How to Set Up a Google Business Profile for Your Trade Business

A Google Business Profile is the free listing that shows up when someone searches your trade plus their area “plumber Cork”, “electrician near me” and it is where your Google reviews live. Most tradesmen either never set one up, or set one up years ago and never finished it.

It costs nothing and takes about fifteen minutes. Here is the exact process, including the part most guides skip: how to find your review link once you are verified, so you can actually start asking happy customers for reviews.

What you need before you start

• A Google account. Use a dedicated one for the business if you can (not your personal Gmail) so you never lose access if you change phones or accounts later
• Your business name, exactly as you want it to appear (Google does not allow keyword-stuffing, e.g. “John Smith Plumbing Best Plumber Cork” will get rejected or suspended)
• A phone number customers can actually reach you on
• The areas you cover (towns, counties, or a radius from your base) if you do not have a shop or office customers visit
• A few photos of finished work, if you have them. You can add these later, but the profile looks empty without at least one

How to set up a Google Business Profile, step by step

Step 1: Start at business.google.com/add

This is the actual signup - everything else in this guide is context for what happens once you get there.

Sign in with your Google account. If your business already shows up on Google Maps because a past customer or a directory added it, search for it there first and use “Claim this business” instead of creating a duplicate. Google treats duplicate listings for the same business as a policy violation and can suspend both.

Step 2: Enter your business name and category

Type your business name, then pick a category. Google has specific categories for trades, e.g. “Plumber”, “Electrician”, “Roofing contractor”, “Painter” - use the closest match, not a generic one like “Contractor”. The category is what Google matches against local search terms, so a vague category is the single easiest way to disappear from relevant searches.

Step 3: Choose a service area instead of a storefront address

When Google asks if customers visit your business at its address, say no, unless you genuinely have a shop or showroom. Most tradesmen work at the customer’s property, not their own, and Google has a specific business type for that: a service-area business. Your exact address stays hidden from the public listing, and you list the towns or counties you cover instead. You can add up to 20 service areas.

Step 4: Add your phone number and website

Add the number you actually answer calls on and a website if you have one - your PayReady public quote or invoice link works if you do not have a separate site. Both are optional to add now and easy to change later, so do not let a missing website hold up the rest of the setup.

Step 5: Verify your business

Verification is the one step that cannot be skipped - an unverified profile does not appear in Search or Maps. Google offers a few methods, and which ones you see depends on your business and account history:

Postcard codes expire after 30 days, so enter yours as soon as it arrives. After you submit a verification, Google’s review can take up to 5 business days before your profile goes live.

Step 6: Finish your profile

Once verified, go back in and fill out the rest: your opening hours, a short description of what you do, and the specific services you offer (e.g. “boiler installation”, “emergency callout”, “rewires”). Add photos of finished jobs - before-and-afters perform particularly well for trade work, since they show exactly what a customer is paying for.

How to get your Google review link

This is the part most setup guides leave out, and it is the one that actually matters once you are verified. In your Business Profile (either at business.google.comor the Google Maps app under your business), find the “Get more reviews” card and tap it. Google generates a short, shareable link that takes a customer straight to the “leave a review” screen for your business - no searching required.

Copy that link and paste it into PayReady, under Profile → Client Reviews. Once it is saved, every paid invoice gets an “Ask for a review” button that sends that exact link to the client by WhatsApp, text, or email, pre-filled with a message mentioning the job you just did for them. It is free on every plan and there is nothing else to set up.

Common problems and how to fix them

“This business already exists”

Someone else (a past customer, a directory, or a previous version of Google Maps data) has probably already created an unverified listing for you. Search for your business name and city in Google Maps, select it, and use “Claim this business” rather than trying to add a new one.

Postcard never arrived

Postcards go missing occasionally. If it has been longer than 14 days, request a new one from inside your Business Profile rather than waiting - Google will void the old code automatically.

Wrong category or service area after verifying

Both are editable at any time from your Business Profile without needing to re-verify. Only your business name and address type trigger another review.

FAQ

Is a Google Business Profile really free?

Yes, completely. Creating, verifying, and maintaining a Google Business Profile costs nothing. Google makes money from ads shown alongside search results, not from the listing itself.

Do I need a shop or office to sign up?

No. If you work at customers’ properties rather than your own, set your profile up as a service-area business (see Step 3 above). Your home or workshop address is never shown publicly - you list the towns, counties, or radius you cover instead.

How long does verification actually take?

Phone, email, and video verification are usually same-day. Postcard by mail typically arrives within 14 days, and Google’s own review of a completed verification can take up to 5 business days after that.

Can I use my personal Gmail account?

You can, but it is worth setting up a separate Google account for the business if you have not already. If you ever lose access to your personal account, change phones, or bring on a second person to help manage the listing, a dedicated business account avoids the whole thing being tied to one person’s personal login.

What happens if I never verify?

An unverified profile will not show up in Google Search or Maps results, so customers cannot find it and you cannot collect reviews on it. Verification is not optional if the goal is to actually be found.

Once your profile is verified and you have your review link saved in PayReady, asking for a review takes one tap after any invoice gets marked paid. Get early access - it's free.