Google Business Profile

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A Google Business Profile is a free Google listing that controls how your business appears on Google Search and Google Maps — including your name, address or service area, hours, phone, website, photos, and reviews. ZenBusiness includes a built-in connection so you can view your reviews and view-and-click metrics from your dashboard at zenbusiness.com → Website & Marketing → Google Business Profile.

Connect Your Google Business Profile to ZenBusiness

The connect flow takes about two minutes if you already have a verified Google Business Profile.

Sign in to your dashboard at zenbusiness.com.
Click Website & Marketing in the left menu.
Open the Google Business Profile section.
Click Connect or create profile.
Choose the Google account that owns your Business Profile.
Approve the permission to view and manage your business listings.
If you have more than one location, pick the one to display in ZenBusiness.

Once you finish, ZenBusiness returns you to your dashboard and starts showing your reviews and view-and-click metrics. Before any profile is connected, the section displays gray placeholder data as a preview — real numbers replace the placeholders within a few minutes of a successful connection.

ZenBusiness supports one connected location at a time. If you operate multiple locations under one Google account, choose the most important one during the connect step. You can switch later without deleting any of your other locations in Google.

"No Locations Found" — What This Means

If you see "No locations found for this account" after signing in with Google, that Google account is not the owner of any verified Business Profile. Google requires every profile to have a real address — even service-area businesses provide one behind the scenes — so the connect screen has nothing to display.

You have two options on that screen:

Create profile in Google — opens Google's Business Profile setup so you can create a new listing for your business.
Connect another account — closes the current Google session so you can sign in with a different Google account that already manages your business listing.

Once a profile exists and is verified on the account you sign in with, the connection completes automatically. If your profile is brand new, you'll first need to finish verification with Google before metrics start appearing on your ZenBusiness dashboard.

Create a New Google Business Profile

You can create a Google Business Profile directly from the connect screen in ZenBusiness, or by going to business.google.com in any browser. Either path opens Google's official setup wizard. Google will ask you for:

Business name — exactly as it appears on your storefront, paperwork, or website.
Category — the closest match to what your business does. You can add more categories later.
Whether customers visit a physical address, you travel to customers, or both ("hybrid"). This determines how your address appears publicly.
Address or service area — for service-area businesses, you list the cities, regions, or postal codes you serve (up to 20 areas, no further than about a 2-hour drive from your base).
Phone number and website — both are optional but strongly recommended.

After you submit the basics, Google starts the verification step. Your profile will not appear in Google Search or Google Maps results until verification is complete.

For full step-by-step setup help, see Google's official guide: Add or claim your Business Profile.

Verify Your Business with Google

Google verifies that your business is real and that you represent it. Most customers verify by mailed postcard, but Google may offer faster options depending on the business. Available methods:

Postcard by mail — most codes arrive within 14 days. The code expires 30 days after Google issues it. This is the most common method.
Phone or text message — Google calls or texts a code you enter on the screen. Usually instant.
Email — a code is sent to a recognized email associated with the business.
Video recording — you upload a short video showing your business location, equipment, and proof of management. Review takes up to 5 business days.
Live video call — a Google support agent verifies in real time. Available for select business types.

Avoid editing your business name, address, or category while you're waiting on a postcard — changes can void the code and force you to start over. If two postcards in a row don't arrive, request video verification instead.

Address Requirements

Your address determines whether you can have a profile at all and how it appears publicly.

Home-Based Businesses

Yes, you can have a Google Business Profile for a home-based business. If customers come to your home, list the address normally. If you only travel to customers, set up as a service-area business so your home address stays private. Google still needs the real address behind the scenes for verification — it just won't show on your public profile.

Service-Area Businesses

Service-area businesses (mobile services, in-home services, contractors, cleaners, plumbers) can hide the address while keeping the profile fully active. You list up to 20 service areas by city, region, or postal code instead. Service areas should not extend more than about a 2-hour drive from where your business is based. Restricted-product categories (alcohol, cannabis, weapons) cannot operate as service-area-only and require a storefront.

Addresses That Are Not Allowed

The following are not eligible for a Google Business Profile, even if you receive mail there:

P.O. boxes
Mailboxes at remote retail locations (UPS Store boxes, etc.)
Virtual offices where you rent an address but don't actually operate from it
Co-working spaces without permanent signage, on-site staff during business hours, and customer reception

If your address falls into one of these categories, set up your listing as a service-area business using the area you actually serve.

