To add a place to Google Maps, you create a Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business). This is the free listing of your business that appears in Google Search and Google Maps: name, address, opening hours, phone, photos and customer reviews. A person who types "pharmacy near me" or "car wash in Baku" sees these listings first.
Key takeaways:
- The profile is free and is created at business.google.com/add; Azerbaijan is on the list of supported countries.
- Only businesses that deal with customers face to face can create a profile: those with a location, or those who travel to the customer. A business that operates only online is not eligible.
- The profile does not fully work until it is verified. Google chooses the verification method: phone, email, video, live video call or postcard.
- Putting keywords and slogans in the name, or giving a discount in exchange for a review, breaks the rules and can get the profile suspended.
- Ranking in local results is determined by relevance, distance and prominence; a better position cannot be bought.
What is Google Business Profile?
Google Business Profile is a free tool for managing a business's listing on Google. In Google's own words, adding your business or requesting ownership of it is free of charge (Google Business Profile Help).
The listing shows:
- the business's name, category and address;
- opening hours, phone and website;
- photos and videos;
- customers' rating and reviews;
- updates, offers and events;
- "Call", "Directions" and "Website" buttons.
The tool was called Google My Business until 2021, so you may come across both names. Do not confuse it with Search Console and Google Analytics: those measure the website, while Business Profile manages the listing on the map. We show the difference in a table in the article what is Google Search Console.
What does being on Google Maps give a business?
A listing on the map brings in people who are looking for a service nearby and are already ready to buy. According to StatCounter's September 2026 data, Google accounts for 97.37% of searches in Azerbaijan (StatCounter), so local search is almost entirely on Google.
The profile gives four benefits:
- Visibility in local search. For queries such as "near me", "in Baku" and "in Narimanov", a map and several listings appear at the top of the results.
- Direct action. The person calls, gets directions or goes to the website without leaving the listing.
- Trust. Rating, reviews and real photos speed up the decision.
- Measurement. The profile's statistics show searches, views, calls, direction requests and clicks to the website.
Which businesses can create a profile?
The main condition: the business must be in face-to-face contact with customers during the opening hours it lists (Google Business Profile Help).
| Business type | Can it create a profile? | Note |
|---|---|---|
| A place that receives customers: shop, clinic, restaurant, salon | Yes | Address and opening hours are shown |
| A service that goes to the customer: tradesperson, cleaning, delivery | Yes | The address is hidden, the service area is shown |
| Both: has a location and also goes to the customer | Yes | Address and service area together |
| A business that operates only online | No | There is no face-to-face contact with customers |
| A PO box or virtual office address | No | Such an address gets the profile suspended |
| Property for sale or rent | No | The property itself does not count as a business |
For businesses with a service area, Google allows one profile and recommends that the area not extend further than about two hours' travel (Google Business Profile Help).
How do you add a place to Google Maps?
A profile is created with a Google account, in a few minutes:
- Open business.google.com/add and sign in with your Google account. Use the company's shared account, not an employee's personal account.
- Enter the business name. It should be as it appears on the signboard and in documents.
- Choose the category. The one that describes the business most precisely: "Dental clinic", "Car wash", "Beauty salon".
- Say whether you have a location. If you receive customers, enter the address and fine-tune the point on the map. If you do not, choose a service area.
- Add the phone and website.
- Go through verification. Google will offer you the method available.
- Fill in the opening hours, description and photos.
- Check the profile. Open Google Maps on your phone and search for your business by name.
All the steps are described on Google's help page (Google Business Profile Help).
How do you claim a place that is already on the map?
Sometimes a place already exists on the map: Google itself or one of the customers added it. In that case you need to request ownership of the existing profile rather than create a new one:
- Search Google Maps for the business name and city.
- In the listing, select the "Claim this business" link (a request for ownership of this business).
- Click the "Manage now" button and choose a verification method.
If the profile is in someone else's account, for example a former employee's or an old agency's, Google lets you send a request to transfer ownership. To avoid this situation, the profile should be opened in the company's account from the start, and the agency should be given only manager access.
How is a profile verified?
