Google Business Profile setup: a step-by-step guide
Short answer: A Google Business Profile is free and makes your business show up in Google Maps and local search. You need a Google Account, your real business name, a fitting category and verification by Google. Complete details and honest reviews get the most out of it.
By Team A2 Digital Works · Vienna · 23 October 2026
When someone in Vienna searches for “hairdresser near me” or “carpenter 1100”, they often see a map with a few businesses first – above the regular results. Those entries come from the Google Business Profile (formerly “Google My Business”). For small businesses, the profile is often the fastest way to be found online – faster than any new website.
We summarised the official rules from Google's help pages and added what we see in our own website projects.
How much does a Google Business Profile cost?
The Google Business Profile itself is free. All you need is a Google Account. Costs only come in if you also run ads or hire someone to set it up and maintain it. You do not need ads to appear in Google Maps and in local search results.
A practical tip: create the profile with a Google Account that belongs to the business – not to a nephew or an agency. Once verified, you can add other people as owners or managers, and remove them again.
How do I set up a Google Business Profile?
Sign in with your business's Google Account, search for your business on business.google.com or add it, enter name, category, address or service area, phone number and website, then verify the profile. After that, add opening hours, photos, services and a short description.
Step by step:
- Check whether your business already exists. Google sometimes creates listings on its own. Search for your name and city. If there is a listing, claim it instead of creating a second one.
- Enter the name – exactly as it appears on your storefront and website.
- Choose a primary category. Google recommends as few categories as possible, as specific as possible: “carpenter” rather than “trades”.
- Add your address or service area (see below).
- Add phone number and website. The number should reach your location directly; the website should represent your business. According to the guidelines, URLs that redirect elsewhere, for example to a social media page, are not allowed.
- Verify (see below).
- Complete the profile: opening hours including holidays, real photos of your premises, team and work, and services with short descriptions.
Which name can I use on my Business Profile?
According to Google's guidelines, the real-world name your business uses on its storefront, website and stationery. Taglines, keywords, phone numbers or web addresses do not belong in the name. Additions like “cheap web design Vienna” break the guidelines and can lead to suspension.
Your name should also be spelled the same everywhere: on the profile, on your website, in your imprint, in the WKO company directory and in other listings. Search engines and AI assistants connect these details. The more consistent they are, the more clearly they recognise that everything belongs to the same business.
Do I have to show my address publicly?
Not always. If you serve customers at their location, for example trades, mobile care or cleaning, Google lets you hide your address and set a service area instead. A P.O. box, a remote mailbox or a virtual office is not eligible for a profile.
| Your business | What Google's rules say |
|---|---|
| Shop or practice with walk-in customers | show the address, one profile per location |
| Business that travels to customers | hide the address, set a service area |
| Both (e.g. workshop plus field service) | show the address if it is staffed during opening hours, plus a service area |
| Co-working space | only with signage, staff on site and customer service during opening hours |
| P.O. box, virtual office | not eligible |
According to Google, address changes usually appear within about ten minutes but can take up to 30 days.
How long does Google verification take?
According to Google's help pages, the review can take up to five business days, rarely longer. Google decides which methods you can use, for example video, phone or text, email, live video call or postcard. A postcard usually arrives within 14 days.
For video verification you record your location, such as sign, entrance and workplace, plus proof that you manage the business. For the postcard code, Google says: enter it within 30 days, do not change name, address or category while you wait, and do not request a new code.
Can I ask customers for Google reviews?
Yes, you can ask real customers for honest reviews. Google prohibits reviews in exchange for a reward, such as discounts, vouchers or free services, and reviews biased by a conflict of interest. Bought or self-written reviews hurt your business, because Google removes them and may restrict the profile.
What works well:
- ask politely after a finished job, with a direct link to the review form
- reply to every review, including critical ones – factual, without long justifications
- no reviews from family, friends or staff
How do the profile and your website work together?
The profile puts people on the map; the website answers their questions. Both should match: same name, same address, same phone number, same opening hours. On the website, a clear contact page, a complete imprint and structured data (Schema.org) help Google connect the details.
If you are planning a new website, our guide Website design in Vienna explains the process, and our pricing page shows our starting prices. It is worth checking at the same time whether your online booking falls under Austria's Accessibility Act. And to see afterwards whether more people visit – without tracking your customers – read Counting visitors without tracking.
Let's go through it together
Would you like to go through your profile and website with someone who builds both? Book a call – we look at your listing together and tell you honestly what is missing. Your account and verification always stay in your hands.
Sources
- Google Business Profile Help: Verify your business on Google, retrieved 23 Oct 2026
- Google Business Profile Help: Guidelines for representing your business on Google, retrieved 23 Oct 2026
- Google Business Profile Help: Manage your business address (German version), retrieved 23 Oct 2026
- Maps User Contributed Content Policy: Incentivized or Biased Reviews, retrieved 23 Oct 2026
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Google Business Profile cost?
The Google Business Profile itself is free. All you need is a Google Account. Costs only come in if you also run ads or hire someone to set it up and maintain it. You do not need ads to appear in Google Maps and in local search results.
How do I set up a Google Business Profile?
Sign in with your business's Google Account, search for your business on business.google.com or add it, enter name, category, address or service area, phone number and website, then verify the profile. After that, add opening hours, photos, services and a short description.
Which name can I use on my Business Profile?
According to Google's guidelines, the real-world name your business uses on its storefront, website and stationery. Taglines, keywords, phone numbers or web addresses do not belong in the name. Additions like “cheap web design Vienna” break the guidelines and can lead to suspension.
Do I have to show my address publicly?
Not always. If you serve customers at their location, for example trades, mobile care or cleaning, Google lets you hide your address and set a service area instead. A P.O. box, a remote mailbox or a virtual office is not eligible for a profile.
How long does Google verification take?
According to Google's help pages, the review can take up to five business days, rarely longer. Google decides which methods you can use, for example video, phone or text, email, live video call or postcard. A postcard usually arrives within 14 days.
Can I ask customers for Google reviews?
Yes, you can ask real customers for honest reviews. Google prohibits reviews in exchange for a reward, such as discounts, vouchers or free services, and reviews biased by a conflict of interest. Bought or self-written reviews hurt your business, because Google removes them and may restrict the profile.
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