Google Business Profile: the complete 2026 setup, field by field

Updated 3 October 2026 · 9 min read

A Google Business Profile is the listing that appears when someone searches for you or for your profession nearby. A complete, accurate one is the single most useful thing a local professional can do for being found. This guide goes through the profile field by field: what to enter, what to avoid and why, and what has changed in 2026, including the end of the public Q&A feature. It builds on our shorter guide to getting on Google Maps.

The short answer

Use your real name exactly as clients know it. Do not add keywords, a city or a phone number to the name; Google treats that as spam and it can get the profile suspended.
The primary category is the most important choice. Pick the most specific one that fits (for example “Dermatologist”, not “Doctor”), then add a few secondary categories.
Individual practitioners such as doctors, lawyers and realtors can generally have their own profile if they are public-facing and can be reached at the location during stated hours. Read Google’s guidelines for the exact rules before you create one.
Photos must be JPG or PNG, between 10 KB and 5 MB, and at least 250 pixels on each side (720 recommended). Use real photos, not stock images.
The public Questions and Answers feature has been discontinued and replaced by an AI feature (Ask Maps) that answers from your profile. So write the description, services and attributes carefully, and put your frequently asked questions on your website.
Keep every detail identical to your website and other listings, and update hours for holidays.

Before you create it

Eligibility. A profile is for businesses and professionals who meet clients face to face, at your address or at theirs. If you only work online, check Google’s guidelines first.
One profile per location. Do not create duplicates. If one already exists, claim it instead. Search for your name and address in Google Maps first.
A real address. Virtual offices and mailbox addresses are generally not allowed. If clients do not visit you, you can hide your address and set a service area.
Practitioner or practice? Google distinguishes individual practitioners from the organisation they work for. See the section on practitioners below.
Account. Use a Google account that you control long-term, not an employee’s personal one, so you do not lose access.

Naming: the rule that causes the most suspensions

Your profile name should be your real-world name, the one on your sign, letterhead and website. Do not add the city, your services or your phone number. “Smith Dental Care – Best Dentist in Leeds” is a typical way to have a profile flagged or suspended. For individual practitioners, the name is generally your own name, and Google allows a title or qualification such as Dr., MD, JD or Esq., but no other words.

Field by field

Each field of a Google Business Profile
Field	What to enter	Common mistakes
Name	Your name or your practice’s name, exactly as clients know it	Adding keywords, a city, a tagline or a phone number
Primary category	The most specific category that describes your main work, such as Dermatologist, Family Law Attorney or Physiotherapist	A broad category such as Doctor or Business; changing it often
Additional categories	A few more that honestly apply	Adding unrelated categories to appear in more searches
Address or service area	The address clients visit; or a service area with the address hidden if you travel to clients	A virtual office, or showing a home address you do not want public
Phone	A number that is answered, in the same format as your website	A tracking number that differs from your site, or one nobody answers
Website	The exact page you want people to land on	A link to a social profile when you have a website; a page that no longer exists
Hours	Your real hours, plus special hours for holidays and closures	Leaving the default; forgetting holidays
Description	Up to 750 characters in plain words: what you do, for whom, where, since when	Keyword stuffing, links, offers or promotions
Services	Each service with a short description and, if you can, a price	Leaving it empty, or listing the same service many ways
Attributes	Features that apply, such as wheelchair access, online appointments or languages	Ticking features that you do not offer
Appointment link	Your booking page, if you have one	A link that goes to a generic home page
Photos and videos	A logo, a cover photo, the entrance, the inside, you and your team, and examples of your work	Stock photos; heavily filtered images; very few photos
Updates (posts)	Occasional news, new services or notices	Posting once and never again; promotional claims your profession’s rules do not allow

Choosing categories

The primary category tells Google what you are. It strongly affects which searches your profile can appear for, so be precise. Browse the category list when you set it up and search with different words: “family law”, “divorce”, “attorney”. Choose the one that matches how most of your income is earned. Add secondary categories only for things you really do, and review them if your work changes. Changing your primary category later can change how you appear, so do it deliberately.

Photos that work

Format and size. Google’s help says photos should be JPG or PNG, between 10 KB and 5 MB, with a minimum of 250 pixels on each side. A resolution of 720 by 720 pixels is recommended.
A logo, which Google highlights once your basic details are filled in.
A cover photo, for which about 1024 by 576 pixels is commonly recommended, that shows your place or you at work.
Real, well-lit, in-focus images that look like the place and the people. Avoid heavy filters and stock images.
A mix: outside (so people recognise the building), inside (waiting area, consulting room), the team, and your work where your profession allows it.
Respect privacy. Do not show clients or patients without clear permission.

