the entrepreneur code theecode.co.za

// free guide · google business profile

get your business on google maps

When someone nearby searches "plumber near me" or "CCTV installer Benoni", Google shows a map with three businesses on it. This guide gets you onto that map, step by step, with the wording ready to copy.

setupabout 45 min
verificationup to 5 working days
costfree

// why this matters

if you're not on the map, they call someone who is

People who need a plumber, an electrician or an alarm fixed don't scroll through websites. They search Google, look at the map and the stars, and phone one of the businesses they see there. A free Google profile is how you get into that list.

9 in 10

searches in South Africa happen on Google.

StatCounter, Sept 2026 (91.75%)
2.7×

more likely to be seen as reputable when your profile is complete. 50% more likely to be considered for the job.

Google Business Profile Help
96%

of people read online reviews before choosing a local business. Only 4% never do.

BrightLocal 2025, survey of 1,026 US adults

sources: statcounter · google · brightlocal

step 0

Search for yourself first

Open Google Maps on your phone and search your exact business name. If a listing with your name already comes up, do not make a new one. In step 1 you will claim the existing one instead.

// before you start

have these ready

  • A Google account the business keepsNot a staff member's personal Gmail. If they leave, you lose the profile.
  • Your exact registered nameAs it appears on your CIPC or trade paperwork.
  • The phone number customers callAnd your WhatsApp number if it is different.
  • Your business addressGoogle needs it to verify you. If customers don't visit you, you remove it from the public profile.
  • The areas you coverTowns or suburbs you will actually drive to. Google allows up to 20.
  • Your logo and 10 real photosFinished jobs, your vehicle, your team, your premises. No stock photos.
0 of 10 done

  1. Start (or claim) the profile

    New profile: on a computer, go to business.google.com/add (opens in a new tab), sign in with the business Google account and click Add your business to Google.

    Already listed (from step 0): open the listing in Google Maps and choose Claim this business, then Manage now. If someone else already verified it, Google lets you request ownership from them instead.

    One profile per business, never two.

  2. Type your name exactly

    Use your real business name and nothing else. For example Tapwise Plumbing, not Tapwise Plumbing | 24hr Plumber Centurion.

    Adding areas or services to the name breaks Google's rules and is the most common reason profiles get suspended.

    If another business has a similar name, keep every word of yours (like "Solutions" or "SA") so people can tell you apart.

  3. Choose your main category

    Start typing what you do and pick the closest match from Google's list. This one choice decides most of the searches you show up for, so pick the core of your business, not a side service.

    PlumberElectricianSecurity system installerRoofing contractorSolar energy companyHouse cleaning serviceMake-up artist

    You can add up to 9 more categories later (step 8).

  4. Shop, or service area?

    Google asks "Do you want to add a location customers can visit?"

    • Yes if customers come to you: a shop, salon, office or workshop with set hours and signage.
    • No if you go to them: installers, plumbers, cleaners, mobile services. Google's rule is that these businesses don't show their address publicly.

    If you choose No, add the towns and suburbs you cover, up to 20. Google asks that the whole area stays within about 2 hours' drive of your base.

  5. Add your phone and website

    Use the number customers should call, and your website if you have one. If you don't, leave it blank for now.

    Use the same name and number everywhere: Google profile, website, Facebook, invoices. When they all match, Google trusts the listing more.

  6. Verify that you are real

    Enter your real business address when asked. Google then chooses how you verify, and you can't pick. It can be a phone call or SMS, an email, a video you record, a live video call or a postcard.

    If you get the video option, record it live in the app on your phone: one clip, no cuts or edits, at least 30 seconds, showing:

    • Where you are: a street sign, building number or landmark at your business address.
    • That you are working: the tools, equipment or products you use for the job.
    • That you run it: unlock your branded vehicle, office or storeroom, or show an invoice, utility bill or permit with the business name on it.

    Don't show ID, bank or tax numbers in the video.

    Google says reviews take up to 5 working days. Your profile does not show on Maps until it is approved.

  7. Write your description

    In your profile click Edit profile and find the business description. Fill in the boxes below and copy the result. Google allows 750 characters, no links, and no prices or special offers.

    // description builder

    
            
    
          
    
          
    // everything you type stays on this phone. nothing is sent or saved.
    
        
    
      
    8. 

      
  8. 
        
    Fill in the rest
    
        
      
          
    • Extra categories: up to 9 more, only for work you really do.
      • 
          
    • Services: list each one separately (e.g. "Geyser replacement", "Leak detection"). Add prices if you are comfortable.
      • 
          
    • Hours: your real hours. If you do emergency call-outs, say so in the description rather than setting 24 hours.
      • 
          
    • Photos: logo, one cover photo, then at least 10 real ones. Profiles with real photos get far more calls than empty ones.
      • 
        
    
      
    9. 

      
  9. 
        
    Ask for your first reviews
    
        
    Once you are verified, open your profile on a computer and click Read reviews, then Get more reviews, then Copy. Send the message below on WhatsApp to your last 10 to 15 customers. Change the customer's name and the job for each one, your name and link stay the same.
    
        
    
          
    // review request message
    
          
    
            
    
            
    
            
    
            
    
          
    
          
    
            
    
            
    whatsapp message
    
          
    
          
    // stays on this phone. nothing is sent or saved.
    
        
    
        
    Ask every customer, not only the happy ones, and never pay or give discounts for reviews. Google's rules ban both, and fake reviews from friends or staff. It removes them and can suspend the profile.
    
        
    Reply to every review, good or bad, within a few days. Two plain sentences is enough.
    
      
    10. 

      
  10. 
        
    Keep it alive
    
        
      
          
    • Add an update with a photo of a finished job about once a week. It takes two minutes.
      • 
          
    • Keep your services, hours and description complete. Google is starting to answer people's questions about a business with AI, using the profile, reviews and website. (The old public Q&A section has been removed.)
      • 
          
    • Put the same name, number and areas on your website footer, with a link to your Google profile.
      • 
          
    • Check your profile once a month. Google and the public can suggest changes to your details, and you want to catch wrong ones early.
      • 
        
    
      
    11. 
    

  






  

    
// what gets profiles suspended or ignored

    
avoid these

    
    
      
  • Keywords in the name. "Bob's Plumbing Joburg 24/7" breaks the rules. Use "Bob's Plumbing".
    • 
      
  • Two profiles for one business. Claim the existing one instead of starting again.
    • 
      
  • A home address shown publicly when customers don't visit you. Choose service area instead.
    • 
      
  • Fake, bought or rewarded reviews, or asking only happy customers. Google's rules ban all of these, and the profile can go with them.
    • 
      
  • Stock photos. Real photos of your work build trust, stock photos don't.
    • 
      
  • Setting it up and never opening it again. Unanswered reviews and a dead profile cost you calls.
    • 
    

  






  

    

      
// stuck, or no time?

      
we can set it up with you

      
Send us a screenshot of the step you are on and we will help you through it. Or we do the whole setup, photos and description included, and hand it back to you.

      

        WhatsApp TEC (opens in a new tab)
        hello@theecode.co.za
      

      
this guide is free to share. theecode.co.za/guides/google-profile