Switch or Disconnect Your Connected Profile

ZenBusiness shows one location at a time, and you can change or remove it any time from the three-dot menu in the Google Business Profile section.

Switch the Connected Location

Open Google Business Profile in your dashboard.
Click the three-dot menu in the top corner of the section.
Choose Switch location.
Select the new location and click Choose location.

The previously connected location is fully disconnected from ZenBusiness. The underlying profiles in Google are unchanged — only the one shown on your dashboard updates.

Disconnect Entirely

In the same three-dot menu, click Disconnect. ZenBusiness stops pulling reviews and metrics, and the page returns to its default state. Your profile in Google is not deleted or modified — only the ZenBusiness connection is removed. You can reconnect any time, including with a different Google account.

Troubleshooting

"Authentication issue" or "permissions issue" message

This means the connection didn't get full access to your business listings. Sign out of Google in your browser, then click Connect or create profile again. When Google asks for permissions, leave every box checked — ZenBusiness needs permission to view and manage your business listings to display reviews and metrics. Cancelling partway through the Google sign-in window also triggers an authentication issue; restart the connect flow from your dashboard.

Data still shows gray placeholders after connecting

Verified profiles are required for Google to share metrics. If your profile is new and verification is still in progress, the section will show placeholders until Google approves you. If verification is complete and the data is still gray after a few days, disconnect from the three-dot menu and reconnect to refresh the link.

Someone else already verified my business

Search your business name at business.google.com. If Google says the listing is already managed, click Request access. Google will email the current owner asking them to transfer ownership. The owner has 7 days to respond. If you don't hear back, Google may give you an option to verify ownership directly — keep proof of ownership (business license, signage photo, utility bill) ready.

A caller offered to set up my Google Business Profile for a fee

ZenBusiness does not call customers offering paid Google Business Profile setup. Setup is always free at business.google.com, and the connection from your ZenBusiness dashboard is also free. Treat any unsolicited call offering paid GBP setup as a scam — hang up and do not share payment information.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Google Business Profile free?

Yes. Creating, verifying, and managing a Google Business Profile is free directly from Google at business.google.com. Connecting your verified profile to your ZenBusiness dashboard is also free. There is no paid version of Google Business Profile, and ZenBusiness does not charge for the connection.

Do I need a website to have a Google Business Profile?

No. A website is recommended but optional. Google lets you list a phone number, contact form, or social media page as your primary contact channel. If you don't have a website yet, you can build one with the ZenBusiness Website Builder and add it to your profile later.

Can I connect more than one Google Business Profile to ZenBusiness?

No. ZenBusiness shows one location at a time per dashboard. If you manage multiple locations in Google, choose the one most important to track in ZenBusiness during connect, and switch later from the three-dot menu. Switching does not affect your other locations in Google — they remain visible at business.google.com.

How do I edit my profile (hours, photos, description)?

Edits happen in Google, not ZenBusiness. Sign in at business.google.com or open Google Business Profile manager from a Google search of your own business name. Update hours, phone, website, address, description, photos, products, and services from there. Most changes are live within minutes; name and category changes can trigger a Google re-review.

How do I respond to reviews?

Reviews are managed in Google. Sign in at business.google.com, open Reviews, and reply directly. Responding to every review — positive and negative — signals to future customers that the business is active. Your ZenBusiness dashboard surfaces new reviews so you can spot them, but the reply itself happens in Google.

Why isn't my business showing up on Google Maps?

The most common reason is that your profile is not yet verified. Profiles only appear in Search and Maps after verification is complete — this can take up to 14 days for postcard verification or up to 5 business days for video. If you've been verified for more than a week and still don't appear, complete every section of your profile (categories, hours, photos, description) and make sure your business name, address, and phone number match exactly across your website and other directories.

How do I claim a profile that already exists for my business?

Go to business.google.com and search your business name. If a listing exists and is unmanaged, click Claim this business and verify ownership. If someone else already manages it, click Request access instead — Google will email the current owner to transfer it. The owner has 7 days to respond before Google considers other options.

Does ZenBusiness fix problems with the profile itself?

ZenBusiness can help with the connection between your dashboard and Google — connecting, switching, disconnecting, or fixing authentication and permissions errors on the dashboard side. Issues inside the profile (verification problems, suspensions, claim disputes, content removal) are handled by Google directly. Reach Google support by signing in at business.google.com and choosing Support from the menu.

For help with the ZenBusiness connection itself, contact our support team — for help with your underlying Google profile, sign in at business.google.com and use the in-product Support menu.