Maria Elena Duron
Grow with Google certified trainer Maria Elena Duron guides you through the process of claiming your Google Business Profile.
In order to claim your Google Business Profile, you need to verify that the business is actually yours.
Step 1: Check to see if your business already has a profile
Google yourself or go to Google Business Profile â Get Listed on Google and enter your business name to see if itâs already in the system.
You could be there because somebody checked in at your locationâperhaps they were really somewhere else nearby, but they thought it was you. It could be that a customer left you a review. Or maybe it was a helpful spouse, child, or friend who put you there. But it could also be a competitor or a disgruntled employee. So you do need to be able to claim that because the website is the new storefront these days, and itâs important to manage that reputation.
If you put your business name in and youâre there, claim it now. Itâs going to bring up every business by that name across the country. So if youâre in Midland, Texas, like I am, but thereâs a company by the same name in Florida, make sure youâre claiming the one thatâs in your area.
Step 2: Set up your business profile
If itâs not already there, put in your businessâs information, including the address. Do not be scared of this, especially if youâre working from home; enter it anyway, because they need to send a verification postcard out to you to be sure that you are the actual business owner. You can suppress the address so that itâs not published on search and maps.
If you are home-based, or you donât want people to come to your officeâletâs say youâre by appointment only, or you just have a warehouseâyou can indicate, âNo, I donât want people coming to my location, but I deliver goods and services to my customers.â Or if you do want them to see thatâmaybe you sell online and in-person in a shopâthen go ahead and say, âYes, do show my location.â
3. Select your geographic service areas
Next youâll be provided the opportunity to select your areas. Keep it tight; keep it local. Donât dilute the superpower!
4. Double check all information
Now, confirm everything. This is key: double check your spelling, the address, that you didnât make a mistake and say Drive, but itâs Boulevard, etc. A lot of times people will submit that they want the postcard, then when they review their work later they realize a mistake and try to change it, which causes the information to resubmit. And now theyâre in a horrible verification loop for a really, really long time. So definitely double check your work before you ever hit send, and donât change anything else until youâre verified.
5. Verify
Youâll be sent a verification postcard in about five to 10 days. It does not look like a postcard; it looks like a W2 with perforations on the side. Thereâs a five-digit verification code in there. You will enter that code in and now you can make updates, changes, customize, whatever youâd like to do. You have total control over your profile.
But remember: donât make any changes until your ownership of the profile has been verified!
Maria Elena Duron @maria
Social Media Advisory Board Member
I help small biz who are frustrated with digital marketing
Use free Google tools to reach customers in key moments
Speaker/Writer/ Google Trainer
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@market_in_moments
Thanks for the DIY tutorial. 
Many of the local business owners I talk with have NOT claimed their Google My Business profiles. Those that have, have success! Glad you are getting the word out. Kudos!