Talk to Charlie Build my free preview Free preview

A practical guide for UK small businesses

How to get your business on Google, step by step

Here's how to get your business on Google properly: a free Business Profile that shows on the map, and a website that turns up in the ordinary results. Most of it you can do yourself in an afternoon.

  • Free to do yourself
  • Reviews the legal way
  • No ranking promises

Your preview updates as you type.

Free. No card. About 60 seconds.

80+ websites built by Charlie through Transform Sites

Open full preview
  • 80+websites built
  • 100+happy clients
  • 1working day to go live, once I have your answers
  • £0upfront

Track record from Transform Sites, MonthlySite's parent company.

The short answer

How do I get my business on Google?

Create a free Google Business Profile, verify it with the method Google offers you, and fill in every section: category, services, areas, hours and photos. Then make sure you have a website with the same name, address and phone number, add it to Google Search Console, and ask every customer for a review. Your profile can appear within days of verification.

At a glance

Price
£49 to £99 a month
Contract
None
Upfront
£0
Live within
1 working day of your answers
Cancel
Any month
One-off
From £549

80+ websites built by Charlie through Transform Sites.

On this page
  1. Set up your profile
  2. Profile details
  3. Getting reviews
  4. Your website
  5. See an example
  6. Common mistakes
  7. How long it takes
  8. Questions

Set up and verify your Google Business Profile

Google shows local businesses in two places: the map, which comes from Business Profiles, and the normal results below it, which list websites. The profile is the quickest win, so start there.

  1. Check you aren't already listed

    Search for your business name and town on Google Maps. Google sometimes creates a profile from public information. If one exists, claim it rather than making a duplicate.

  2. Create or claim the profile

    Go to Google Business Profile and sign in with a Google account you'll keep. A business email beats a personal one that might get forgotten.

  3. Say where you work

    If customers come to you, add your address. If you go to them, hide it and list the towns you serve instead. You still need a real address to verify.

  4. Verify it

    Google picks the method. Often it's a short video showing your signage, tools or premises, sometimes a phone call, text, email or postcard. Checks can take a few days.

  5. Fill in everything

    A half-finished profile loses out to a complete one. The details that matter most are below.

The details that make your profile work

Google's guidelines for business profiles are worth ten minutes of your time. These are the parts that make the biggest difference.

  • Your real business name

    Exactly as it appears on your van, sign or invoices. Adding keywords such as “Best Plumber Leeds” breaks the rules and can get a profile suspended.

  • The right main category

    Pick the most specific one that fits, such as “Electrician” rather than “Contractor”, then add a few secondary categories for the other work you do.

  • Services, areas and hours

    List the jobs you actually want, the towns you cover and hours you really keep, including bank holidays.

  • Real photos

    Your work, your van, your premises, your team. Stock photos tell customers nothing, and phone photos of real jobs are fine.

  • The same details everywhere

    Use the same name, address and phone number on your website, Bing Places, Apple Business Connect and trade directories. Mismatches make Google less sure which details are right.

  • Your website link

    Add your website, so people can check your work and prices before they ring. A profile with no website looks unfinished.

Getting reviews the legal way

Reviews help you show up and help people choose you. The simplest routine is to ask every customer, straight after the job, with a direct link from your profile so it takes them seconds. A text usually works better than an email. Reply to every review, including the awkward ones, calmly and briefly.

Since 6 April 2025, the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 has made it unlawful in the UK to write, buy or commission fake reviews, or to hide that a review was incentivised. Google's own policies also ban offering discounts for reviews and asking only the customers you think were happy. The CMA publishes guidance for businesses, so check the current version if you're unsure.

From Charlie

Anyone who promises you the top spot on Google is guessing, or worse. I'd rather set everything up properly, tell you what's in your hands, and let a steady stream of real reviews do the talking.

Founder, MonthlySite

Why your website still matters

Your profile gets you on the map. Your website is what turns up in the ordinary results, and it's where people check you're real before they ring. Google also reads it to confirm what you do and where, so it helps the profile too.

Once your site is live, add it to Google Search Console. It's free, it shows which searches you appear for, and it tells you about pages Google can't read. Submit your sitemap there and use URL Inspection to ask Google to look at your home page.