Verification

Until your profile is verified it will not show publicly. Google chooses the method for each profile, which can include a phone call, a text, an email, a video recording of your premises, or a postcard with a code. For a video, you will usually be asked to show your location, any signage, the equipment or workspace you use, and some proof that you manage the business. Follow the instructions in the app carefully, and use the same details you entered on the profile.

Practitioners and practices

Doctors, dentists, lawyers, financial advisers, realtors and similar individual practitioners can, according to Google’s guidelines as widely reported, have a profile of their own, separate from the practice they work at, if they are public-facing and can be reached at that location during the stated hours. A practice with several practitioners usually has one profile for the practice and one for each practitioner. Do not create several profiles for one person at the same address, and do not create profiles for people who are not public-facing. Because the rules are specific and change, read Google’s “Guidelines for representing your business on Google” before you create more than one.

What changed: the end of public Q&A

Google’s public Questions and Answers feature on profiles has been discontinued; Google announced in September 2025 that the related API would end in November 2025. In its place, Google is reported to have introduced an AI feature in Google Maps, often called Ask Maps, that answers people’s questions in natural language, using the content of the profile such as the description, services, attributes, photos and reviews. This changes your priorities:

Write the description, services and attributes as though they were the answers. Put in what people ask: parking, accessibility, languages, insurance accepted, appointment lengths.
Keep your hours and contact details exact, because the AI will quote them.
Collect genuine reviews. They are part of what the AI reads.
Put your frequently asked questions on your website, where you control them and where search engines can read them. See one page or many.

Keep it alive

Update hours for holidays and closures before they happen.
Answer reviews briefly and politely, good and bad. See how to get more Google reviews.
Add a few new photos every few months.
Check the performance figures for calls, direction requests and website clicks, to see what works.
Whenever you move, change your phone number or your name, edit the profile first. Do not create a new one.
Check once a month that no one has suggested a wrong edit to your details.

If your profile is suspended

Profiles are most often suspended for a name that includes keywords, an address that is not a real place where clients meet you, a category that does not match, or a change of details that looks like a different business. Read the message in your profile, correct the problem, and request reinstatement through Google’s support form, with clear evidence: a photo of your sign, a business registration, a utility bill or a professional licence in the same name and address. Do not create a new profile to get around a suspension; that usually makes it worse.

A checklist, in order

Search Google Maps for your name and address to make sure no profile exists. Claim it if it does.
Create or claim the profile with your real name, exact address and phone number.
Choose the most specific primary category, and a few secondary ones.
Complete the hours, description, services and attributes.
Add the website and the booking link.
Upload a logo, a cover photo and at least ten real photos.
Verify the profile.
Put the profile link on your website, email signature and cards.
Ask your first clients for reviews.
Diary a monthly check.

Where BeVisible fits

Your BeVisible page is the website your profile should point to. It states your name, profession, city, address and hours as plain text and in structured data, and it has a "Get found" checklist that walks through the profile with you. You can build and preview free, and publish free for 7 days with no card needed; after that one yearly plan keeps a website online, and one plan covers one website. Start from a photo or type your details.

Frequently asked questions

Is a Google Business Profile free?

Yes. Creating and managing a profile costs nothing. Google does not charge to appear in the map results; paid advertising is separate.

Can I have a Google Business Profile without a shop or office?

Yes, if you serve clients face to face. If you travel to clients rather than meeting them at a location, you can hide your address and show a service area. Google’s guidelines generally do not allow profiles for online-only businesses or virtual offices.

Can I put keywords in my business name to rank higher?

No. Adding keywords, a city or a tagline to your name breaks Google’s guidelines and can get your profile suspended. Use the real name clients know you by.

What size should photos be?

Google’s help says JPG or PNG, between 10 KB and 5 MB, with a minimum of 250 pixels on each side; 720 by 720 pixels is recommended. A cover photo of about 1024 by 576 pixels is commonly advised.

What happened to Questions and Answers on Google Business Profile?

Google discontinued the public Q&A feature. It is reported to have been replaced by an AI feature in Google Maps that answers questions using your profile’s content, so complete descriptions, services and attributes matter more.

How long does verification take?

It varies by method. Phone, text and email verification are usually quick, while video review or a postcard can take days. Follow the steps in the app and use the same details as your profile.

Do I need a separate profile for myself and my practice?

Possibly. Public-facing individual practitioners can generally have their own profile separate from the practice they work at, if they can be reached at the location during stated hours. Read Google’s guidelines for the exact rules.