Google Business Profile Requirements

Ever needed to create a Google My Business profile for a client or friend? This guide will help you do it quickly and easily. As a bonus I’m sharing my Google Form for my client intake questionnaire (bottom of this post).

Content requirements

So what information do you need to create a Google My Business profile in one quick sitting? This is what I’m about to share with you below.

This list is also useful if you’re settings things up for someone else. Send this list to your client / friend so they collect and provide you with this information.

Here we go…

Business Name

Ensure this name is consistent with the way it’s in your official documents (minus Inc. Corp, etc.). Ideally the name should be the same as on all other public mentions of your business online.

Owner’s First & Last Name

Provide business owner’s first and last name. This information will not be displayed on profile or publicly.

Business Category (up to 3)

List up to 3 categories your business is in (comma separated). Check this tool: https://pleper.com/ to browse Google My Business categories in your country.

What type of business are you?

Storefront = you service clients at your location, clients come to your office. Your address will be visible on your GMB profile. Service area business = you service clients at THEIR location. Your address will not be shown on your GMB listing.

Business Address

This is required for Google to verify that you’re a real business. This address will be used by Google to send you the verification code in the mail. This address will not be shown on Google if you selected Service Area Business type in the previous question. Please provide the full address including address, city, postal code, country.

Business Phone #

This number will be visible publicly on Google. Ensure that you can answer this number during your business hours (in the next section).

Your office hours

Share your regular work schedule during the week and on the weekends (if you’re working on the weekend). During these times your clients must be able to reach you for business (i.e. visit your location or contact you).

Your website address (if you have one)

this is where your website is currently located. If you don’t have a domain, then… If you have a Facebook page for your business, feel free to add it here. If you don’t have a domain or a website you can always create a simple and free one-page website using Google My Business website creator / editor.

Your appointments URL (if you have one)

You may have a separate page on your website where you accept appointments. In this case, please list it here.

List of PRODUCTS you’re offering (optional)

If you sell products, list them here. It will act as a “catalogue” of your store on Google My Business profile.

List of SERVICES you’re offering (optional)

Same here, if you’re offering services (and you can state both product AND services on GMB), then you should enter them here.

Business description

Briefly describe your business in under 750 characters including punctuation. Mention your business name, services / products you offer. It also helps identifying locations / area you are serving as well as ideal clients you like working with.

In business since (opening date)

This information will be publicly available on your Google My Business profile. Make sure that it is: 1) honest and 2) consistent with other online profiles. If you don’t remember the exact date, feel free to pick any date of the month you remember.

Media files

A complete Google My Business listing contributes to its discoverability and rankings on Google. So, if you have photos or videos of your business, ensure that you have them handy when creating a GMB profile.

GMB client intake form

Here’s a simple Google Form I created to consistently gather client information to setup Google My Business profiles. Please let me know if you’d like to get a copy of this form.

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