How to set up a Google Business Profile in Nagaland: a step-by-step guide

A Google Business Profile (GBP) is the free listing that shows your hours, phone, photos and reviews when someone finds you on Google Search or Google Maps. This guide follows Google's own help pages. Google can change its rules, so check the linked pages before you start.

Key takeaways

• It is free. Google only lets you list a business that meets customers in person (a shop, restaurant, homestay with guests) or travels to customers (taxi, guide).
• Online-only businesses, such as a blog or app with no place to visit, are not eligible.
• Use your real name, a real address or pin, and a phone number you control. Never fake an address or reviews.
• Verification may be by phone, email, video call or postcard. Google picks the method, and a postcard usually arrives within 14 days.
• No street address? Drop a pin on the map and share the Plus Code (a short location code) with guests.
• Never pay or give a gift for reviews. It can get your profile suspended.

Before you start: is your business eligible?

Google says a business must "make in-person contact with customers during its stated hours". Eligible: a shop, a restaurant, a taxi or guide service that visits customers, and, per Google's Maps policy, home-based businesses. Not eligible: online-only businesses, PO boxes, virtual offices, and rental properties such as vacation homes (a staffed rental office can qualify).

Taxi operators and guides who go to customers are "service-area businesses". They can hide their address and list areas they serve (up to 20 named places, usually within about 2 hours' drive).

Step-by-step setup

What to prepare first

• Exact business name as on your signboard or visiting card
• Address, or the exact spot of your premises on the map
• A phone number you answer yourself (verification calls and texts go here)
• Opening hours (see the notes on lodging below)
• 5 to 10 clear photos
• A Google Account (any email address works)

Steps

1. Search first. Search your business name and town on Google Maps. If a listing exists and is unverified, choose "Claim this business". If it is verified by someone else, you can request ownership.
2. Add your business if it isn't there: go to business.google.com/add and follow the prompts.
3. Enter your name. Use only your real name. No keywords, taglines, phone numbers, hours or location in the name.
4. Pick a category. Choose the most specific main category, then add only what truly describes you.
5. Add your location. Enter the address. If Google can't find it, use "Adjust" and move the pin onto your building. Taxis and guides without a premises should hide the address and add service areas.
6. Add contact details. Phone and your website (full https:// link). A WhatsApp chat button is available only in some regions, so it may not appear for you.
7. Set hours. Restaurants and shops: regular hours. Google says lodging, transport services and event venues shouldn't provide hours. Seasonal business: set hours in season and mark temporarily closed off-season.
8. Write a description of up to 750 characters. No links, prices or offers.
9. Add photos, then verify (next sections).
10. Add booking or order links if they apply. Up to 10 links per type, such as booking or food ordering.

Photo tips

• JPG or PNG, 10 KB to 5 MB, at least 250x250 pixels (720x720 recommended).
• In focus, well lit, honest. Heavy filters or AI edits are not allowed.
• Videos: up to 30 seconds, 720p or better.
• Google suggests at least three exterior photos (from different approaches), three of your products or food, and photos of your work or common areas.
• Photos appear after Google reviews them, and your profile must be verified.
• Only upload photos you took, and avoid showing guests' faces without permission.

Verification help and common rejection reasons

Google chooses the method for you. Options:

• Phone or text: answer the call or SMS. Automated phone systems can't receive the code.
• Email: follow the link in the email.
• Live video call: only during your stated business hours. Be at the business, show signage, your products or equipment, and proof you run it (such as a kitchen or cash register).
• Postcard: a 5-digit code to the address. Most arrive within 14 days and codes expire after 30 days. Don't edit your name, address or category while waiting, and don't request a second code, because that cancels the first.

After you submit, review can take up to 5 business days. Verifying your website in Google Search Console can sometimes verify you instantly.

Common reasons for trouble: an address Google can't find; a name stuffed with keywords; a virtual office or mailbox; an online-only business; a rental property; a duplicate profile; changing details while waiting for a postcard. If your profile is suspended, use Google's appeals tool, don't create a new profile while the appeal is pending, and upload evidence within 60 minutes of opening the evidence form (for example registration, licence, utility bill).

How to get and answer reviews

• In your profile, choose Read reviews, then Get more reviews, to get a link or QR code (QR codes can be generated only on a computer). Print it for your counter or send it on WhatsApp.
• Ask every customer, not only happy ones.
• Never offer discounts or gifts for reviews, and never write your own. Google calls this fake engagement and it can lead to restrictions.
• Reply politely and briefly to each review. Replies are public, usually appear in about 10 minutes, and show as from your business. Customers need a Google Account to review.

What about village homestays without a street address?

• Google says that if your address has no street number, you can pin your location on the map. Move the pin to your gate or building.
• A Plus Code works like an address for places without street names. In Google Maps, press and hold on your spot, open the "Dropped Pin" panel and copy the code. Share it with your village name, for example in WhatsApp replies or your website. Plus Codes work in Google Maps search and offline.
• We did not find anything in Google's help pages saying you can type a Plus Code into the profile's address field, so treat that as unconfirmed.
• Landmarks: Google says to add nearby landmarks only where the official address doesn't pinpoint the location.
• Is a family homestay eligible? Not confirmed. Google excludes vacation homes and rental properties, but allows home-based businesses that deal with customers in person. We found no homestay-specific rule. A homestay where the host lives on site, welcomes guests in person and can show a signboard has the best chance. Google makes the final decision.
• A home with no public signage may struggle at video verification. Put up a simple name board.
• Postcard delivery to remote villages: not confirmed. Ask for phone or video options first.

Mistakes to avoid

1. Adding keywords or "Best homestay in Kohima" to the name.
2. Using a friend's shop address, PO box or virtual office.
3. Listing the same place twice.
4. Leaving a home address visible for a taxi or guide service that doesn't receive customers at home.
5. Buying reviews or offering rewards.
6. Putting links or prices in the description.
7. Editing details while a postcard is on its way.
8. Using a phone number you can't answer.
9. Forgetting to update hours for the festival season or closures.
10. Using photos that aren't yours or are heavily edited.

FAQ

Is it free? Yes.

Do I need a website? No. A phone number is enough. A website helps and must be your own page.

Can I choose how I verify? No. Google decides based on your business.

Can a taxi or guide get a profile without an office? Yes, as a service-area business, if you serve customers in person. Hide the address and list the areas you serve.

Can I add WhatsApp? Google offers a WhatsApp chat option for verified profiles in select regions. Check whether it appears in your account.

Can I list a homestay on Google? See the village homestay section. Eligibility is decided by Google and isn't guaranteed.

Someone else created my listing. What now? Claim it if unverified, or request ownership.

Can I fix a wrong pin on someone else's place? Yes, use "Suggest an edit" in Google Maps. You can also "Add a missing place".

What if I move? Moving after verification requires re-verifying. For lodging and restaurants Google may reject location edits and ask you to close the old profile and create a new one.

Drawn from public sources, written and checked with AI assistance. Spot a mistake? Tell us at hornbillaistudio@gmail.com.

Editor, Hornbill AI Studio