Is a Google Business Profile free, and do I need one?
The short answer
Yes, it's completely free, and for a local business it matters more than your website for getting calls. It's what puts you in the map results and shows your hours, phone number, photos and reviews.
What to fill in, in priority order
Primary category — pick the most specific one that matches your main service; this influences which searches you appear in more than anything else.
Service area or address, exact hours including holidays, phone number, a link to your website, and at least ten real photos.
The mistakes that quietly cost you calls
A profile marked open when you're closed generates one-star reviews. A phone number that goes to a personal voicemail loses the lead. A missing website link sends people to a competitor.
Never pay anyone who calls claiming your listing will be suspended unless you buy something — Google doesn't cold-call about that.
Keep it alive
Profiles that get new photos, posts and review replies tend to outperform identical ones that sit still. Ten minutes a month is enough.
Last reviewed 2026-09-22