How to Set Up, Verify and Optimise a Google Business Profile

A Google Business Profile is the free listing that shows your business on Google Search and Google Maps: address, phone number, opening hours, photos and customer reviews. When a tourist in Antalya searches for "breakfast in Konyaalti" or "dentist near me", the map and the three-business list above the results come from these profiles. This guide covers who can create a profile, which verification methods exist, what Google wants to see in a verification video and the settings that help you rank in local search.

Who can create a Google Business Profile?

Any business that meets customers in person. There are two kinds: if customers come to you (a shop, clinic, hotel or restaurant), you list an address; if you go to them (a plumber, cleaner or transfer service), you register as a service-area business. Online-only businesses with no face-to-face contact are not eligible. Creating and running a profile is free.

Do you need a Gmail address?

No. You need a Google Account to manage the profile, but it does not have to be Gmail. Google lets you create an account with your existing email address. An account on a business address such as info@yourcompany.com is the better choice, because it stays with the company when staff change.

What Google looks at in local results

Google explains on its help page that local results are ranked on three factors:

• Relevance: how well your profile matches the search. Categories, services and your description drive this.
• Distance: how close you are to the searcher or the location in the query. You cannot change it, but you can make sure your address or service area is correct.
• Prominence: how well known your business is. Review count and rating, your website's search performance and mentions on other sites all count.

Setting up your profile

1. Check whether a profile already exists. Search your business name on Google Maps. A customer or former employee may have added it. If so, request ownership instead of creating a new one.
2. Sign in with a business Google Account. Give your agency or staff manager access, never ownership. Ownership should always stay with you.
3. Enter your name as it appears on your sign. No keywords, district names or slogans.
4. Choose your primary category carefully. It carries the most weight. Only add extra categories for work you actually do.
5. Add an address or a service area. If customers come to you, show the address. If you go to them, hide it and select the districts you cover.
6. Start verification. Google shows the methods available to you; details below.

Verification methods and timing

You do not get to pick the method. Google offers one or more based on your business type, location and the profile's history. The methods listed on Google's verification page are:

Many businesses are now offered video recording or a live video call. If phone or email appears as an option, it is the fastest.

Video verification: what Google wants to see

According to the video verification page, the recording has to show three things clearly:

• Location: outside signage, a street sign or neighbouring businesses, so it is clear you are at that address.
• Proof the business exists: products, branded equipment, marketing materials or the tools you use to serve customers.
• Proof of management: staff-only areas, the till, the kitchen, a storeroom or non-sensitive business documents. Showing your keys also counts.

The technical rules are strict: at least 30 seconds, one unedited take with no breaks, and no pre-recorded footage. It is recorded on a phone or tablet through the profile itself. Requirements differ between storefronts and service-area businesses, so check the list for your type before you start.

Passing on the first attempt

• Plan your route: sign and street outside, then products or equipment inside, then a staff area or the till. Follow that order in one take.
• Film in daylight so the sign is readable.
• Move the camera slowly; quick turns blur the picture.
• With no sign, get the entrance, door number and street sign in the same shot.
• Do not show customer data, ID cards or bank cards.
• If it is rejected, add what was missing and try again; you can also contact Google support from the profile.

Fields to complete

Reviews: consistency beats volume

Rating and review count matter, but a steady flow of reviews and your replies matter more. The cleanest method is a short message with your profile link after each job. Offering discounts or gifts for reviews breaks Google's rules. Reply to negative reviews briefly, without getting defensive, and offer a concrete fix; future customers read those replies more than the reviewer does.

Tourism businesses in Antalya get reviews in English, German, Russian and Polish. Google translates them for readers, but replying in the reviewer's language builds trust.

Posts, photos and the performance report

A profile is not a form you fill in once. A few new photos a month, a short post for an offer or event and an up-to-date services list show the business is active. The performance screen shows which searches found you and how many people asked for directions or called. Add UTM parameters to your website link and you can track profile visitors separately in Google Analytics. Compare the numbers every quarter to see what worked.

Consistent name, address and phone (NAP)

Your name, address and phone number should match everywhere: Google, your website, Instagram, directories and booking platforms. Small spelling differences are fine, but two phone numbers or an old address lowers Google's confidence in your listing.

How your profile and SEO work together

Local searches show two areas: the map pack and the regular (organic) results below it. Your profile feeds the map, your website feeds the organic results, and the two are linked, because Google's prominence factor includes how your website performs in search. Three things make the difference:

• The website link on your profile should go to the page about the service, not just the home page.
• The same details on your site: address, phone and hours written as text and marked up with LocalBusiness structured data (JSON-LD). This is standard on our business websites.
• Service and area pages: each category you choose on the profile should have its own page on your site.

AI assistants also lean on reviews and map data when recommending businesses; more in how to show up in ChatGPT and AI search, and the general picture in how to rank higher on Google.

Common mistakes

• Creating a second profile for the same business.
• Letting your agency own the profile, then losing access when you switch agencies.
• Opening a new profile after moving instead of updating the address, and losing your reviews.
• Marking a seasonal closure as "permanently closed" instead of "temporarily closed".
• Uploading a logo and two photos, then never touching it again.
• Linking to a website page that no longer exists.

Tips specific to Antalya

If many of your customers are foreign, one map is not enough. Some Russian-speaking visitors use Yandex Maps and iPhone users rely on Apple Maps, so add free listings through Yandex Business and Apple Business Connect with the same details. If you work seasonally, set reminders in April and October to update your hours and avoid "it was closed" reviews. If you want your map listing and your site handled together, see our web design work for Antalya businesses.

If you want your profile and website working together, get in touch and we will review the gaps with you. Planning a new site? The quote wizard maps out scope and budget in a few steps.