Key takeaways
- A Google Business Profile is free, and it's what makes your business appear on Google Maps and in the map results at the top of local searches.
- Complete, accurate details matter most: the right category, opening hours, phone number, photos and a link to your website.
- Reviews and regular updates keep the listing working after it goes live.
Why the map comes first
Search for “pizza near me” or “hair salon Karposh” and Google usually shows a map with a few businesses before any website link. Those businesses get the calls, the directions requests and the visits.
Being on that map doesn't take a big budget. It takes a Google Business Profile that is set up properly and kept up to date.
Setting up your Google Business Profile
Claim or create the listing
Search for your business name on Google Maps first. If a listing already exists, claim it. If not, create one with your business name exactly as it appears on your sign.
Verify that it's yours
Google asks you to prove you run the business before the listing goes fully live. Depending on your business, this can be by phone, email, video or a postcard sent to your address. Follow the option Google offers you.
Pick the right category
Your primary category tells Google what you are. Choose the most specific one that fits, such as “Italian restaurant” rather than “Restaurant”. You can add secondary categories for other things you offer.
Fill in every detail
Address, phone number, opening hours, holiday hours, website link and a short description. Write your name, address and phone number the same way everywhere they appear online, including your website and social media.
Making the listing work
Add real photos
Your storefront, interior, products and team. Listings with photos look active and trustworthy. Add new ones every few months.
Ask for reviews and reply to them
Ask happy customers to leave a review, and reply to every review, good or bad, politely and briefly. It shows people you care, and it gives Google more signals that your business is active.
Link it to a proper website
A listing sends people to your website for the details: menus, prices, booking. If that page is slow, outdated or missing, you lose them there. Our website and SEO services cover both sides.
Common mistakes
Wrong or missing hours.A customer who arrives to a closed door doesn't come back.
Different phone numbers in different places.It confuses customers and search engines.
Set up once and forgotten.Old photos, unanswered reviews and outdated hours make a business look closed.
Getting help
If you'd rather spend the time running your business, we can set up your Google Business Profile and connect it to a website that turns visitors into customers.
Questions
Is a Google Business Profile free?
Yes. Creating and managing a Google Business Profile is free.
How do I get my business on Google Maps?
Create or claim a Google Business Profile, verify that you own the business, choose the right category and fill in your address, hours, phone number and website.
Do I need a website if I have a Google Business Profile?
The profile gets people to notice you. A website gives them the details they need to choose you, such as menus, prices, services and booking. The two work best together.
Why doesn't my business show up on Google Maps?
Common reasons are an unverified listing, an incomplete profile, a category that doesn't match what people search for, or a listing that hasn't been updated in a long time.
Can CodeFellas set up my Google Business Profile?
Yes. SEO and Google Maps setup is one of our services, and we can combine it with a new or redesigned website.
About CodeFellas
CodeFellas is a web studio in Skopje, North Macedonia, founded on one question: how can we make life easier for businesses and help them become more modern? We design and build websites, Shopify and WooCommerce online shops, online menus and booking systems, and we set up SEO and Google Maps listings. Our door is open to everyone who needs digital help.
More about us