms when the business is verified. If “Get verified” appears again, repeat verification. See Google’s verification instructions. An agency can help prepare information but cannot promise approval or a specific verification time.

Request access to an existing profile if it already has another verified owner. For a storefront or hybrid business, Google describes an access request through the existing business. For a service-area business without a customer-facing location, Google specifies a separate support route. Follow Google’s ownership instructions and check the response through the confirmation. No response does not always create an option to take over the profile.

Illustrative example: a former employee created the profile but no longer works for the company. Start with the company’s available accounts and the existing profile’s ownership process. Creating the same business again does not resolve who should control it. Once access is established, external providers should receive an agreed role while the company retains control of its accounts and recovery details.

What does a verification video recording need to show?

Where Google offers verification by video recording, the recording needs to substantiate the location, business and authority to represent it. Google requires one continuous, unedited recording through the profile on a mobile device. For a storefront, signage and access to staff areas may provide evidence; for service businesses, tools and access to business equipment can be relevant. Do not show sensitive information or other people’s faces. Google’s video requirements specify conditions for each business type.

Plan the actual route before recording: which location marker can be shown, what real work should be recognisable, and what demonstrates authority? Check that the name and location match the profile. If review identifies missing evidence, the next attempt should address that specific omission. Do not substitute a promotional film, a composite image or a staged office for the actual business.

Which core details should you enter?

Enter the business’s real name, contact channels, opening hours and offering. Compare these with the business’s own records and website so that visitors receive the same information whichever contact channel they use.

• The business name as it is used in the real world.
• A relevant category for the main business activity.
• The correct visitor address or service area.
• Phone number, website and current opening hours where relevant.
• An accurate description of the offering.

Google’s Business Profile guidelines state, among other things, that the name should reflect the business and that unnecessary extra information should not be added to the name field.

How do you choose a primary category and additional categories?

Choose the most specific available primary category that describes what the business is. Additional categories should describe real parts of the business, not every service, keyword or desired customer group. Illustrative example: a nail salon primarily needs a category for its actual business, not a general salon category simply because it sounds broader.

Open the profile editor and check which categories Google offers for the business. You cannot create your own category. Google’s category guidance also states that changing a category may lead to verification being required again. Make a choice based on the facts and document why it reflects the business.

How do attributes differ from categories?

The category describes what the business is, while attributes describe its features. Attributes may cover accessibility or payment methods, for example. Enter only accurate information. Available attributes vary by category, country and location, and some are based on information from visitors. Google’s instructions for attributes distinguish information the business can edit from other details. An attribute does not replace the correct primary category.

A category, service and attribute answer different questions about the business. The category describes the business type. A service description explains an actual offering. An attribute identifies a characteristic that helps customers assess the location or business. Do not fill one field with a list of keywords that belong in other information.

This is an editorial worksheet, not a reproduction of Google’s interface. Record uncertain information and have the responsible person verify it. A complete profile should be accurate; filling more fields is not a goal if the information becomes misleading.

A business that works at customers’ premises and does not receive customers at its own address must hide the address in its Business Profile. Enter the service area the business actually serves. A business that both receives customers and works at their premises can list both a visitor address and a service area when it meets Google’s requirements. See Google’s rules for service-area and hybrid businesses.

The website’s contact details and service description should present the same picture of the business.

Choose current, relevant images that you have the right to publish. Images of premises, work in progress or results must be authentic when presented as documentation of the business.

A generated image can illustrate an idea but should not be described as a completed customer project.

Choose images according to what customers need to recognise or assess. A current entrance photo can help visitors find the right place. A photo of equipment or a working environment can show what the business does. A project image needs permission for use and must not imply that the business performed another provider’s work. Also check that documents, screens and backgrounds do not reveal private information.

A practical image record can include the subject, photographer, usage rights, date and purpose. Replace an entrance image when the entrance changes and remove material that inaccurately describes the current business. Repeated generic subjects provide less help than a selection answering real questions about the location, work and offering.

What should a profile post contain?

A profile post should convey current information and lead to the correct next step. Google distinguishes updates, offers and events; the information and available fields depend on the type. Check dates, terms and destination before publishing. Google’s instructions for profile posts explain the features.

Illustrative example: an open-house event needs a date, location and instructions for participants. A general slogan in an ordinary post does not answer those questions. Set the publishing schedule according to genuine updates and agreed work; a particular number of posts is not evidence of better rankings.

A profile needs both accurate core information and someone responsible for ongoing updates. Document what changed and when, then check the visible profile and test the website link. Update special hours ahead of exceptions and correct service information when the offering changes.

How do you change hours for an exceptional day?

Use special hours for a temporary exception so regular hours are not overwritten. Open the profile’s hours editor, choose special hours, set the date and mark it open with the correct times or closed. Save and check that date. Google distinguishes brief exceptions from longer temporary closures in its special-hours instructions.

Illustrative example: a business closes earlier on a public holiday but keeps normal hours the following week. Record the exceptional day and check the same information on the website and in the booking journey. Do not change the whole weekly schedule when only one date differs.

How do you check a submitted profile edit?

Check whether the edit is accepted, awaiting review or rejected before marking it complete. Google may also update business information using other sources. A saved edit is therefore insufficient evidence of what customers see. Google explains edit statuses and updates.

Record the field, correct information, date and source of that information. Then check the visible result. If the edit is rejected, first examine its accuracy and the applicable rules before pursuing Google’s designated process. If it is awaiting review, do not report it as implemented. Continue checking that customers can reach accurate information on the business’s own website.

A change to categories, images or text is a completed action. It is not, by itself, evidence of more customers. To distinguish profile data from real enquiries, the local SEO guide shows how location, website and measurement fit together.

Also assign responsibility for sending a neutral request after genuine customer experiences. The guide to Google reviews explains how to get the link and word the request without steering the rating.

The profile’s information needs to match the services and contact channels on the website. Read about local SEO at SOVRA Digital if you need support with this overall work.