{"id":7327,"date":"2026-11-14T17:45:29","date_gmt":"2026-11-14T17:45:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/itsolutions.ee\/uncategorized\/google-business-profile-guide\/"},"modified":"2026-11-14T17:45:29","modified_gmt":"2026-11-14T17:45:29","slug":"google-business-profile-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/itsolutions.ee\/en\/blog\/google-business-profile-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Google Business Profile Guide 2026: Set Up, Verify, Optimise"},"content":{"rendered":"
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In short:<\/strong> This Google Business Profile guide covers the free listing (formerly Google My Business) that shows your company in Google Search and Maps. You create it at business.google.com and then verify it; Google decides the verification method itself, which can be phone or text, email, a video recording, a live video call or a postcard, and reviews usually take up to 5 business days. After verification, the things that matter most are an accurate primary category, consistent name, address and phone (NAP), real photos, a steady flow of reviews and replies to them. Google ranks local results by relevance, distance and prominence, and you cannot pay for a better position.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

This Google Business Profile guide<\/strong> walks you through creating, verifying and filling in your profile so your business appears in Google Maps and in AI answers. It reflects the 2026 situation: Google has changed verification options, removed the public Questions and Answers section and added an AI-powered Ask button. If you want the bigger picture first, read what local SEO is<\/a>; this article focuses only on the profile itself, with notes for businesses operating in Estonia.<\/p>\n

Is Google Business Profile the same as Google My Business?<\/h2>\n

Yes. Google renamed Google My Business to Google Business Profile in 2021. People still search for the old name, but it is the same tool: the panel Google shows next to search results on desktop, at the top on mobile and in Google Maps, with your name, address, hours, phone, website, photos, reviews and posts.<\/p>\n

The profile is free. You manage it directly from Google Search or Maps while signed in to an account that has access to it.<\/p>\n

How do you create a Google Business Profile step by step?<\/h2>\n
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  1. Check whether a profile already exists.<\/strong> Search for your business in Google Maps. If it is there, choose “Own this business?” and request ownership. Creating a second profile for the same location breaks the rules.<\/li>\n
  2. Go to business.google.com.<\/strong> Sign in with a Google account owned by the company, not an employee’s personal account. You can add other managers later.<\/li>\n
  3. Enter your business name.<\/strong> Use your real-world name as it appears on your sign, website and invoices. Keywords, city names or taglines in the name are not allowed and can get the profile suspended.<\/li>\n
  4. Choose a primary category.<\/strong> It should complete the sentence “This business IS a\u2026”, not “This business HAS a\u2026”.<\/li>\n
  5. Add an address or a service area.<\/strong> If customers visit you, add your exact address. If you visit customers (a plumber or cleaning company, for example), hide the address and set a service area.<\/li>\n
  6. Add phone and website.<\/strong> Use a local number that matches your website and company registers.<\/li>\n
  7. Verify the profile.<\/strong> See the next section.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    How do you verify a Google Business Profile in 2026?<\/h2>\n

    According to Google’s help centre, the verification method is chosen automatically and cannot be changed. It depends on your business type, location and the profile’s history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
    Method<\/th>\nHow it works<\/th>\nWhat to keep in mind<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
    Phone or text<\/td>\nGoogle sends a code to your business number<\/td>\nThe number must match the profile<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Email<\/td>\nInstructions are sent to an email address<\/td>\nIdeally an address on your company domain<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Video recording<\/td>\nYou film your location, signage and proof of ownership in one take<\/td>\nGoogle recommends it when offered<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Live video call<\/td>\nA Google support agent guides you on a call<\/td>\nOnly during your business hours<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Postcard<\/td>\nA code is mailed to your address<\/td>\nMost codes arrive within 14 days and expire after 30 days<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

    Once you complete the steps, the review can take up to 5 business days (Google Business Profile Help, 2026). For a video, show in one continuous shot the street or building, your signage, the interior or tools of the trade, and something that proves ownership, such as a till, keys or uniforms. For an Estonian company, it helps when the name and address match the e-Business Register.<\/p>\n

    How should you choose categories and keep NAP consistent?<\/h2>\n

    The primary category is one of the strongest local signals. Pick the most specific one available (“Dentist”, not “Health”) and add secondary categories only for genuine core activities. Google’s guidelines say to use as few categories as possible and not to use them as keywords.<\/p>\n

    NAP<\/strong> stands for name, address and phone. Keep them identical everywhere:<\/p>\n