How to set up your Google Business Profile in NZ

A Google Business Profile is free to create. Start at business.google.com/add, fill in your details, then verify it so customers can find you on Google.

Why does a Google Business Profile matter?

Think about the last time you needed a plumber, a mechanic or somewhere for lunch. You probably typed it into Google on your phone, looked at the few businesses that came up with a map, stars and opening hours, and rang or walked into one of them. Your customers do the same.

That box with the map, the hours and the reviews is a Google Business Profile. Google describes it as the way customers can find your business on Search and Maps. If you don't have one, you aren't in that list, however good your work is, and the customer rings someone who is.

You can't buy your way in either. Google says there's no way to request or pay for a better local ranking. What it rewards is a profile that's verified, complete and accurate. That part is in your hands.

Is a Google Business Profile free?

Yes, completely. Google says you can add or claim your business at no charge, and Google says it doesn't charge to maintain a profile. Be wary of anyone who offers to help with your profile for money, including people claiming to be Google. Google says it will never ask you for a one-time password or PIN.

And you get a lot for free. Google says a profile lets you show your hours, website, phone number and location, post photos and videos, and collect and respond to reviews. Once you're verified, Google also shows you how people interact with your profile, with figures such as calls, direction requests and website clicks. It's a simple way to see whether the profile is bringing in work.

There is one catch. Google says only businesses that make face-to-face contact with customers are eligible, so an online-only shop doesn't qualify. If you visit your customers or they visit you, you're in.

Check whether your business is already on Google

Before you create anything, search for your business on Google Maps. It may already have an unverified listing that someone else added, and if so, you claim that one rather than starting again. Google's steps are:

1. Open Google Maps on your computer.
2. Search for your business name and town.
3. If your business shows up with "Claim this business", select it, then "Manage now".
4. Pick a verification option and follow the steps on screen.

Sometimes the profile is already verified by someone else, such as a former staff member or a web designer you used years ago. You can still get it back: Google lets you ask the current owner for ownership through the same help page.

How to set up a Google Business Profile, step by step

Image generated with AI

If your business isn't on Google yet, you add it yourself. Google's screens change from time to time, but the steps Google gives are these:

1. Go to business.google.com/add.
2. Select "Add your business to Google".
3. Enter your business details as the screens ask.
4. Choose a verification option.
5. Follow the on-screen steps to finish verifying.

Take a little care at step 3, because two details are worth getting right first time. If Google sends you a postcard, editing your name or category before the code arrives stops the code working.

The first is your name. Use your business's real-world name, the one on your van, your signage and your invoices. Google's guidelines for representing your business don't allow extra information in the name, so it can be tempting to add "best plumber Hamilton", but leave it out.

The second is your category. Pick the one that finishes the sentence "This business IS a", rather than "this business HAS a". Google wants your business described as a whole, not a list of everything you sell.

How to set up a Google Business Profile without an address

Plenty of New Zealand businesses don't have a shopfront. If you're a builder, a cleaner or a mobile dog groomer working from home, you might wonder whether a Business Profile is even for you. It is.

Google calls this a service-area business. Its guidelines say service-area businesses should hide their business address and show the area they serve instead, so your home address stays private while people nearby can still find you.

Keep your service area realistic. As at November 2026, Google says it shouldn't stretch farther than about 2 hours' driving from where your business is based. A PO box, or a mailbox at a remote location, isn't an acceptable address, and a rented mailing address you don't work from isn't eligible for a Business Profile.

If customers also come to you, say you're a mechanic with a workshop who also does roadside call-outs, you can show your address and set a service area too.

Google Business Profile verification: what to expect

Verification is how Google checks that you run the business. It's worth doing properly: Google says a verified profile tells it you're authorised to represent the business, so it's more likely to show up in search results.

You'll be offered one or more of these: phone or text, email, a live video call, or a postcard in the mail. You can't choose. Google's verification page says it decides which options your business gets, and they can't be changed. Some profiles are verified straight away, and you'll get a confirmation email when yours is.

Verification reviews take up to 5 business days, and occasionally longer. Most postcard codes arrive within 14 days, and each code expires after 30 days. While a postcard is on its way, don't change your business name, address or category, or the code won't work.

If you get the video option, the call happens during your business hours. Be at your business, ready to show your location and that you run it. And if the "Get verified" button shows up again later, Google couldn't completely verify your business, so it's worth checking your details.

Five things to fill in once you're verified

It's tempting to rush this part, but it matters. Google says businesses with complete and accurate info are more likely to show up in local search results. These five come straight from Google's guidelines and photo tips:

1. Category. Check it still reads "This business IS a". Add a second one only if that's also true.
2. Hours. Your regular customer-facing hours, not the hours you spend on paperwork.
3. Phone number. One the business controls directly, not a number that redirects callers somewhere else.
4. Website. A site that represents your business. Google doesn't allow web addresses that redirect people to another landing page.
5. Photos. Real photos of your shopfront, the inside, your products and your team at work. As at November 2026, Google asks for JPG or PNG files between 10 KB and 5 MB, and says photos should represent reality, with no significant alterations or excessive use of filters or AI.

Then start asking happy customers for reviews. Google says more reviews and positive ratings can help your local ranking, and that positive reviews and helpful replies help your business stand out. We'll cover how to get more Google reviews in a coming article.

Want us to set it up for you?

Setting up a profile isn't hard, but it's one more job on a long list. Keeping it current is the part that tends to slip: hours change, photos get old, and reviews sit without a reply.

That's what we do. Your Google Business Profile is part of our Google SEO and Google Ads plan: we claim and verify it, set the right category, add real photos and reply to your reviews, and look after your Google search and Google Ads alongside it. It's $400 a month, with no GST on top, month to month with no lock-in. If you already have a profile, we review what's there, fix what's holding it back and carry on from where you are. We work with businesses anywhere in New Zealand, including those without a shopfront.

If you'd like a hand, tell us about your business and get your free proposal. And if you're still getting the business itself off the ground, our step-by-step guide to setting up a business in NZ is a good place to start.

Sources

All checked November 2026.

• Add or claim your Business Profile on Google, Google Business Profile Help
• Tips to improve your local ranking on Google, Google Business Profile Help
• Get started with Google Business Profile, Google Business Profile Help
• Understand your Business Profile performance and insights, Google Business Profile Help
• Verify your business on Google, Google Business Profile Help
• Guidelines for representing your business on Google, Google Business Profile Help
• Help protect your Business Profile, Google Business Profile Help
• Tips for business-specific photos on your Business Profile, Google Business Profile Help