How to Set Up Your Google Business Profile (Google My Business) in 2025

eclipseonlinemarketing@gmail.com (Elijah Moreno) — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 17:39:59 GMT

Why Should I Setup A Google Business Profile?

Setting up your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is one of the most important steps you can take as a new business owner. This listing is what helps your business appear on Google Maps, local search results, and the Local 3-Pack, where most local customers start their search.

Whether you're a service-based business working from home or a storefront with a physical location, this guide walks you through each step.

Let Customers Know You're Local

With Google My Business, you can target specific areas depending upon your business's needs including specific cities, entire states, zipcodes, and more.

Showcase Your Finished Product
There's only two ways your Google My Business listing will have pictures: if you upload them yourself or customers upload them. This is the perfect opportunity to let individuals know the quality of your product before they even speak to you.

Keep Your Information Up To Date

Ever went to a place of business just to find out they're closed? This can leave a bad taste in potential customers mouths, so much so that you might lose their business for good. Your Google My Business listing is the perfect way to let prospective customers know about your hours of operation, special days you might be closed, and current deals.

Let Your Past Customers Bring You Business

If you're a hardworking business, you know how important it is to keep customer satisfaction high while producing a quality product or service and standing behind your word. When you go above and beyond, your customers will want to let others know about the exceptional service they received by leaving a review. Reviews are crucial online as most people look at reviews prior to ever calling a business.

How Do I Setup A Google My Business for My Local Business?

That's Easy. Just Follow These Steps

1. Open the Google Business Profile Setup Page

Click the link below to go directly to the official Google Business Profile dashboard:
https://www.google.com/business/

This is where you’ll create or claim your business listing.

2. Sign In With Your Google Account

Use the Google account you want connected to your business.
If you don’t already have a Google account, you’ll be prompted to create one.

3. Enter Your Business Name

In the search bar, type your business name. Google will display one of two options:

Your business already exists in their system → select it to claim the listing
“Create a business with this name” → choose this if your business has no existing profile

Choose the option that best matches your situation.

4. Select Your Business Type and Category

Google will ask whether you:

Serve customers at your business location
Serve customers at their location (service-area business)
Or both

If you're a service-based business and do not want your address visible, select “I deliver goods and services to my customers.”
You’ll be able to hide your address later.

Then choose your business category (example: plumber, tree service, lawn care, etc.).

5. Add Your Business Information

Google will ask for details including:

Business address (even if hidden publicly)
Service areas
Phone number
Website URL
Hours of operation
Business description
Opening date

Make sure everything is accurate — this helps your ranking and reduces the chance of verification issues.

6. Verification: What Google Requires in 2025

Google requires businesses to verify they are real before appearing online.
In 2025, the most common verification methods include:

Video Verification (most common)

Google may ask you to record a short, continuous video showing:

Your workspace or office
Your equipment, tools, or branded vehicle
Street signs or landmarks near your location
Proof of business ownership (documents, utility bill, signage)

Phone or SMS Verification

Some businesses receive a code by call or text.

Email Verification

This appears for businesses with matching domains or trusted signals.

Instant Verification

Available if your website is verified in Google Search Console.

Postcard Verification (now less common)

Google may still send a postcard to your address with a verification code.
Service-area businesses can hide their address publicly, but Google still requires a real street address (not a PO box or virtual office) for verification purposes.

7. If Your Business Already Has a Listing

If someone else created or claimed your business profile, Google will offer options such as:

Requesting ownership
Verification by phone, email, or video
Sending a request to the current profile owner

You will be notified once the request is approved or denied.

8. Complete and Optimize Your Profile

Once verified, finish filling out your profile:

Add photos or videos
Add products or services
Write a keyword-rich business description
Add FAQs and commonly asked questions
Turn on messaging (if you want this feature)
Post updates regularly

This not only improves your visibility but also builds trust with customers.

Claiming and optimization of Google Business Profile is included in all website design packages. For a free consultation, give me a call at 501-366-6037 or fill out form located on our contact page here .

Why Should I Invest In Digital Marketing For My Local Business?

eclipseonlinemarketing@gmail.com (Elijah Moreno) — Thu, 02 Jun 2022 21:03:57 GMT

What Is Digital Marketing and Why Is It So Popular?

To make this simple, digital marketing is an umbrella term for any form of marketing through online media channels. Digital marketing has a primary objective which is to create a funnel for business owners to help you get found, obtain recognition, generate leads, and convert those leads into returning customers.

The reason digital marketing is so important to your business—no matter which type of business you own—is because today’s consumers are connected to the web 24/7 thanks to mobile devices like the smartphone in your pocket or even the device you might be using to view this content right now! Electronic devices like these are the first thing most adults use in the morning, and they’re the last thing 95% of them see before they go to sleep. Consider the following statistics:

The average U.S. consumer is exposed to 10,000 brand messages a day
92% of consumers look at a company’s website when choosing a service provider or product
At any given time, 84% of Americans are shopping for something
97% of people go online to find products and services
93% of online experiences begin with a search engine
88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as they trust personal recommendations
86% of people look up the location of a business on Google Maps

With all of this being said, it's no wonder why you're missing out on business if you don't have a digital presence.

What Should Be My First Step In Securing A Digital Presence?

Your website is the foundation of all online real estate, and arguably your best marketing asset. If the web were a local shopping mall, it would be your storefront within that mall. Having a website for the purpose of driving leads and sales to your company is also known as inbound marketing—a strategy focused on bringing customers to you via company-created content on your website.

Let's put it this way...if you don't have an optimized website that Google wants to show when a user types in a search query related to your business, how will you ever have a chance to obtain that business? That's the thing. You won't.

Why Should I Pay Someone Else To Create My Website? I Can Do It Myself!

Sure you can! No one ever said you couldn't go and build yourself a decent website. I can also put a roof on my home, do my own electrical work, and fix my own HVAC system. BUT, here is why I advise everyone they shouldn't do this:

It will take much longer for you to do this because you're new at it and never used the platform before.
The quality will not be the same because this is your first time! Professionals do this for a living.
Do you know how Google chooses websites to put up on the search results? Most likely not.
There are many additional steps to just creating a website which includes proper submission to Google and constantly updating the information on it.
If you don't have time to be thinking about new ways to market your business or additional services that aren't already on your website, you realistically don't have time to be messing with it.

As a business owner, your job should be monitoring your company, ensuring quality jobs, getting your employees paid, and making sure your company grows year after year. You have your specialty and I have mine! This is why you should contact me and schedule a free consultation.

Click the button below or give me a call at 501-366-6037 to see how I can grow your business and help you overshadow your competitors.

Overshadow - Helpful Digital Marketing Tips For Local Businesses