You do good work. But if your business is missing from Google Maps, local customers may never see it.
When someone searches “secondary glazing installer near me”, “plumber near me” or “roofer in [town]”, they usually check the map results first. If your business is not there, or your profile is half-empty, the job may go to a competitor before you get a chance to quote.
The good news is that adding your business to Google Maps is free. You do it through a Google Business Profile.
This guide explains how to add your trade business, set up a service area, complete verification and improve the profile afterwards.
What do you need before adding your business to Google Maps?
Short answer: You need an eligible business that meets customers face to face, a Google Account, your real business details, a suitable category, and a genuine address for verification. Trade businesses that visit customers can usually hide their address and show a service area instead.
Google Business Profiles are for businesses that meet customers in person. This includes trades such as builders, glaziers, electricians, plumbers, roofers and heating engineers.
They are not intended for online-only businesses that never meet customers face to face.
Before you start, gather:
- Your real trading name
- A Google Account
- Your business phone number
- Your website address
- Your normal opening hours
- The towns, cities or postcode areas you cover
- A genuine address that Google can use for verification
- A clear description of your main services
Use the same business name customers see on your van, invoices and website. Do not add extra keywords to the name just to try to rank higher.
How do you add a new business to Google Maps?
Short answer: Go to Google’s Business Profile sign-up page, sign in with your Google Account and choose “Add your business to Google”. Follow the instructions, enter accurate details, choose a verification method and complete the process.
Start at Google Business Profile or use Google’s official add or claim instructions.
Then:
- Sign in with the Google Account you want to use to manage the profile.
- Search for your business name and town.
- Check whether a profile already exists.
- Claim the existing profile if you find one.
- If no profile exists, choose Add your business to Google.
- Enter your real business name.
- Choose your main business category.
- Add your address or service area.
- Add your phone number, website and hours.
- Follow the verification instructions.
Checking first is important. A customer, directory or Google may already have created a listing for your business. Creating a second one can lead to duplicate profiles and confused customers.
Which Google category should a trade business choose?
Short answer: Choose the most accurate primary category for the work you mainly provide. Use a specific category such as Plumber, Roofer, Builder or Electrician where available. Add other genuine services later, but do not choose categories unrelated to your work.
Your primary category helps Google understand what your business does.
Choose the category that best matches your main work:
- Choose Plumber if plumbing is your main service.
- Choose Roofer if you mainly repair or install roofs.
- Choose Builder if you provide general building work.
- Choose Electrician if electrical work is your core service.
- Choose Window installation service or another suitable category for window fitting.
- Choose the closest accurate option for specialist work such as secondary glazing.
Do not choose a category because it sounds popular. A poor match can bring the wrong enquiries and make the profile less useful.
You can add more services after selecting the primary category. Keep them relevant and explain them in plain language.
How should a service-area trade set up its address?
Short answer: Tell Google where the business is genuinely based, then hide the street address if customers do not visit you there. Add the towns, cities or areas you actually serve rather than claiming an unrealistic region.
Many UK trades work from home, a workshop or a yard and travel to customers. You can set up as a service-area business.
During setup:
- Say that you deliver services to customers.
- Enter a real address when Google asks for one.
- Choose to hide the address from public view if customers do not visit it.
- Add the areas you genuinely cover.
- Check that your service radius matches your normal working area.
Do not use a fake address, an empty property or a P.O. box. Do not use a virtual office as though it were a staffed business location.
Your service area should be believable. If you normally work within 30 miles of your base, do not list every town in the UK. A smaller, accurate service area is more useful than a long list that you cannot properly cover.
How do you verify a trade business on Google Maps?
Short answer: Google will offer one or more verification methods based on your business and account. These may include a postcard, video, phone or email. Use the method shown in your account and enter the code or complete the requested proof.
Verification confirms that you are authorised to manage the business.
Google may offer:
- Postcard verification, sent to the address you provide
- Video verification
- Phone verification
- Email verification
- Other options available to eligible businesses
A postcard can take several days to arrive. Other methods may be quicker, but you cannot always choose the option you prefer. Google decides which methods are available.
Follow the instructions in your Business Profile. Do not ask Google to send a postcard to an address where you cannot receive it. Do not create a new profile simply because verification is taking time.
You can read Google’s current guidance on verifying your Business Profile.
Until verification is complete, you may not have full control over the listing. Once verified, you can manage the information shown on Google Search and Maps.
What should you add after your profile is verified?
Short answer: Complete every useful section you can support with accurate information. Add services, opening hours, photos, a clear description, contact details and customer reviews. Then keep the profile updated when your business changes.
A verified profile is only the starting point.
Add:
- A clear business description
- Your full list of genuine services
- Normal opening hours
- Emergency or out-of-hours information where relevant
- Recent photos of completed work
- Photos of your team, vehicle, tools or premises
- Your website and phone number
- Attributes that accurately describe the business
- Updates or posts when you have useful news
Use real photos rather than generic stock images. A customer wants to see the type of work you actually do.
For a window fitter, that could include finished installations and close-up details. For a roofer, it could include completed repairs, roofline work and before-and-after photos. For a secondary glazing specialist, show the finished installation and the way it sits within the existing window.
Ask genuine customers for reviews after completing good work. Never buy reviews or offer rewards in exchange for positive feedback. Reply to every review in a calm, personal way.
How can you improve your chances of appearing in local searches?
Short answer: Keep your business information accurate and consistent, make your services clear, build genuine reviews and publish useful evidence of your work. A complete profile helps, but no honest guide can guarantee a particular Google ranking.
Google considers several signals when showing local businesses. Your profile is one part of the picture.
Check that:
- Your business name is consistent across your website and listings.
- Your phone number is correct everywhere.
- Your address or service area is accurate.
- Your website clearly explains your services and locations.
- Your profile services match the pages on your website.
- Your opening hours are kept current.
- Your photos show real work.
- Your reviews are genuine and recent.
- You respond to customer questions and reviews.
Do not fill the profile with repeated town names or awkward keyword phrases. Write for the person who needs the work done.
If you are unsure where your local visibility is slipping, request a free VU1 audit. Enter your website and the town or service area you want to target. It takes under 15 seconds to request, and the plain-English report usually lands within a few minutes.
Is adding your business to Google Maps enough to win more enquiries?
Short answer: No. Adding and verifying your profile makes you eligible to appear, but it does not guarantee visibility or enquiries. You still need accurate information, useful website pages, proof of your work and a simple way for visitors to contact you.
A customer may find you on Google Maps, click through to your website and leave if they cannot quickly understand:
- What service you provide
- Where you work
- Whether you are available
- What your past work looks like
- How to request a quote
That is why local visibility and conversion need to work together.
At £99 per month, a VU1 membership helps you track the practical issues affecting local visibility, with plain-English checks and ongoing progress monitoring. Use the audit first to see what needs attention, then work through the fixes in the right order.
Add your profile, verify it properly and keep it useful. Then check it regularly rather than leaving it untouched for years.
Start by entering your website and service area into the free VU1 audit. Get the report within a few minutes and use the findings to decide what to fix next.