If you're wondering how to add my business to Google, the practice version has a twist: there's usually a listing for your practice, or for one of your doctors, before you create anything. Google builds listings from what patients and data providers report. So the job is to find what exists, claim it or create the right profile, enter the details exactly as Google's rules require, verify, and make sure the practice owns the result. This guide follows Google Business Profile Help as checked in October 2026.
Plenty of practices ask: "how to add my business to google" gets 1,300 US searches a month (at a $57.72 cost per click), "google maps for business" 1,900 and "add business to google maps" 720 (Google Ads Keyword Planner data via DataForSEO, US, 12-month average to Sep 2026). For the full picture of the profile once it's live, see Google Business Profile for doctors.
Check whether your practice is already on Google
Google's find-your-business page (opens in a new tab) gives two checks:
- On Google Search, search for your practice name and city (or "my business" while signed in).
- On Google Maps, search for your practice name and city.
Then search for each doctor by name and city. Listings often exist without anyone at the practice creating them; Google says it gathers business information "from different sources, like user reports and licensed content." (opens in a new tab)
Write down everything you find: the practice listing, any doctor listings, listings at an old address, and anything marked closed. You'll need the list for steps 2 and 4.
Claim an existing listing or create a new one
| What you found | What to do |
|---|---|
| Nothing | Create a profile |
| A practice listing nobody has verified | Claim it |
| A practice listing someone else verified | Request access |
| Two or more listings for the same office | Claim one, then resolve the duplicates (step 4) |
Google states that adding or claiming a business is free (opens in a new tab). The steps, per Google:
To create: go to business.google.com/add, select Add your business to Google, follow the prompts, then choose a verification option. Add a profile only if none exists for your practice.
To claim an unverified listing (computer): open Google Maps, search for the practice, select Claim this business, then Manage now. In the Maps app, open the listing, tap About, then Claim this business.
To request a verified listing: Google's request-ownership steps (opens in a new tab) are to go to business.google.com/add, enter the name and address, choose the practice, select Request Access, fill in the form and submit. The current owner "has 3 days to respond." If they don't, you may be able to claim it from the confirmation email, though "The option to claim a profile isn't always available." If the request is denied, Google says you can try to appeal.
Check eligibility before either route: "To qualify for a Business Profile, a business must make in-person contact with customers during its stated hours." (opens in a new tab)
Enter the details exactly: name, address, phone, hours
Google's guidelines (opens in a new tab) set the rules for each field:
- Name: "Your name should reflect your business's real-world name, as used consistently on your storefront, website, stationery, and as known to customers." No cities, specialties or slogans.
- Address: street address in Address Line 1, suite or floor in Address Line 2. No P.O. boxes, mailboxes or virtual offices.
- Service area: only if you treat patients at home, such as house calls or mobile therapy.
- Phone: "Provide a phone number that connects to your individual business location," under the practice's direct control, and a local number rather than a central call-center line where possible.
- Hours: "Provide your regular customer-facing hours of operation."
- Website: the page for this office, if you have several.
Illustrative example (fictional practice):
| Field | Entry |
|---|---|
| Name | Riverside Family Medicine |
| Address Line 1 | 1200 Oak Street |
| Address Line 2 | Suite 210 |
| Phone | The practice's main local number |
| Hours | Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
Type the name, address and phone exactly as they appear on your website. Keep even small details identical ("Suite" everywhere, not "Ste." in one place), which makes audits and directory clean-up much easier.
Practitioners, departments and duplicate listings
Doctors' own listings are not duplicates of the practice. Google treats doctors and dentists as individual practitioners who may have their own profile when they're public-facing and can be reached at the verified location during stated hours. In a group practice, the practice profile and each doctor's profile exist side by side. Our summary of the naming and practitioner rules covers solo doctors, departments and a doctor who has left.
Real duplicates are different: two profiles for the same practice at the same location. Google says "If a profile is considered a duplicate, it won't show on Google Search or Maps," (opens in a new tab) and:
- If you created both, you can remove the extra one, but "all content and linked managers will be removed, so make sure to remove the correct profile."
- If someone else owns the other one, request access first.
- Merging goes through a suggested edit in Google Maps and is reviewed; "their reviews are combined, but replies to reviews may be lost."
- If the practice moved, "do not create a new Business Profile for the new location." Update the address on the existing one.
Don't ask Google to remove a doctor's listing just because the practice also has one. Google's removal process (opens in a new tab) is for a business that "never existed or isn't eligible to be on Google."
Verify the profile
Google decides which verification methods you're offered: "Verification methods are automatically determined by Google and can't be changed." Options include phone or text, email, a live video call, a video recording and a postcard. Reviews after you complete the steps "take up to 5 business days" (Verify your business on Google (opens in a new tab)).
Two practice-specific cautions: an automated phone tree won't receive a verification code, and you shouldn't edit your name, address or category while a postcard is on its way. The full walk-through, including video verification in a medical office, is in our guide to verify the profile.
Set owners and managers the right way
Google's owners and managers page (opens in a new tab) says a profile "can have multiple owners but only one primary owner." Owners have full control; managers can do most tasks, including editing information, posting and replying to reviews, but can't add or remove users or remove the profile.
- Make a practice-controlled Google account the primary owner. Not a staff member's personal account, and not an agency's.
- Add a second owner at the practice, such as the owner-physician or practice manager, so access survives one person leaving.
- Give agencies and front-desk staff manager access: More, then Business Profile settings, then People and access, then Add.
- Remove people the day they leave.
New owners and managers must wait 7 days before they can transfer primary ownership or remove others. Google tells representatives to "Never claim a Business Profile without express consent from the business owner" (opens in a new tab) and to transfer ownership promptly when asked.
What to complete in the first week
- Choose the primary category and any secondary categories.
- Add services that match your website's service pages.
- Set special hours for the next holiday.
- Add real photos: entrance, signage, waiting room.
- Add a booking or appointment-request link.
- Write a factual description without links or promotions.
- List the practice on Bing Places for Business and Apple Business Connect with identical details.
The first-week checklist expands each item. Then check your listing free: Medfy's audit reads your public Google listing, checks whether name, address and phone match your website, and scores it 0 to 100 with your top five fixes. Medfy doesn't create or manage profiles; once you're a customer, Business Profile data appears in Medfy's dashboard alongside Search Console and Google Analytics.
Frequently asked questions
Is a Google Business Profile free for medical practices?
Yes. Google states that adding or claiming a business is free. The only condition is eligibility: Google requires a business to make in-person contact with customers during its stated hours, so a practice with an office patients visit qualifies, while a telehealth-only practice does not. Ads on Google are a separate, paid product and aren't needed to appear in local results.
What if my practice already has a listing I didn't create?
That's common, because Google gathers business information from user reports and licensed content. If the listing is unverified, claim it from Google Maps with Claim this business. If someone else verified it, use Request access; the current owner has three days to respond, and you may be able to claim it if they don't. Don't create a second profile for the same office.
Can I list my practice if I work from a shared medical building?
Yes. Google allows several businesses at one address when each is distinct and eligible. Enter the street address as Address Line 1 and your suite as Address Line 2, and list the hours you actually see patients there. A rented mailbox or a virtual office where you don't see patients isn't eligible, and a co-working office needs clear signage and staff on site during business hours.
Who should own my practice's Google Business Profile?
The practice, through a Google account the practice controls rather than a staff member's personal account or an agency's. Make that account the primary owner; a profile can have several owners but only one primary owner. Give staff and agencies manager access, which covers most editing work but not adding or removing users, and remove people promptly when they leave.