How to Add Your Business to Google Maps (Canada, Free)

Gather your details first so you enter them once and consistently. Google cross-checks them against your website and other listings.

• Your exact business name, as customers know it (no keywords or city added).
• A real address where you can receive mail, or a service area if you do not serve customers at a location.
• A local phone number and your opening hours.
• Your website address, if you have one.
• A Google account that your business controls, not a personal one tied to an individual staff member.
• A few clear photos of the premises, signage and your work.

Eligibility matters. Businesses with a physical location or those that travel to customers can qualify. Pure online businesses without a physical presence, mailbox services, and virtual offices generally do not. Read Google's guidelines before you start, because ineligible listings can be removed.

Google sometimes creates a listing automatically from public data, so your business may already be on the map. Search for your business name in Google Maps and check.

1. Open Google Maps or Google Search and look for your business name and city.
2. If a listing exists, select "Claim this business" or "Own this business?".
3. If none exists, go to business.google.com and choose to add your business.
4. Sign in with your business Google account.

Always claim an existing listing rather than creating a second one. Duplicate profiles can both underperform and create suspension risk. If someone else already claimed your listing, you can request ownership through the process Google provides. Our page on why a business may not show on Google explains how to diagnose related problems.

Work through the form methodically. Small mistakes here are the main reason profiles struggle later.

• Name: use your real-world name exactly. Do not add services or locations to it.
• Category: choose the most specific primary category. The categories guide shows how.
• Location: enter the address where customers visit. If you only travel to customers, choose the option for service-area businesses and hide the address.
• Service area: list the cities or neighbourhoods you truly serve.
• Contact: add a local phone number and your website.

In Quebec, write the profile in French first, in line with Bill 96's expectations for commercial communication, and add English as needed. Make sure your business name matches your registration.

Verification proves you control the business. Google offers different methods depending on your category and situation.

• Postcard: mailed to your business address with a code, often within a few business days. Do not request another card before the first arrives, because it resets the code.
• Phone or text: available for some businesses.
• Email: offered in some cases.
• Video: you record a short video of your premises, signage, equipment or location, and Google reviews it.

Follow the prompts exactly. If your options seem limited or your request is rejected, read our guide on how to verify a Google Business Profile. Verification can take from a few minutes to about a week, and sometimes longer for video review.

A verified but empty profile will rarely rank. Add the details that customers and Google look for.

1. Write a clear description in plain language, without promotional claims you cannot support.
2. Add services and products with short descriptions.
3. Set regular hours, and add holiday hours in advance.
4. Upload photos: exterior, interior, team and work.
5. Add attributes such as accessibility, languages spoken and payment options where offered.
6. Start collecting reviews. See how to get more Google reviews.

For deeper improvements, move to the profile optimization guide and how to improve Google Maps ranking.

Adding yourself to Google Maps is free. Costs arise only if you pay for help or a website. Use this table to plan.

A website is not required to appear on Maps, but it helps. A DIY site builder runs about $15 to $60 per month, and a custom site typically $2,000 to $10,000. See how much a small business website costs.

Avoid these frequent mistakes:

• Creating a duplicate listing instead of claiming the existing one.
• Adding keywords or the city to the business name.
• Using a virtual office or mailbox as a public address.
• Requesting multiple postcards before the first arrives.
• Leaving the profile bare after verifying.
• Having inconsistent information on the website and other directories.

Worked example: a mobile dog groomer in Winnipeg works from a van and has no storefront. She searches and finds no listing, creates a profile as a service-area business, hides her home address, lists the neighbourhoods she serves, verifies by video showing her van and equipment, then adds services and photos. Within a few days the profile goes live. Ranking for "mobile dog grooming Winnipeg" takes longer and depends on reviews and competition.

Once you are on the map, the local SEO guide shows what to do next. If you want help with setup, Lead4Pro works with Canadian local businesses.

After you go live: check the listing from a phone in a private window to confirm the name, hours, phone and website appear correctly. Ask a friend in another part of town to search for your service and tell you what they see. Set a calendar reminder to review the profile every quarter, update holiday hours before long weekends, and reply to every review and question. A listing that stays accurate and active tends to hold its position better than one that is set up once and forgotten.

Also keep your login secure. Use a business-controlled Google account, add a second owner or manager you trust, and record who has access, so that a staff change does not lock you out of your own listing.