Verification proves to Google that the business is real and that you manage it. Google determines the method automatically and it cannot be changed (Google Business Profile Help):
| Method | How it works | What to watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Phone or SMS | A code arrives on the number | A number with an automated answering system does not receive the code |
| A code arrives at the address | The address must belong to the business | |
| Video recording | You upload a video that shows the place | Continuous, at least 30 seconds long, shot on a phone |
| Live video call | You show the place live to a Google employee | Only during working hours |
| Postcard | A 5-digit code is sent to the address | Most codes arrive within 14 days; the code is valid for 30 days |
In video verification Google wants to see three things: where the place is located (the street, neighbouring buildings, the signboard), the business itself (the interior, equipment, products) and that you manage it (for example, unlocking the door with a key, turning on the till).
Reviewing a submitted verification takes up to 5 working days. While you wait, do not change the business's name, address or category: this may restart the process. Photos and videos also appear in the listing only after verification.
How do you fill in the profile properly?
An incomplete profile may appear on the map but performs poorly. Each field has its own rule:
| Field | How to fill it in | What not to do |
|---|---|---|
| Name | As on the signboard and in documents | Adding keywords, a slogan, a district name, a phone number or writing in capitals |
| Category | One precise primary category, and a few additional ones if needed | Filling in categories as if they were keywords |
| Address | Exact and complete; the point on the map is on the entrance | A PO box or virtual office address |
| Opening hours | Real opening hours; special hours for holidays | Writing "24 hours" and not answering calls at night |
| Description | What you do and who you suit, in plain language | Writing links, prices and promotions |
| Photos | Facade, interior, team, results of the work | Stock photos and advertising banners with text on them |
| Services or menu | Main services by name | Cramming everything into one line |
| Website and contact | Website, phone, social network links | A number that does not work and an old link |
Besides the primary category, you can choose up to 9 additional categories, but Google recommends using as few categories as possible (Google Business Profile Help).
A profile is not a "fill in once and forget" job. Posts about updates, offers and events keep the listing alive; posts older than six months move to the archive (Google Business Profile Help). The name, address and phone should be written identically on the website, on Instagram and in the profile. Restaurants and cafés can keep the menu on a separate page and link it to the profile; we explain this in What is a QR menu.
Some features differ by country and category: for example, the questions and answers section, social media links and the WhatsApp contact button are available only in selected regions. The old chat feature in the listing has been closed since 31 July 2024 (Google Business Profile Help).
How should you collect and answer reviews?
Reviews affect both the customer's decision and the position on the map. The honest way to collect them is simple: ask a satisfied customer to write a review and send them a direct link.
| Allowed | Not allowed |
|---|---|
| Asking every customer for a review | Offering a discount, gift or money for a review |
| Giving the review link via WhatsApp or a QR code | Asking for reviews only from satisfied customers and steering unhappy ones elsewhere |
| Replying politely to all reviews | Ordering fake reviews or having employees write them |
| Reporting a review that breaks the rules | Reporting a genuine review because you do not like it |
These prohibitions are in Google's official rules (Google Business Profile Help). The consequences of a violation are also official: the profile cannot receive new reviews for a certain period, existing reviews are hidden, and a notice that fake reviews were removed is shown on the listing (Google Business Profile Help). According to Google, in 2025 more than 292 million reviews that broke the rules were blocked or removed (Google).
When answering a negative review, follow three rules: reply quickly, do not argue, offer a solution. The next customer who reads the review looks at your reply.
How does Google rank local results?
Google ranks local results by three factors (Google Business Profile Help):
- Relevance. How well the profile matches the search query. The category, the services and complete information affect this.
- Distance. How close the business is to the person searching or to the place named in the query. This cannot be changed.
- Prominence. How well known the business is: the number of reviews and the rating, websites that link to the business, the site's position in search.
Google says openly: you cannot ask for or pay for a better local position. You can influence two of the three factors: filling in the profile completely and increasing prominence. Prominence is closely tied to the website; we explain how a site grows stronger in search in the what is SEO guide.
