Your Google Business Profile is the single most important place for clients to find you. It's free to claim, and most professionals leave it empty or unclaimed — which is exactly the opening you want to take. Here's how to claim it, verify it, and set it up so Google actually recommends you.
Claim your profile
Go to google.com/business.
Search for your name or business. If a profile already exists, claim it. If not, create one.
Google will ask a series of verification questions and offer a method — phone, text, postcard, or a short video. Choose whichever you can complete, and don't stop until you're verified. An unverified profile won't rank.
If Google asks for video verification
Video verification is common now, and it's not as bad as it sounds — it takes under three minutes. Google just wants proof you're really there. Record a continuous clip that shows a street sign, your building number, and exterior signage, then walk from the outside to the inside of your space. Skipping this, or a shaky partial video, is a top reason profiles get rejected.
The address rules that get you approved
Use a real, physical address — your office or your brokerage. A condo works if it's allowed. Google favors businesses clients can actually visit, and a physical address gets far more engagement.
No PO boxes, UPS stores, or virtual mailboxes. Google detects these and rejects them.
Don't claim an entire city or state. "All of Chicago" tells Google nothing about where to promote you — assign a specific address instead.
One profile per real location. Only create a second profile if you have a genuinely distant office (think a several-hour flight apart, not two neighboring suburbs). Adjacent profiles confuse Google and can get both disabled.
Finish the setup
Category: match it to what you actually do (real estate, mortgage, insurance). Don't add categories you don't serve — Google can flag you.
Description & phone: add a clear description and a phone number.
Hours: set real, steady business hours. Don't put "24 hours."
Photos: add the real ones — headshot, logo, listings, you at work.
Reviews: ask five past clients or colleagues for the first five reviews. They're the hardest and the most valuable. (Reviews can take up to five business days to appear.)
Once you're verified and set up, keep the profile alive with fresh content — roomvu can post to it for you automatically. The more relevant, local content Google sees, the more it trusts you as the expert and the more it recommends you.