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Google Business Profile for sole traders: how to set one up

Last checked 19 October 2026 Quick answer A Google Business Profile is a free listing that can show your business on Google Search and Maps. Google says you can create one if you have a location customers can visit, or if you travel to customers. You sign in with a Google Account, add your business…

By Aidan Thorne, EditorPublished What changed

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Last checked 19 October 2026

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Photo: Crab Lens on Pexels

Quick answer

A Google Business Profile is a free listing that can show your business on Google Search and Maps. Google says you can create one if you have a location customers can visit, or if you travel to customers. You sign in with a Google Account, add your business details and verify them. If customers don’t come to you, Google says you must hide your address and show a service area instead.

This is general information, not tax advice. Check GOV.UK or speak to an accountant about your situation. Why we say this.

When someone searches for “plumber near me” or “dog groomer” plus a town name, the map and list of local businesses at the top of the results come largely from Google Business Profiles. For many sole traders, a profile is one of the first places a new customer sees them. This guide explains how to set one up, based on Google’s own help pages, and what Google says helps you show up.

What it is and what it costs

Google’s Business Profile page says creating a Business Profile and listing your business on Google is free. A profile can show your business name, what you do, your hours, photos, contact details, a link to your website and customer reviews.

Can you have one?

Google’s guidelines for representing your business say you can create a Business Profile if your business either has a physical location customers can visit, or travels to customers where they are. Google also says there should only be one profile per business.

That covers most sole traders who meet customers in person: trades, cleaners, mobile hairdressers, dog walkers, tutors, photographers and so on. The guidelines are long and Google updates them, so read them before you start.

How to set one up

Google’s Sign up for Business Profile help page sets out these steps:

  1. Sign in to your Google Account on a computer, or create one. Google suggests signing up with your business email domain if you create a new account.
  2. Enter your business name. You may be able to pick it from a list of suggestions. If Google says someone else has already verified it, you can request ownership.
  3. Choose your business category.
  4. Say whether you have a location customers can visit.
  5. Add your address or your service area. Shopfronts staffed during business hours add an address or position a map marker. Businesses without one enter a service area instead.
  6. Add a phone number and website address.
  7. Choose a verification option. Google recommends checking your information before you request verification.

Google says customers can only find your business profile after you complete verification.

If you work from home or travel to customers

This is the part that catches out many sole traders. Google’s help page says that if your business doesn’t have a shopfront where you receive customers, you must hide your business address. You’ll then show a service area instead.

Google says:

  • you can set your service area by cities, postcodes or other areas, with up to 20 service areas
  • it recommends your overall area isn’t more than about 2 hours’ driving from where your business is based, though a larger area may be right for some businesses
  • your Google account may be suspended if Google finds multiple profiles for the same business in the same metropolitan area

If you’ve already verified a profile that shows your home address, the help page explains how to hide it.

What helps you show up locally

Google’s Tips to improve your local ranking page says local results are mainly based on three things:

  • Relevance: how well a profile matches what someone is searching for
  • Distance: how far the business is from the person searching
  • Prominence: how well known a business is, which Google says includes information such as how many websites link to it and how many reviews it has

Google says there’s no way to request or pay for a better local ranking. Its tips for improving your chances include:

  • verifying your business
  • keeping your information complete and accurate, including hours and category
  • replying to reviews
  • adding photos and videos of your business

Be wary of anyone promising guaranteed top spots on Google Maps. Google itself says ranking can’t be bought.

Reviews on your profile

Reviews show next to your profile in Maps and Search. Google’s Tips to get more reviews page says you can ask customers to leave a review using a Google link or QR code. It also says reviews must reflect a genuine experience, and that offering incentives, such as free or discounted goods or services, for customers to post, change or remove reviews is strictly prohibited.

UK law has rules on reviews too. Since April 2025, the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act bans fake reviews and concealed incentivised reviews. Our guide to reviews and referrals explains what the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) says.

Google’s tips for replying include staying polite and professional, never sharing a reviewer’s private information, and inviting an unhappy customer to get in touch so you can try to put things right.

Keep it accurate

Your profile is a form of advertising. GOV.UK’s Marketing and advertising: the law guide says all marketing must be an accurate description of your product or service, and that if you make a claim, you must be able to prove it. Only list services you actually offer, and keep your hours and contact details up to date.

A profile and a website work together

A profile is a good starting point, but it’s not the same as having your own website. A site gives you space to explain your services and show your work in more depth, and Google lets you link to it from your profile.

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Frequently asked questions

Is a Google Business Profile free?

Google says creating a Business Profile and listing your business on Google is free.

Do I have to show my home address?

Not if customers don’t visit you. Google says that if you don’t have a shopfront where you receive customers, you must hide your address and show a service area instead.

How many areas can I cover?

Google says you can add up to 20 service areas, and recommends keeping your overall area within about 2 hours’ driving of your base.

Can I pay to rank higher on Google Maps?

Google says there’s no way to request or pay for a better local ranking.

Can I offer a discount for a Google review?

Google says offering incentives such as free or discounted goods or services in exchange for reviews is strictly prohibited.

Sources

All checked on 19 October 2026.

Where to check

What changed. : . 19 October 2026: First published.

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