When someone searches “pizza near me” or types your restaurant’s name into Google Maps, the box that pops up with your hours, photos, star rating and a Directions button is your Google Business Profile. For a lot of diners it’s the first and only thing they look at before deciding. It’s free, it takes an afternoon to set up properly, and plenty of restaurants still have one that’s half-empty, out of date, or was created automatically and never claimed.

This guide walks through setting it up and, more importantly, filling it out so it actually brings people through the door.

Step 1: Find out whether you already have a profile

Search your restaurant’s name and town on Google and on Google Maps. If a listing appears, Google may have created it from public information, or a previous owner or manager may have claimed it. Look for an option along the lines of “Own this business?” or “Claim this business.” If nothing appears, you’ll create a new profile at Google’s Business Profile site using a Google account.

Use an account the business controls, not a former employee’s personal Gmail. Losing access to a profile because the person who set it up left is one of the most common headaches restaurants run into.

Step 2: Get verified

Google needs to confirm you really run the place before your edits go live. Depending on your business, Google may offer verification by phone, text, email, a short video showing your storefront and signage, or a postcard mailed to your address. The options shown to you can vary, so follow whatever the setup screen offers and keep an eye on it until it says verified. Unverified profiles tend to show limited information and your changes may not appear.

Step 3: Fill out every field that matters to diners

• Name, address and phone. Use your real business name exactly as it appears on your sign. Keep the address and phone number identical everywhere else you’re listed, including your website and delivery apps.
• Primary category. Pick the most specific one that fits, such as “Thai restaurant” rather than just “Restaurant.” Add a few secondary categories if they’re accurate.
• Hours, including special hours. Update holiday hours ahead of time. Nothing produces an angry review faster than someone driving over for a dinner you weren’t serving.
• Menu. Add your menu or a link to it. A menu page on your own website, written as text, is ideal because it’s easy to keep current and Google can read it.
• Website and ordering links. Point the website field at your own site. If you take online orders or reservations, add those links too, so people can act without hunting.
• Attributes. Outdoor seating, wheelchair accessibility, takeout, delivery, vegetarian options. These small checkboxes help you show up for more specific searches.
• Description. A few plain sentences about what you serve and what makes the place yours. Skip the keyword stuffing.

Step 4: Add real photos, and keep adding them

Upload clear photos of your best-selling dishes, the dining room, the outside of the building (so people recognize it from the street) and the menu board if you have one. Customers will also add photos, and you can’t fully control those, which is a good reason to make sure your own are the best ones there. Adding a few new photos every month or so keeps the profile looking alive.

Step 5: Answer reviews like a person

Reply to reviews, good and bad. Thank people specifically (“glad you liked the green curry”), and when someone is unhappy, respond calmly, acknowledge the problem and invite them to contact you directly. You’re writing for the next hundred people who read that exchange as much as for the reviewer. Never offer discounts in exchange for reviews or post reviews about your own business; Google’s policies prohibit fake or incentivized reviews and the risk isn’t worth it.

Step 6: Use updates and keep information fresh

Business Profiles let you post short updates, offers and events. A new seasonal special, a holiday closure, a live music night. You don’t need to post daily. A steady trickle shows that someone is home. Also check the profile every month or two for suggested edits from the public, since anyone can propose changes to things like hours, and occasionally those suggestions are wrong.

Why your profile still needs a real website behind it

Your Business Profile gets you seen. Your website is where people go when they want more: the full menu, the story, the ordering button, the catering details. Google also uses your website as one of the signals for what your restaurant is about. A profile that links to a broken page, an old domain or a social media account you rarely update leaves a lot on the table.

If you don’t have a site, or you have one you’re embarrassed by, that’s what GoodPages is for. We build mobile-friendly restaurant websites with your menu as real text, your hours and location up top, and a clear way to call or order. Pricing starts at $149, with optional $39-a-month hosting, and you can see every tier before you choose. Our breakdown of what a restaurant website costs covers the alternatives if you want to compare.

A quick checklist

• Profile claimed and verified under a business-owned Google account
• Specific primary category chosen
• Hours current, holiday hours set in advance
• Menu added or linked
• Website and ordering links working
• At least 10 good photos, refreshed regularly
• Every recent review answered
• Profile checked monthly for suggested edits

None of this costs money, and together it does more for local visibility than most paid ads. For more ideas in the same spirit, see our guide to restaurant marketing on a $0 budget. And if you’d also like customers to be able to order from you through Good Food Good Feels, you can list your restaurant and keep 90% of each order.