Steady Craft · Google Business Profile Setup

Let's set up your Google listing the right way.

A Google Business Profile is the listing that shows up when someone searches your business name (or your trade plus your town) on Google Maps. Done right, it sends you steady, free calls and walk-ins for years.

This form collects everything we need to claim it, fill it out completely, and pass Google's verification on the first try. Most fields are short. The whole thing takes about 15 minutes if you have your photos handy.

Your answers come straight to Steady Craft when you hit submit.

About your business

The basics. Use your real legal name. Do not add city or service words to it.

Your real legal name. Not "Best Plumbing Nashville" or "Joe's Auto Repair (24/7)". Adding extra words is the number-one reason Google suspends new listings.

Optional. Some shops trade under a name that does not match their legal entity.

A Gmail or Google Workspace address. This becomes the owner of the listing. Google requires the business owner to own the profile, not the agency.

How ownership works: You create the profile on your Google account. After it is verified, you add Steady Craft as a Manager. You stay the Owner. We can update info, post photos, and help with reviews. You can remove us at any time, and Google policy requires us to step away on request.

Categories

Your primary category is the single biggest factor in whether people find you on Maps. Be specific.

Pick the most specific category that fits your work. "Plumber" beats "Contractor". "Vegan Restaurant" beats "Restaurant". "Hair Salon" beats "Beauty Salon" if hair is your main service. We will pick the exact Google category that matches.

Only list services you actually offer with confidence. Wrong secondary categories hurt ranking, they do not help.

Location and service area

Google handles storefronts and service-area businesses differently. Pick the one that matches you.

Your actual operating address. Do not use a UPS box, virtual office, or coworking space. Google will suspend listings at those.

Up to 20 cities, neighborhoods, or ZIP codes. Roughly two hours driving from your base is the practical limit. List the places you actually take jobs in, not aspirational ones.

Heads up: If you are a service-area business, Google requires us to hide your street address from the public listing. Customers will see your service-area map instead. Your address is still on file with Google for verification.

Contact info

These need to match exactly what is on your website and any other directory listings.

Use a real business number you actually answer. Tracking numbers (Marchex, CallRail, etc.) can trigger suspension if they do not match your other listings.

Optional. The page where customers can book or request an appointment online.

Hours

When you are open to customers. For each day, write the hours or "closed" or "by appointment".

Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday

Business description

Up to 750 characters. The first 250 show before a "More" button on the listing.

Do not include: phone numbers, URLs, email addresses, sale or promo language, or all-caps. Google rejects descriptions with any of those.

0 / 750
Want us to write this for you? Leave it blank. We will draft something based on your services and send it for your approval before it goes live.

Photos

Photos are the single biggest visual factor in whether someone clicks your listing. Profiles with lots of photos get roughly five times more calls and direction requests.

What we need (more is better):
  • Logo (square, 720×720 minimum)
  • Cover photo (wide, 1024×576 minimum, lands at the top of the listing)
  • Exterior shots (3+) showing the storefront and signage if you have one
  • Interior shots (3+) of the space customers walk into
  • Team / owner photos (2+) faces beat logos for trust
  • Work / product photos (10+) finished jobs, products, plates, anything that shows what you actually make or do

Original photos only. Stock photography is OK as backup but real shots from your phone perform dramatically better.

Drop everything in one folder, set the share permission to "Anyone with the link can view", and paste the link here.

Services or products you offer

Each one shows up as its own item on your Google listing.

One per line. If you charge by the job, just the name is fine. If you have set prices, you can include them too. Example: Drain Cleaning · $89

Attributes

These show up as badges or filters on your listing. Check anything that applies.

Existing listing

Google sometimes auto-creates a listing for a business from public data. We need to know if there is one already.

Verification

Google verifies new listings before they go live. In 2026 the most common method is a short video.

What video verification looks like: a 1 to 2 minute walk-through on your phone showing the business signage outside, equipment or stock inside, and one quick shot of you "working" (using the tools, behind the counter, etc.). You record it once, upload it inside Google, and Google reviews within about 5 days.

Postcards are uncommon in 2026 but still happen for some categories. Just confirming someone can grab the mail there within 14 days.

Anything else

Your answers go straight to Levi at Steady Craft. We'll follow up by email within one business day to confirm next steps and start the listing.

Thanks. We're on it.

Your Google Business Profile intake is on its way. Levi will follow up by email within one business day with the next steps.

Back to Steady Craft

Steady Craft Solutions · Google Business Profile Setup