how to register your business on Google Logo 2026

How to register your business on Google in 2026. Quick heads up before we start. Google My Business doesn’t exist under that name anymore. Google renamed it Google Business Profile back in 2021, and retired the standalone app along the way.

If you’ve been searching for how to set up your Google My Business listing, this is the thing you’re after. Same idea, new name, slightly different process.

So here’s the 2026 version, start to finish. What a Google Business Profile is, why it matters more now than it ever has, how to register and verify yours, and how to set it up so the right local customers actually find you.

It’s free, it takes about fifteen minutes, and it’s one of the highest-return things a local business can do. Let’s get into it.

Contents

What is a Google Business Profile?

A Google Business Profile is the free listing that shows your business details directly on Google Search and Google Maps. It’s the little panel that appears when someone searches your business name, showing your hours, location, phone number, website, photos and reviews in one place.

It used to be called Google My Business. Google rebranded it to Google Business Profile in late 2021, and at the same time it moved management out of a separate app and into Google Search and Maps themselves. So today, for most businesses, your profile is something you set up and manage right inside Google, no app required.

It’s free to create. The main eligibility rule is that your business has some form of real-world contact with customers, whether that’s a physical location people visit or a service area you travel to. Purely online businesses with no customer contact generally aren’t eligible.

Google Business Profile for Embark Agency Gold Coast

Why it matters more in 2026

Registering your business on Google matters more in 2026 than it did when this guide was first written back in 2019, for two reasons.

The first is local SEO. When someone searches “brand agency near me” or “cafe Burleigh Heads,” Google leans heavily on Business Profiles to decide what to show in the map pack, those top few local results that sit above everything else. No profile, no map pack. It’s that simple. Local search is one of the most valuable forms of visibility a business can have, because the person searching is usually ready to act.

The second reason is newer, and it’s the one most businesses haven’t caught up to yet. AI is now a layer on top of search. When someone asks Google’s AI, or a tool like ChatGPT, to recommend a local business, the structured information in your Business Profile is one of the sources those answers draw from. Your hours, your category, your reviews, your description. An accurate, complete profile doesn’t just help you rank. It helps you get recommended by AI. An incomplete one quietly leaves you out of conversations you’ll never even see.

In other words, your Business Profile has gone from a nice-to-have listing to a piece of data infrastructure that feeds how both people and machines find you.

How to register your business on Google

Registering is straightforward. Here’s the current process.

  1. Sign in to the right Google account. Use a Google account tied to your business, not your personal one. If you don’t have a business account, create one first.
  2. Go to google.com/business and click “Manage now,” or go straight to business.google.com.
  3. Enter your business name. As you type, watch the dropdown. If your business already appears, it may have an unclaimed profile, in which case skip to the claiming section below.
  4. Choose your business category. Pick the one that best describes what you do. This is important, because category is one of the strongest signals Google uses to decide which searches to show you for. You can add more categories later.
  5. Add your location or service area. If customers visit you, add your address. If you travel to them, set a service area instead. Service-based businesses without a storefront can hide the address and just list the areas they cover.
  6. Add your contact details. Phone number and website. Make sure these match what’s on your website exactly.
  7. Verify. Google needs to confirm the business is really yours before the profile goes live. More on that next.

How to claim a profile that already exists

Google often creates a basic profile for a business automatically, from public information, before you’ve ever touched it. So before you create a new one, check whether yours already exists.

Search your business name in Google or Google Maps. If a profile appears with an option like “Claim this business” or “Own this business?”, that’s an unclaimed profile waiting for you. Select it, choose “Manage now,” and follow the verification steps to take ownership.

This matters because creating a duplicate profile when one already exists can cause both to get suspended. Always claim before you create.

How to verify your Business Profile

Verification is how Google confirms you actually run the business. Until you verify, your profile won’t show publicly or you won’t be able to edit it.

Depending on your business type and location, Google offers a few methods. These commonly include a video recording of your premises and signage, a live video call, a phone call or text with a code, email, or a postcard with a code sent to your address. Google chooses which options you’re offered, so you may not see all of them.

Some methods are close to instant. The postcard option can take a week or more to arrive. Pick the fastest one available to you, and don’t make major edits to your profile while verification is pending, as that can slow things down.

How to optimise your Google Business Profile

Creating the profile is step one. A bare profile won’t do much. Optimising it is where the results come from. Once you’re verified, you edit everything directly in Google Search or Maps by finding your business and selecting “Edit profile.”

Here’s what to prioritise.

