How to Set Up Google My Business (Step-by-Step Guide)

Why GBP is non-negotiable for local businesses

Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is the listing that shows up when someone searches your business name, OR searches "[your service] near me". For local businesses — clinics, salons, restaurants, dealerships — it is the single highest-ROI marketing asset you can own. And it's free.

Step 1: Claim and verify

Go to google.com/business. Search for your business name. If it exists, click "Claim this business". If not, click "Add your business".

Verification options in 2026: - Postcard (slowest, takes 5–14 days) - Phone (fastest if available) - Email (some categories) - Video verification (newest, walks you through your physical location)

Use video verification if you can — it's the fastest in Nigeria.

Step 2: Fill in everything

Skip nothing. Specifically: - Exact address (use Google Maps to drop the pin precisely) - Phone number that actually answers - Website URL - Opening hours (and special holiday hours) - 5–10 service categories (primary + secondary) - Short description (max 750 characters — use them all)

Step 3: The photo strategy

Upload at minimum: - 1 cover photo - 3 photos of your physical space (exterior, interior, reception) - 5 photos of your work / products / food - 2 team photos (humans build trust)

Then add 1 photo per week for the first 3 months. Profiles with weekly photo updates rank significantly higher.

Step 4: Posts (the underrated lever)

Most businesses ignore Google Posts. Don't. Post once a week — an offer, an update, a behind-the-scenes. Each post lives in your profile for 7 days and signals activity to Google's algorithm.

Step 5: Q&A (own this section)

Add 10 of your own most-frequently-asked questions and answer them yourself. Otherwise random people will answer them with wrong information that you cannot edit.

Step 6: The review machine

Reviews are the #1 ranking factor for local search. Build a system: - Save a short link to your review form (g.page/r/...) - Send it via WhatsApp to every happy customer - Send within 24 hours of service (memory is strongest then) - Reply to every review within 48 hours, good or bad

Target: 1 new review per week minimum.

What "good" looks like in 90 days

A well-optimised GBP for a Nigerian local business should hit, in 90 days: - 30+ reviews averaging 4.6+ - 2–3× the views of similar businesses nearby - Phone calls and direction requests showing in your insights

If you're not there, something in this guide isn't being executed consistently.