partners@corneliacove.com
Talk to us

How to add your business to Google, step by step

The short answer

To add your business to Google, go to business.google.com/add, choose Add your business to Google, enter your details and pick a verification option. It’s free. If a listing already exists, claim it instead by finding it on Google Maps. Once Google verifies you, which can take up to 5 business days, you control how your business shows on Search and Maps.

It costs nothing, and you don’t need an agency. Here are the steps from Google’s own help pages, plus what to get right before you start.

Updated November 5, 2026. We make CoveDesk, which also looks after Google profiles, websites and reviews for small businesses. What this page says about other companies comes from their own pages, linked below.

Add your business

  1. Sign in to a Google Account. Google says it can be a Gmail address or your own email address.
  2. Go to business.google.com/add and choose Add your business to Google.
  3. Enter your name, category, address or service area, phone and website, following the on-screen steps.
  4. Pick a verification option and follow it.
  5. Wait for Google’s review, then finish your profile.

Google’s help page (opens in a new tab) says you can add or claim a business at no charge, and that only eligible businesses can do so. Be careful with anyone who says they need to charge you for the listing itself.

If a listing already exists

  • Unverified: find your business on Google Maps and claim it from there.
  • Verified by someone else: request ownership from the current owner. A past employee or web designer often has it.
  • A duplicate: sort this out before you do anything else, using Google’s duplicate profile help.

What to get right from the start

  • Your business name, as it really is. Don’t add keywords or cities to it.
  • Your address: one customers can visit, or hide it and set a service area if you go to them.
  • The right category. It tells Google what kind of business you are.
  • Your hours, with special hours for holidays.
  • A phone number that gets answered. New customers call from your profile, so have a plan for when you’re busy.
  • Photos of real work.

Next, run through the Google Business Profile audit, then make a review link and QR code.

Rather have someone do it?

Adding a listing is free, and many owners do it themselves. Keeping it accurate, posting and answering reviews takes ongoing time, which is what CoveDesk’s online presence service is for. See what’s included.

Common questions

Is it free to add my business to Google?
Yes. Google says you can add or claim your business at no charge.
How long does it take to show up on Google?
Google says verification reviews take up to 5 business days, and occasionally longer. Showing up for a particular search depends on other things as well, such as your distance from the searcher.
Can I add a business without a storefront?
Generally, yes, if you meet customers at their location: you can set a service area and hide your address. Check Google’s eligibility and address guidelines first.
Do I need a website?
Not to create a profile, but a website gives customers more reasons to choose you, and verifying it through Search Console can sometimes verify your profile instantly.
Someone else already claimed my business. What now?
If it’s verified and you’re authorized to manage the business, you can request ownership from the current owner through Google.

Sources

What this page says about other companies comes from their own websites, read on November 5, 2026:

Prices and terms change, so check each company’s website before you buy. Company names are the trademarks of their owners and are used only to identify their services; none of them is affiliated with or endorses CoveDesk. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we’ll fix it.

Want every call answered?

Tell us how your calls come in today and we’ll suggest the simplest setup, even if it isn’t CoveDesk.

Talk to usSee pricing