Why do profiles get suspended, and what should you do?
The most common reasons profiles get suspended (Google Business Profile Help):
- Excess information in the name: keywords, slogans, a district name.
- An ineligible business: a company that operates only online.
- A PO box or a non-existent address.
- Several profiles for one location.
- The business cannot be found at the stated address.
- The account has repeatedly broken the rules.
If a profile has been suspended, use Google's appeal form and attach documents showing the business is real: a registration document, a licence, a utility bill. The name and address on the documents must be the same as in the profile. An appeal can be submitted only once, so fix the violation first. Do not create a new profile for the same business: it makes the situation harder (Google Business Profile Help).
Does Business Profile replace a website?
No. The profile is the listing on the map, while the website is where services, prices and answers to questions are shown in detail. They reinforce each other: the profile links to the website, and the website increases the profile's prominence.
In practice the customer behaves like this: compares several listings on the map, looks at the rating, then goes to the website of one of them and reads the price and terms. A listing without a website loses at this stage. We explain what a website is and what types exist in the article what is a website; an example for a service sector is in the article a website and online booking for a clinic.
How does Advertol approach local visibility?
In local search the result comes from three things working together: a fully completed profile, a fast site with a clear structure, and real reviews collected regularly. In Advertol's website projects, technical SEO is built in from the start: headings, meta descriptions, speed, sitemap and Search Console. As on the Aston Martin site, when speed and structure are planned together with the design, the site stands more firmly in search.
Advertol is an agency based in Baku: website and mobile app development, Meta and Google advertising, SMM, CRM and AI automation are handled by one team. If you need a site for your profile to link to, see how the website and app development service works.
Frequently asked questions
Is registering a business on Google Maps paid?
No, creating and managing a profile is free. Calls and messages demanding "payment for registration in Google" are not from Google. You pay only if you want to advertise, and that is a separate service: Google Ads.
I have no office, I work from home. Can I create a profile?
If you go to customers, yes: the profile is created with a service area and the home address is hidden. If you never meet customers face to face and work only online, under Google's rules you cannot create a profile.
How long does verification take?
With the phone and email methods the code arrives immediately. For the video method Google says the review takes up to 5 working days. With a postcard, most codes arrive within 14 days. During this time do not change the business's name, address or category.
Can a negative review be removed?
Only if the review breaks Google's rules: insults, spam, a fake review, a post about another business. Such a review is reported from the profile, and the review takes a few days. A review that you simply do not like, but that was written by a real customer, is not removed; you need to write a reply to it.
I have several branches. How many profiles should there be?
One profile for each physical location. Three branches mean three separate profiles: each has its own address, phone and opening hours, while the name stays the same. Creating two profiles for one location breaks the rules.
Can I add words like "best in Baku" to the profile name?
No. The name must show the business's real name; adding keywords, slogans, place names and a phone number is against the rules and can get the profile suspended. These words belong in the description, the services and the website.
Conclusion
Adding a place to Google Maps is free and takes a few minutes; the time goes on verification and on filling in the profile properly. A real name, an exact category, correct opening hours, your own photos and honestly collected reviews are the foundation of the profile. A profile does not replace a website: the customer finds you in the listing and decides on the website.
If you want to discuss how your site and profile should work together to make you visible in local search, book a free strategy meeting or write to the Advertol team.
Sources
- Google Business Profile Help — adding a profile or requesting ownership of it
- Google Business Profile Help — which businesses can create a profile
- Google Business Profile Help — guidelines for representing a business on Google
- Google Business Profile Help — verifying a business
- Google Business Profile Help — editing profile information and categories
- Google Business Profile Help — posts
- Google Business Profile Help — shutdown of the chat feature
- Google Business Profile Help — prohibited and restricted content
- Google Business Profile Help — restrictions for fake reviews
- Google Business Profile Help — improving local ranking
- Google Business Profile Help — overview of profile policies
- Google Business Profile Help — appeal for a suspended profile
- Google — New ways we're protecting businesses on Maps, 16.04.2026
- StatCounter — Search Engine Market Share, Azerbaijan, September 2026