  • Say what you do and which towns you cover in page titles and headings
  • Show the same name, address and phone number as your profile
  • Make the phone number tap to call, because most visitors are on a phone
  • Give each main service its own page, in the words customers use

A website that backs up your profile

A live template for an electrician, the kind of trade that wins a lot of work from local searches. Press “Try this with my details” to see it with your business name and town.

Example template for an electrician. Brightwire Electrical is a made-up business: your preview uses your name. See the template for every trade.

What to notice

  1. Look for the areas covered: the same towns you'd list on your Business Profile
  2. The phone number dials in one tap, which matters when people arrive from the map
  3. Your name, town and number fill in from the free preview, ready to match your profile
Try this with my details Open full preview

Common mistakes that keep businesses off Google

  • Two profiles for one business

    Duplicates split your reviews and confuse Google. Remove the spare, or ask Google support to merge them.

  • A PO box or virtual office

    Google doesn't accept PO boxes, and virtual offices rarely qualify unless they're staffed in business hours.

  • Changing your details too often

    Frequent name or address edits can send a profile back for verification. Get it right once.

  • Setting it up and forgetting it

    Out-of-date hours and unanswered reviews put customers off. A few minutes a week keeps it fresh.

How long it takes, and where we fit

A verified profile can start appearing within days. A new website is usually picked up within a few days to a few weeks once it's in Search Console. Showing up near the top takes longer, typically months, and depends on how far you are from the person searching and how established your competitors are. Nobody can honestly promise you a position, and we don't.

If you'd rather not do it yourself, our Growth and Pro plans include a website and your Google Business Profile set up for you, plus local SEO for your town. Pro adds a page for each area you cover and a monthly report. Starter gets a Google-friendly build with proper page titles and a sitemap.

A website and Google setup, in one monthly fee

Google Business Profile setup and local SEO come with Growth and Pro, alongside the website that backs them up. No setup fee and no contract.

£1.61a day for Starter, billed as £49 a month. No contract.

  • Starter

    £49a month

    • Up to 3 pages
    • Hosting and SSL included
    • 1 change a month

  • Growth Charlie's pick

    £79a month

    • Up to 6 pages
    • Google Business Profile setup
    • Unlimited small edits

  • Pro

    £99a month

    • Up to 10 pages
    • A page for each area
    • Priority 48-hour edits

No contract. Cancel any month. No upfront fee.

Compare plans in detail
Build my free preview

Free. No card. About 60 seconds.

Rather own it outright? One-off builds from £549.

MonthlySite is new. I'm not.

80 websites and counting, built for small businesses through Transform Sites, MonthlySite's parent company.

  • 80+websites built
  • 100+happy clients

I only publish genuine reviews, and MonthlySite's first ones are on their way. Until then, here's my promise: you'll deal with me, and I'll reply within one working day.

Questions people ask

Message CharlieI reply within one working day
Is it free to put my business on Google?

Yes. A Google Business Profile is free, and so is Google Search Console. You don't pay Google to appear in the map or the normal results. Google Ads are a separate, paid option that puts you in the sponsored spots, and they stop the day you stop paying.

Why is my business not showing up on Google?

The usual reasons are that the profile isn't verified yet, it has been suspended for breaking the guidelines, there's a duplicate, or the person searching is too far away. For your website, it may not be indexed yet. Check your profile's status and look up your site in Search Console.

Can I put a home-based business on Google Maps?

Yes. If you visit customers rather than having them come to you, set it up as a service-area business, hide your home address and list the towns you cover. Google still needs your real address to verify you, but it isn't shown to the public.

How do I verify my business on Google?

After you create or claim your profile, Google offers one or more verification methods. The most common now is a short video showing your business, such as signage, equipment or your van. Others include a phone call, text, email or postcard. You can't choose a method Google hasn't offered.

Do I have to pay for Google Ads to get customers from Google?

No. Ads can bring quick enquiries, but they cost money for every click and stop when you stop paying. A complete Business Profile, a clear website and genuine reviews cost little or nothing and keep working. Many small businesses start there and only try ads once the basics are in place.

Can MonthlySite set up my Google Business Profile for me?

Yes. Growth at £79 a month and Pro at £99 a month include setting up or claiming your profile, getting it verified and filling it in properly, alongside your website and local SEO. There's no contract. Starter at £49 a month includes a Google-friendly website but not profile setup.

See your website before you spend a penny.

Pick your trade, add your business name and see it on a laptop and a phone. If you like it, plans start at £49 a month with no contract.

Free. No card. About 60 seconds.