Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is the free tool that controls how your business appears on Google Maps and in search results. When someone searches for your business name, your profile is the panel that shows your hours, photos, phone number, and reviews. It's often the first thing a potential customer sees.
Setting it up correctly takes about 30 minutes. This guide walks through every step for NZ businesses, including how to get verified, what to add after setup, and the mistakes that hurt your ranking.
Step 1: Create your profile
Go to google.com/business and sign in with a Google account. If your business is already listed on Google (someone else may have created it, or Google may have auto-generated it), search for it and claim it. If it doesn't exist yet, create a new listing.
Enter your business name exactly as you want it to appear. Don't add keywords to your business name (e.g., "Smith Plumbing Auckland Best Plumber") — Google can suspend listings for keyword stuffing in the name field.
Step 2: Choose your category carefully
Your primary category tells Google what type of business you are. It affects which searches you show up for more than almost any other setting. Be specific. "Electrician" is better than "Contractor." "Hair salon" is better than "Beauty salon" if you specifically do hair. "Cafe" is better than "Restaurant" if you're a cafe.
You can add secondary categories too. A plumber who also does gas fitting can add "Gas fitting contractor" as a secondary category. Add up to three secondary categories that accurately describe what you do.
Step 3: Add your location and service area
If customers come to your physical location (a shop, salon, cafe, studio), add your street address. This makes you show up on Google Maps with a pin.
If you go to customers (a plumber, builder, mobile service), you can add a service area instead of or in addition to your address. List the suburbs and cities you cover. Be specific: "Auckland Central, Ponsonby, Grey Lynn, Mt Eden" is more useful than "Auckland."
Step 4: Verify your listing
Google requires verification before your listing goes live. The most common method is a postcard sent to your business address with a 5-digit code. It arrives in 5 to 14 days. Some businesses can verify by phone or video call instead.
Don't skip this step. An unverified listing won't show up in the map pack and can be edited by anyone.
Step 5: Fill in every field
Once verified, complete every section of your profile. Google rewards completeness. Fields to fill in:
- Business hours (including public holiday hours if they differ)
- Phone number
- Website URL
- Business description (up to 750 characters, plain text, no keyword stuffing)
- Services or products (list your specific offerings)
- Attributes (e.g., wheelchair accessible, family friendly, outdoor seating)
For your business description, write two or three sentences about what you do, where you are, and who you serve. Mention your suburb or city naturally. Don't use it as an ad.
Step 6: Add photos
Businesses with photos on Google Business Profile receive 42% more direction requests than those without. That's a meaningful difference in foot traffic and map clicks.
Add at least five photos when you first set up your profile. What to include:
- Your storefront or premises exterior (so people can recognise it)
- Interior photos (for cafes, salons, retail)
- Photos of your work or products
- A team photo if you have one
- Your logo
Use real photos, not stock images. Google can detect and deprioritise stock photos. Photos taken on a phone in good light work fine. Aim for 1,000 x 1,000 pixels or larger.
Keep adding photos over time. Google favours active listings. A profile with 20 photos and recent uploads ranks higher than one with 5 photos from two years ago.
Using the Posts feature
Google Posts lets you publish short updates directly on your profile. They show up in search results alongside your listing. You can post about:
- Current offers or specials
- New services or products
- Seasonal hours changes
- Events
Posts expire after seven days for offer-type posts, or stay live for event posts until the event date passes. Posting once or twice a month keeps your listing looking active. You don't need to post constantly. One update per fortnight is enough to stay visible.
Getting and managing reviews
Reviews are the most important ranking factor in local search. A business with 30 reviews and a 4.5 rating outranks one with 5 reviews and a 5-star average almost every time. Volume matters more than perfection.
To get more reviews:
- Ask in person right after a job or visit. "Would you mind leaving us a Google review?" is enough.
- Send a text or email with your direct review link. Google provides a shareable URL in your profile dashboard.
- Add the link to your email signature or website.
- Don't offer incentives for reviews. Google can remove reviews it suspects were incentivised.
Respond to every review. For positive reviews, a short thank-you is enough. For negative reviews, acknowledge the issue, don't argue, and offer to resolve it offline. Other potential customers read your responses. A calm, professional reply to a bad review builds more trust than a defensive one.
Connecting your profile to your website
Add your website URL to your Google Business Profile. Google uses your website to verify the details in your listing and to understand your business better. A profile with a linked website ranks higher than one without.
Your website should also link back to your Google Business Profile, or include a prompt for customers to leave a review. This creates a reinforcing loop: your website improves your Google ranking, and your Google profile drives traffic to your website.
For more on how your website and local search work together, read our local SEO guide for NZ small businesses.
Common mistakes NZ businesses make
The most common issues that hurt Google Business Profile rankings:
- Wrong primary category (too broad, or not matching the actual business type)
- Missing or incorrect opening hours
- No photos, or only a logo with no other images
- No responses to reviews
- Business name doesn't match the name on the website
- Phone number format inconsistent across Google profile, website, and directories
- Profile left unmanaged for months with no updates
Most of these take less than ten minutes to fix once you know to look for them.
Your website and Google profile together
Google Business Profile gets your business onto Maps and into the local search results. Your website is what potential customers land on when they want to know more. Together they cover the full journey from discovery to decision.
At SiteSorted, every website we build is set up to work with your Google Business Profile. Your address, suburb, and services are on the page where Google can read them. From $299, one payment, no monthly fees.
Build your free preview now and see what your site looks like before you pay anything.
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