When someone nearby searches "plumber near me" or "nail salon Daytona," Google shows a box with business listings — names, star ratings, hours, phone numbers, and little map pins. That box is called the Google Business Profile, and if your business isn't in it, you're invisible to those searchers. For local businesses like yours, that box is Google.

The two halves of local search

Getting found on Google is really two things working together — and we've already split the work:

  • Your website — handled by NashCD. I've set up Google Search Console on your site, which is how Google reads, ranks, and watches over your website. Nothing for you to do here.
  • Your business listing — handled by you, right here in this guide. That's your Business Profile: your hours, phone number, map pin, photos, and reviews.

Search Console plus your Business Profile are the whole local search game. Your website and your listing, covering both ways customers find you.

Everything below can be done from your phone in about 30 minutes.

Setup steps

1. Get the Google Maps app

Install or open Google Maps on your phone and sign in with the Google account you want tied to the business. Best practice: a business Gmail (like yourbusiness@gmail.com), not your personal account — you'll share access with staff someday.

2. Check whether you're already listed

Search your exact business name in Maps. If a listing appears, tap it, then tap "Claim this business" (sometimes "Own this business?"). If nothing comes up, tap your profile picture → "Add your business" to create a new one.

Don't create a duplicate. If a listing already exists — even a bare one Google generated — claim it instead of making a second one. Duplicates confuse customers and hurt rankings.

3. Enter your business name and category

Use your exact real-world business name — no extra keywords stuffed in (Google penalizes "Joe's Plumbing BEST CHEAP Daytona"). Then pick the category that matches closest, e.g. "Plumber," "Moving company," "Nail salon." You can add a second category later if you offer two distinct services.

4. Set your service area

If customers come to you (a shop), enter your street address — it shows on the map. If you go to customers (movers, plumbers, handymen, lawn care), choose "I deliver goods and services to my customers" instead, list the cities/areas you serve, and hide your address. Your home address should never appear on a service-area listing.

5. Add phone, website, and hours

Use the phone number customers should call — ideally one you answer. For the website, paste your NashCD website address. Set your real hours, including any "by appointment" notes. Wrong hours are one of the fastest ways to earn a bad review.

6. Verify — usually by video

Google has to confirm you're real. Most businesses now verify with a short video recorded in the Maps app. Film continuously (no edits): your storefront or work vehicle with the business name, your business license or branded paperwork, and inside the shop or your equipment.

Tips that help it pass the first time:

  • Show the business name clearly at least twice (sign, vehicle, shirt, paperwork)
  • Keep it under a few minutes; one continuous take
  • Good lighting — daylight is best
  • Service-area businesses: film your vehicle, tools/equipment, and any branded materials at your base of operations

Review usually takes a few days. You'll get an email when it's approved.

7. Finish the profile: photos and description

Add your logo, a cover photo (your storefront, truck, or team), and several real photos of your work — not stock images. Write a 2–3 sentence description of what you do and who you serve. Profiles with photos get noticeably more calls.

8. Ask for reviews — then reply to them

After a happy job, ask the customer: "Would you mind leaving us a Google review? It really helps." Then reply to every review, good or bad, within a day or two. A calm, professional reply to a bad review impresses future customers more than a pile of five-stars with no responses.

Keep it working for you

  • Hours: update them before holidays and vacations — "Open" on a day you're closed burns trust fast.
  • Photos: add a few fresh ones every month or two. Finished jobs, the team, the truck.
  • Posts: the profile lets you post short updates (a special, a new service). One a month keeps the listing looking alive.
  • Questions: customers can ask questions on your listing — answer them; anyone can otherwise answer for you.

Stuck on any step? Call or text me — (386) 777-3003, or darren@nashcd.com. Questions about your website or Search Console? That's my department too.