Google Business Profile setup for Guernsey businesses

If you only do one thing from our where do I start guide, do this one.

A Google Business Profile is the free listing that puts you on Google and on the map when someone nearby searches for what you do. It holds your reviews, your photos, your opening hours and a button that rings your phone. It is the closest thing there is to a free shopfront on the busiest high street in the world (Google).

Most businesses on the island have either never set one up, or set one up years ago and never finished it. Which means this is the easiest place to get ahead.

Why this matters more than you think

Here's what a finished, well-kept profile actually does:

• It gets you found at the exact moment someone wants you. Someone typing "boiler repair near me" with a problem right now.
• It's where your reviews live. Reviews are what turn a quick look into a phone call.
• It's free and it's fast. An evening to set up, fifteen minutes a week to keep fresh.
• It works even if you don't have a website yet. Plenty of enquiries come straight off the profile.

The gap between a half-finished profile and a complete one is not small:

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Same listing. Seven times the clicks. Just for filling it in properly.

Before you start: have these to hand

• Your exact business name (the same wording you use everywhere else).
• The category that best describes what you do (e.g. "Electrician", "Kitchen remodeler", "Plumber").
• A phone number and, if you have one, your website.
• Your opening hours.
• A handful of photos: your van, your team, and a few of your finished work.

Step by step: create the profile

1. Go to google.com/business and click Sign in (or create a free Google account if you don't have one). Use an email you'll keep, ideally a business one.
2. Enter your business name. As you type, check it doesn't already exist in the dropdown. If an old listing for your business appears, claim that one instead of making a duplicate. Write the name exactly as you use it elsewhere, no added keywords.
3. Choose your business category. Pick the closest match to your main service. You can add more categories later, but this first one is your primary and it matters most, so choose the one that describes the bulk of your work.
4. Add your location. This is the important bit for most local businesses:
   • If customers come to you (a shop, a yard, a studio), enter your address.
   • If you go to your customers (most trades), choose to hide your address and set a service area instead. This keeps your home address private and still puts you on the map for the right searches.
5. Add your phone number and website. If you don't have a website yet, leave it blank, you can add it later. The phone number should be the one you actually answer.
6. Accept the terms and you're created. Next, verification.

Verifying your business

Google needs to confirm you're real before the listing goes fully live. You'll usually be offered one of two ways:

• Video verification (most common now). You record a short 1 to 2 minute video on your phone showing an identifiable area, your van or shopfront, signage if you have it, and proof you're the owner. Follow the on-screen prompts. This is often the fastest, sometimes approved within a few days.
• Postcard by post. Google posts a card with a 5-digit code to your address, you enter the code to verify. This can take a couple of weeks, so if you're offered video, take it. Don't change your business name, address or category while you're waiting for a postcard, it can reset the process.

Now fill it out properly, section by section

This is where most people stop too early, and it's where the 7x clicks come from. Once verified, you can edit everything directly from Google Search or Maps while logged into your owner account. Go through every section.

Name. Exactly your business name. Resist the urge to stuff it with "Best Plumber Guernsey", Google can suspend you for it.

Categories. Set the most accurate primary category, then add any genuine secondary ones (a kitchen company might add "Bathroom remodeler"). Only add what you actually do.

Service area. Add Guernsey as the area you cover. This helps Google show you to the right people.

Hours. Set them accurately, including any half-days. Add special hours for bank holidays. Nothing annoys a potential customer like turning up or ringing when you said you're open and you're not.

Phone and website. Double check the number. If you have a website, link it. If you have a booking or quote page, even better.

Description. A few sentences on what you do, who you help and where. Mention Guernsey and your main services naturally.

Services. Add each service you offer as a separate item with a short description. This is underused and genuinely helps you show up for specific searches ("EICR testing", "underfloor heating", "garden design").

Photos. This is the one people skip. Add real photos: exterior or van, you and the team at work, and several tidy finished jobs. Google's own data says profiles with photos get more clicks and more direction requests. Use clear shots, at least 720 x 720 pixels, JPG or PNG. Add a few new ones every month to keep the profile active. We have an entire resource which goes into detail on how you can take great photos of your work.

Products (if relevant). Some businesses use this to showcase specific offerings with a photo and price guide.

Attributes. Tick the relevant ones (e.g. "disabled access").

Get your first few reviews

A profile with no reviews looks new and untested. A handful of genuine 5-star reviews changes everything, and they're free to get.

• Ask a happy customer as you finish work, ideally whilst they're pleased and standing in front of you.
• Make it one tap. Google gives you a short review link (find it in your profile under "Ask for reviews" / "Get more reviews"). Save it, and text it to the customer there and then.
• Reply to every review, good or bad. It matters more than you'd think.

Replying takes seconds and nearly doubles how many people would consider you. A simple "Thanks Sarah, great to work with you" is enough. For more information on how to improve the reviews on your profile, view our how to get more Google reviews resource.

Keep it alive

A profile isn't "set and forget". Fifteen minutes a week keeps it working:

• Add a couple of new photos from recent work.
• Post a quick update or offer using Google Posts (they show on your listing).
• Reply to any new reviews.
• Check your hours are still right.

That's it. Do the setup in one evening, spend fifteen minutes a week, and you'll quietly climb above competitors who set theirs up once and forgot about it.

Once that's done, the next move is social media, so people who find you can check you out and trust you.