Are you eligible for a profile?
Eligibility is the first question, and it is the one many owners skip. Google's guidelines say a business must have a physical location customers can visit, or travel to customers where they are.
A virtual office is not eligible. The guidelines state that a place where you rent a mailing address but do not operate is not eligible for a profile. P.O. boxes and remote mailboxes are also unacceptable addresses.
A service-area business can list a virtual office only if that office is staffed during business hours. A co-working space can be listed only if it has clear signage, receives customers during business hours and has your own staff there.
Shopfront or service area: choosing the right setup
The correct setup depends on where your customers meet you. Google's guidelines treat these cases differently.
| Business type | How the guidelines treat it | What it means for the profile |
|---|---|---|
| Customers visit a staffed shopfront | A physical location customers can visit | The address is shown on the profile |
| You travel to customers | Service-area businesses keep the address hidden from customers | One profile for a central location and a defined service area |
| Both, such as a workshop that also does call-outs | Hybrid businesses can show a storefront address and set a service area | Address shown, plus the areas you travel to |
| Only a rented mailing address or mailbox | Not eligible | No profile should be created with that address |
How we work on a profile, step by step
This is the order we follow. Each step depends on the one before it.
- Check eligibility and ownershipWe confirm your business qualifies, find any existing profile for it and work out who owns it.
- Verify the profileGoogle decides which verification options you see. We guide you through them, but you must complete them yourself.
- Set the business name and detailsThe name should match what you use in the real world, with no added keywords, taglines or location details.
- Choose categories and servicesPick the most specific categories that describe what the business is, then add services that match your site.
- Add photos and updatesReal images of your premises, work and team, with posts only when you have something to say.
- Set up review handlingA policy for asking for and replying to reviews that follows Google's rules.
What to have ready before we start
Most profile problems begin with details that were never decided. Settle these first.
- Your real-world business name: Exactly as it appears on signage and invoices. Google accepts special characters or legal terms only with real-world proof.
- Your address decision: Decide whether customers visit you, you visit them, or both. P.O. boxes and mailboxes at remote locations are not acceptable addresses.
- Your service area: List the suburbs you cover. Google advises that a service area should not stretch past about two hours of travel from where you operate.
- Phone and website: Use a phone number under the direct control of your business and a website that represents this location.
- Proof documents: Keep registration, licence or utility documents to hand, with names and addresses that match the profile.
Verification: what Google says
Google chooses which verification methods are offered, and the owner cannot change them.
- Methods vary: Options can include phone or text, email, a live video call, a postcard or a video recording, depending on your business type and region.
- Postcard cautions: Do not edit your business name, address or category while waiting for a postcard, and do not request a new code, as that invalidates the earlier one.
- Codes are private: Google says it will never ask for your verification code, so do not hand it to anyone, including people who manage your profile.
- Review takes time: Google says reviews take up to 5 business days, and sometimes longer.
- Managers come after: A third party who helps manage the profile can be added after verification.
Names, categories and hours
Google's guidelines say your business name should match the real-world name on your storefront, website and stationery. Do not add marketing taglines, hours, phone numbers or location details. Doing so could result in suspension.
For categories, the guidance is to use as few as possible and choose the most specific ones. A good test is whether the category completes the sentence "this business is a", not "this business has a". Categories should not be used as a way to add keywords.
Hours should be your regular customer-facing hours. Businesses that work only by appointment, or have varied hours, should not list them. We review all three items together because errors in one often point to errors in the others.
Reviews: what is allowed and what is not
Google's guidance allows you to ask customers for reviews, using a review link or QR code. Customers must be signed into a Google Account to leave one.
Allowed
- Asking real customers to leave an honest review
- Sharing your review link or a QR code
- Replying politely, briefly and without private details
- Reporting reviews that appear to break Google's content policies
Not allowed
- Free or discounted goods or services in exchange for reviews
- Offering a reward to change or remove a negative review
- Writing or buying reviews that do not reflect a genuine experience
- Using replies to offer deals
If a profile is suspended
Google says it may suspend or disable profiles that do not follow its guidelines. Our role is to help you present a sound case.
Do not create a new profile
Google's help page says not to create a new Business Profile for the same business.
Check against the guidelines
Before appealing, we compare the profile with the rules on names, addresses and categories.
Gather matching evidence
Google lists registration, licences, tax certificates and utility bills. Names and addresses on these should match the profile.
Appeal once, carefully
Google says appeals can only be submitted once, so the submission has to be right the first time.
What we do not do
We do not claim to run a client's listing without access. If you have not made us a manager, we cannot see inside the profile, and our advice is based on what is public and what you tell us.
We do not create profiles with addresses that do not qualify, we do not write reviews, and we do not promise a map position. A profile is one signal among many, as explained under local SEO.
Citations on other sites that repeat your details are covered in link building. For a longer how-to, see our guide to optimising a Business Profile in Canberra.
If part of your work is on the NSW side, the Queanbeyan region page covers the local picture. Trades and mobile services are most likely to meet the address rules, so our notes for tradies and cleaning companies are a good companion read.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use a virtual office address for my Business Profile?
Generally no. Google's guidelines say a virtual office, where you rent a mailing address but do not operate, is not eligible. A service-area business can list one only if the office is staffed during business hours. Check the current rules before you create anything.
I work from home. Do I show my address?
Usually not. Under Google's guidelines, a service-area business keeps its address hidden from customers, and a single profile should stand for one central location plus a defined service area. You still give Google the address, but it is not displayed publicly.
Can you manage my Google Business Profile for me?
Only with manager access that you grant after the profile is verified. Without that, we advise and you make the changes. We will not claim to manage a listing we cannot edit, and we never ask for your verification code.
Can I offer a discount for a Google review?
No. Google's guidance says offering free or discounted goods or services in exchange for reviews is strictly prohibited. You can ask real customers for honest feedback and give them an easy way to leave it.
Why was my profile suspended?
Google says it may suspend profiles that break its guidelines, with common causes including inaccurate information, unneeded details in the business name and ineligible addresses. Review the guidelines first, then use Google's appeal process once, with matching evidence.
How many categories should I choose?
As few as possible. Google's guidance is to choose the most specific categories that describe your core business. Adding extra categories to cover keywords can hurt, since categories are meant to say what the business is.
Do photos and posts help?
Photos help customers judge whether your business suits them, so they should be real and current. Posts are optional, and we suggest them only when you have a genuine update. Neither will fix an ineligible or inaccurate profile.
Do I have to keep a negative Google review?
On Google, your options are to reply or to flag a review that breaks Google's content policies. The ACCC says hiding, editing or removing genuine negative reviews on channels you control can mislead consumers, and that fake or misleading reviews are against the law. Reply briefly, offer to talk privately, and correct the record politely if a review is factually wrong.
Sources and further reading
- Guidelines for representing your business on Google: Eligibility, virtual offices, service-area businesses, names, categories, hours and suspension
- Verify your business on Google: Verification methods, postcard cautions, verification codes and timing
- Business Profile Help: ask for and reply to reviews: Asking for reviews, incentives prohibited, replying to reviews
- Fix suspended or disabled profiles: Appeals process, evidence, do not create a new profile
- ACCC: Managing online reviews: Fake or misleading reviews are against the law; do not suppress genuine negative reviews; disclose incentives