ZenithGoogle Business Profile: setting up and optimising your listing
A Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is the free listing that shows your business on Google Maps and in Search, with your name, opening hours, phone number, photos and reviews. To create one, go to google.com/business with a Google account, add the business name and category, verify that the address is yours (by postal mail, video or phone) and fill in the profile in full. Keeping it well optimised helps your visibility when someone searches nearby, although it does not guarantee any specific position in the results.
What a Google Business Profile is (formerly Google My Business)
A Google Business Profile is the free listing that Google shows for your business when someone searches for its name or similar services in your area. It appears on the right-hand side in Search (the panel with photo, opening hours and map) and as a pin on Google Maps. It is the tool that replaced Google My Business: the name changed in 2021, but many people still search for it as 'google my business' or 'google listing'.
It is not a website and does not replace your website: it is your calling card inside Google's ecosystem. It gathers practical details (address, phone, opening hours, link to your website), photos, customer reviews and posts. People who look for it usually want to find you, call you or get to you, not compare ten businesses.
For a local business in Spain it is, alongside the website, one of the digital assets with the most direct impact: many searches with intent to visit or call are resolved without ever leaving Google. That is why it pays to set it up well from the start and keep it alive.
How to get listed on Google Maps step by step
Creating the listing is free and takes just a few minutes, although verification can take a few days. You need a Google account (ideally one dedicated to the business) and real details: exact name, address, phone number and main category.
Getting the listing right makes the difference: a name exactly as it appears on your sign, a well-chosen category and a verifiable address prevent visibility problems further down the line. It is best not to add keywords to the name that are not part of your real brand: Google may even suspend profiles that breach its guidelines.
- Go to google.com/business and sign in with the business's Google account.
- Enter the business name exactly as it appears on the storefront or in your brand.
- Choose the main category that best describes what you do (you can add secondary ones later).
- State whether you have physical premises that customers visit and add the address, or define the service area if you work on-site at the customer's location.
- Add your phone number and your website URL.
- Choose the verification method Google offers you (a code by postal mail, a video of the premises, phone or email) and complete it.
- Once verified, fill in the rest of the profile in full before considering it finished.
How to optimise your business profile to work on your visibility
Optimising your Google profile means filling it in fully and keeping it up to date. Google tends to show complete, consistent and active profiles more often, because they answer the searcher's question better. There is no trick that guarantees you'll rank first: it is about sending clear, real signals that your business exists, is open and is relevant to that search.
The levers with the most impact are the category, complete information, photos, real opening hours and reviews. Each one gives context to Google and confidence to the customer. Consistency matters more than a one-off push: a profile that is updated regularly tends to hold its own better than one that has been abandoned.
| Element | What to do | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Choose the exact main one + relevant secondary ones | Tells Google which searches you are relevant for |
| Information | Name, address, phone and website identical everywhere | Consistent details reinforce the system's trust |
| Photos | Upload real images of the premises, team, product and logo | They increase interactions and build credibility |
| Opening hours | Keep them current, including special holidays | They prevent wasted trips and improve the experience |
| Attributes | Mark services (accessible, terrace, reservations, etc.) | They better filter people looking for something specific |
| Reviews | Request them legitimately and reply to all of them | They add trust and show an active business |
| Questions (Q&A) | Answer queries and post the common ones yourself | They resolve objections before the visit |
| Posts | Share news, offers or events | They keep the profile alive and recent |
Categories, attributes and the questions (Q&A) section
The category is the most influential decision in the whole profile. Choose as your main one the category that describes your core activity, and add secondary ones only if you genuinely offer them. A wrongly set category confuses Google about when to show you.
Attributes are tags that spell out your business: whether you have a terrace, whether it is wheelchair accessible, whether you take reservations or card payments. Marking the ones that apply to you helps you show up in more refined searches and saves the customer from asking.
The questions and answers (Q&A) section is public and anyone can post. Get ahead of it: post the frequently asked questions yourself with their answer, and keep an eye on new ones so you can reply quickly. A well-managed Q&A resolves doubts and shows that you are on top of the business.
Photos, reviews and opening hours: what the customer sees
Photos are the first thing many people look at. Upload real, quality images of the premises inside and out, of the product or service, of the team and your logo. Refreshing them from time to time keeps the profile fresh and gives a polished impression.
Reviews carry weight in the buying decision and it pays to work on them, but only legitimately. In Spain, Law 10/2025 prohibits buying reviews, using bots or incentivising opinions in exchange for something. The right way is to ask real customers after a good experience and to reply to all of them, including the critical ones, in a professional tone.
Opening hours must be accurate, including changes for holidays or breaks. Wrong hours lead to wasted trips and negative reviews. Keeping them up to date is one of the simplest things to do and one of the things that most improves the experience for whoever finds you.
Optimising your profile does not guarantee rankings (how we work at Zenith Webs)
It pays to be honest: no one can promise you'll rank first on Google Maps or in Search. Position depends on the user's proximity, the relevance of your profile and the prominence of your business, factors that evolve and that Google adjusts continuously. What is within your control is improving your chances by keeping a profile that is complete, consistent and active.
At Zenith Webs we manage your Google Business Profile as part of our local ranking and GEO support: we set up the listing, optimise categories and attributes, look after photos and opening hours, help you gather legitimate reviews and bring consistency between your profile and your website. Building the website is free; the ranking support is quoted to fit your case, and the domain is included in that support.
If you want to work towards your business showing up better when people search nearby, we can review your current profile and propose a realistic plan. Tell us about your case from the contact page and we'll look at it together.
Frequently asked questions
Is Google My Business the same as a Google Business Profile?
How do I get listed on Google Maps for free?
Does optimising my business profile guarantee I'll rank first?
How many photos and reviews do I need to optimise my profile?
Do I still need a separate website if I already have a Google Business Profile?
Do you manage my business profile for me?
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Building your website is free; the monthly support —domain and technical work included— is what you pay for. No promises of rankings: we show you the work we do and how you progress.