How to Set Up Your Google Business Profile in Ireland (Step by Step)

What you need before you start

Have these ready. It saves time and stops mistakes that are hard to undo later.

• ✓A Google account, ideally one for the business rather than your personal one
• ✓Your business name exactly as customers know it, with no extra keywords
• ✓Your address, or the towns you serve if you work from home
• ✓Your phone number and website
• ✓Your opening hours, including any days you're closed
• ✓5 to 10 good photos: your work, your premises, you or your team

Step 1: Create the profile

Go to business.google.com and sign in. Choose "Add your business" and type your business name. If Google already has a listing for you, claim it rather than creating a new one. Duplicate listings cause problems.

Step 2: Pick the right category

Your main category matters more than almost anything else. Pick the one that best describes what you do, such as "Plumber", "Electrician", "Café" or "Physiotherapist". You can add a few extra categories after that, but keep them relevant.

Don't pick a broad category like "Contractor" if a more exact one exists. Google uses the category to decide which searches you show up for.

Step 3: Address or service area

If customers come to you, such as a shop, café or clinic, add your full address. If you go to customers, such as a plumber, roofer or mobile hairdresser, you can hide your address and add a service area instead.

This matters for anyone working from home. Choose the option to not show your address, then list the towns and counties you cover. In Ireland, adding counties and the main towns you serve works well.

Make sure your address on Google matches your website exactly, character for character. Small differences, like "Co." on one and "County" on the other, are worth fixing.

Step 4: Phone, website and hours

Add a phone number you actually answer. A mobile is fine. Add your website link and your opening hours. Set special hours for bank holidays and Christmas so people don't turn up to a locked door.

Step 5: Verify the profile

Google needs to confirm you're a real business. In Ireland, it will usually offer one or more of these: a short video showing your signage, premises or tools; a phone call or text; an email; or a postcard sent to your address.

Video verification is now common. Film your business sign or van, the street outside, and something that proves you run the business, such as tools, equipment or a till. Keep it to one continuous clip.

Verification can take from a few minutes to a couple of weeks. Don't edit the name or address while it's in progress.

Step 6: Fill in every section

A complete profile looks more trustworthy and gives Google more to work with.

• ✓Services: list each one, with a short description and a price if you can
• ✓Description: 750 characters on what you do and where. Plain words, no keyword stuffing
• ✓Photos: real ones, not stock. Add new ones every month or two
• ✓Attributes: things like wheelchair access, outdoor seating or online appointments
• ✓Products: useful for shops, cafés and salons

Step 7: Get your first reviews

Reviews have a big effect on who gets the call. Ask happy customers right after the job, when they're most likely to do it. Google gives you a short link you can send by text or WhatsApp.

Reply to every review, good and bad, politely. Never pay for reviews or post fake ones. Google removes them and can suspend the profile.

Step 8: Link it to your website

Your website and your profile should support each other. Put the same business name, address and phone on both. Link to your website from the profile, and add a map or a "find us on Google" link on your contact page.

We set up and link Google Business Profile as part of every website we build. If you've already got one, we'll tidy it up.

If someone else already controls your listing

Sometimes a listing exists but you can't edit it, because a former staff member, a previous web designer or an old agency set it up. Search for your business on Google Maps, open the listing and choose "Own this business?" or "Claim this business".

Google will ask the current owner to approve the request. If they don't reply within about a week, you can usually verify and take control yourself. Keep a record of who has access afterwards, and add a second manager you trust so you're never locked out again.

How to keep your profile working after setup

A profile that's set up and then left alone slowly slips down the map. Google favours profiles that look active and up to date.

Once a month, add two or three new photos of recent work. Post a short update when you have news, an offer or a seasonal change in hours. Reply to every new review within a few days. Check your hours before every bank holiday.

Look at the Performance section too. It shows how many people called, asked for directions or clicked to your website. That tells you whether the profile is bringing in work.

Common mistakes to avoid

• ✓Adding keywords to your business name, like "Joe's Plumbing Cheap Plumber Dublin". It breaks Google's rules.
• ✓Using a PO box or virtual office as your address
• ✓Creating a second profile for the same business
• ✓Leaving hours out of date
• ✓Ignoring reviews

Frequently asked questions