  • Keep your details consistent everywhere. Your name, address and phone number should be identical on your profile, your website and your social accounts. Mismatched hours or numbers confuse customers and weaken your local SEO. Consistency is also a basic reflection of your brand. If the small details are sloppy, people quietly assume the rest might be too.
  • Fill in every field. Every category, attribute and question you answer gives Google more to work with. Complete profiles outperform thin ones.
  • Write a strong business description. You get 750 characters, but only the first 250 or so show before they’re cut off, so lead with what matters most and what makes you different. This is a small piece of brand messaging, so treat it like one.
  • Add quality photos. Google reports that profiles with photos get significantly more clicks to their website and more requests for directions. Add a good exterior shot, interior shots, your team at work, and your products or work. Aim for clear, well-lit images, ideally at least 720 by 720 pixels.
  • Use Google Posts. You can publish updates, offers and events straight to your profile. They signal that the business is active and give people a reason to choose you.
  • List your products or services. These help you show up for more specific searches and let people see what you offer before they even click through.

How to register your business on Google add updatesHow to register your business on Google Embark Services

Responding to reviews

Reviews are social proof, and how you handle them shapes how every future customer sees you.

Once your profile is live, you can encourage happy customers to leave a review, as long as you follow Google’s guidelines and don’t incentivise them. But the review itself is only half of it. The reply matters just as much. Responding shows the reviewer you valued their time, and shows everyone else reading that you actually care.

Reply to the good and the bad. With positive reviews, a short genuine thank you is plenty. With negative ones, don’t get defensive or narky. Stay calm, take it seriously, and offer to make it right. Negative reviews happen to everyone, and a measured, human response often does more for your reputation than the complaint did to harm it.

If you get a review from someone you’ve no record of dealing with, and it does happen, don’t panic. Reply politely, note that you can’t find a record of their visit, and invite them to get in touch so you can sort it out. You’re not really writing for that reviewer at that point. You’re writing for everyone who reads it later.

More often than not, it’s how you handle the situation, not the situation itself, that reflects on your brand.

How to register your business on Google Embark Reviews

Register your business on Google FAQs

Is Google My Business still a thing?

Google My Business still exists, but it’s now called Google Business Profile. Google renamed it in late 2021 and retired the standalone Google My Business app. The tool does the same job, helping your business show up on Google Search and Maps, but you now manage it directly within Search and Maps rather than through a separate app.

Is it free to register my business on Google?

Yes, registering your business on Google is completely free. Creating, verifying and managing a Google Business Profile costs nothing. Google does offer paid advertising separately, but your Business Profile and your presence on Maps and local search are free.

How long does Google Business Profile verification take?

Verification time depends on the method. Phone, text, email and video options can be near instant or take a few days. The postcard method usually takes about a week or more for the code to arrive by post. You can keep building your profile while you wait, but it won’t show publicly until verification is complete.

Do I need a physical address to register on Google?

No, you don’t always need a physical address. Service-area businesses that travel to customers, like trades or mobile services, can register without showing a street address and instead list the areas they serve. The key eligibility requirement is that your business has real contact with customers, rather than being solely online.

How do I manage my profile now the app is gone?

You manage your Google Business Profile directly in Google Search and Google Maps. Sign in to the Google account linked to your business, search for your business, and select “Edit profile” to update details, add photos, post updates and respond to reviews. Businesses with multiple locations can use the Business Profile Manager dashboard at business.google.com/manage.

How do I rank higher in Google’s local results?

To rank higher in local results, complete every section of your profile, choose accurate categories, keep your details consistent across the web, add photos regularly, post updates, and earn genuine reviews you respond to. Google rewards profiles that are accurate, active and trusted. There’s no shortcut, but a well-maintained profile consistently beats a neglected one.

Will a Google Business Profile help me show up in AI search?

Yes. The structured information in your Google Business Profile is one of the sources AI tools draw on when recommending local businesses. An accurate, complete profile improves your chances of being surfaced in AI-generated local answers, while an incomplete one risks being left out. In 2026, your profile is as much about AI discovery as it is about traditional search.

My takeaways

Registering your business on Google is still one of the simplest, highest-return marketing moves a local business can make. It’s free, it takes about fifteen minutes, and it puts you exactly where people are looking.

The thing that’s changed is what’s riding on it. Your Business Profile no longer just helps customers find you on Maps. It feeds the local search results and the AI recommendations that increasingly decide who gets considered at all. A complete, consistent, well-tended profile shows up. A half-finished one quietly disappears.

So claim it, verify it, fill in every field, add your photos, and reply to your reviews. Then keep it current. It’s fifteen minutes that keeps paying you back.

Leave your mark.