How to Add a Business to Google Maps

Co-authored by Sarah Harkleroad

Last Updated: February 20, 2023 References

Locating Your Business

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Confirming Ownership

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Editing Business Details

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Video

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Q&A

There are millions of small businesses around the world that are on Google Maps, and customers use Google Maps every day to find them. You can add your business to Google Maps by starting a Google My Business (GMB) account and confirming that you own or work for the business. When you update your business's information through Google My Business, your new business information will appear on Google Maps, Search, and Earth. Your customers and potential customers will be able to readily find information about your business, learn about your services, and write reviews that can help your business grow and gain credibility. ^{[1]
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Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Locating Your Business

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Determine if you have a Google Account. You don't have to use a gmail.com address to own a Google account, you can login to Google with just about any email address. For GMB to work, your Google Account must be associated with the location you are trying to add or manage. If you do not have a Google account associated with your business, create one. This account will be linked to the Google My Business dashboard you are creating.
- If you do not have a Google account, click on "Sign in", then "More Options" and finally "Create Account" at www.google.com. Follow the instructions to create an account. ^{[2]
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Type in www.google.com/business to go to Google My Business.^{[3]
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Research source} Click on the green box in the middle that says “Start Now”. Getting your business on Google will allow you to give your customers correct information about your business location, phone number, hours, photos and services provided. It will also enable your customers to give your business ratings and reviews, and read news that you post. ^{[4]
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Enter your business name and address into the search bar to find your business on Google Maps.^{[5]
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- Double check that the address and phone number match your business.
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Click on the blue hyperlink “Add your business”. This step applies if your business did not appear under the search results for “Find your Business”. If Google does not have your business listed, you will need to add the details of your business.
- Click the category your business falls under. For example, “Attorney”. The category is extremely important for Google to rank your listing. It's very important to note that while Google offers more than one category for your listing it is preferable to choose only one. Using more than one will not help your ranking at all.
- Accurately fill in the details of your location. This will include the business address, phone number and the category your business falls under, for example, “bakery”.
- If applicable, make sure to check the box that says “I deliver goods and services to my customers at their location”. Then fill out the areas you serve by entering the city names or zip codes of the regions you serve.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Confirming Ownership

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Check the box to confirm and then click "Continue". This step confirms you are authorized to add this information to Google for your business. Clicking continue also means you accept the terms and conditions. Legally, it is necessary for Google to confirm that you are the legitimate owner or authorized employee of the business.
- If you are unsure whether you’re authorized to edit your business information on Google, check with the owner or manager of your company before proceeding.
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Click “Call me now” or “Verify by mail”. Google will send you a code to verify that you are a legitimate part of the business. Google can call or mail the six digit code to you. There are also various other options for verification like being a registered website owner in Search Console or having a domain-based email address that matches the listing's domain.
- Choosing the phone call is a much faster to confirm your business on Google Maps. When Google calls, write down the verification number that is given to you.
- If you choose to verify by mail, you may have to wait a week or two to publish your business information on Google Maps. Additionally, the code they send is only good for thirty days. As soon as you receive your business code, enter the code on your Google My Business dashboard.
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Before you leave your Google My Business dashboard, bookmark the page. In order to access your dashboard again in the future, sign back into your Google account. Go to your bookmark or go to google.com/business and you will be automatically taken to your dashboard. ^{[6]
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Click the “Enter code” box on the top of your My Business dashboard. The “Enter code” box is located in the blue highlighted box at the top of your page. It is directly to the right of a message that says “Google has sent your verification code to you”. Type the six digit verification code you received from Google into the box and click “Submit”.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Editing Business Details

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Take the tour of your Google My Business dashboard. The tour will help to quickly familiarize you with the Google My Business platform. Understanding the features of this platform will allow you to maximize the presence of your business on Google.
- Stay signed into your Google account while you work on your Google business listing. Signing into other accounts will cause you to log out of your Google My Business.
- If you accidentally navigate away from your dashboard, go back to your bookmarks or type in google.com/business.
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Edit your business information. At the top of your dashboard and to the right of the title of your business, click on the red “Edit” box. Edit your business information so that your customers can learn more information about your business and view pictures of your business.
- Add a profile picture. Then upload other quality pictures of your business, add your hours and write an introduction for your business. Choose your pictures wisely, make sure they highlight all the best parts of your business. Make sure the pictures are professional, and to get even more out of them you should optimize the pictures with geo-tagged meta data that indicates the photo's authenticity to your location.
- Take your time writing a well written description for your business. Keep your writing professional, and write to make a favorable impression with your customers and potential customers.
- If you are unsure about your writing skills, consult a friend or colleague who can help you review your writing before you post on Google My Business.
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Click "Edit" to change any basic information about your business. If in the future your contact information changes, go to your Google My Business dashboard and update your information.
- Remember, you can access your Google My Business again by logging into your Google account and typing in google.com/business. Click on your business, and you will be taken to your dashboard.
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Share what is going on in your business with your customers. If you want to publicize events or give your customers information about your business, use the Posts feature of Google My Business.
- On your dashboard, tap the “Posts” icon and click an option to share an update: text, photo, video, link, or even an event. After selecting or entering your update, click the blue “Post” box to post what is happening with your business.
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Explore the other features on your Google My Business dashboard. The features Insights, Reviews and AdWords Express can help your business advertise, engage with customers and build a presence in you business community.

Community Q&A

Question

How do I enter my business name?

Community Answer

On Google Maps, right-click on your business's location and click "Add a Missing Place." A dialog box will appear on the side of the screen. Click "Claim this Business." Add your information in the dialog boxes. The first thing Google will ask you is your business name. All of the other information will simply help customers.