How Much Does a Google Business Profile Cost?

If you’re a small business owner, you’ve undoubtedly heard that it’s absolutely critical to appear on Google, the largest search engine in the world by search volume. You may have even heard that you should set up a Google Business Profile (GBP).

However, thanks to the proliferation of sketchy cold calls and misinformation, it’s easy to get scammed into paying for a Google Business Profile or running an ad campaign when that was not your original goal.

This article is based upon our experience running our own Google Business Profile and hundreds of other business profiles for our clients over the years. We hope it clears up any confusion on the actual costs of setting up and maintaining a Google Business Profile.

How Much Money Does a Google Business Profile Actually Cost?

A Google Business Profile (GBP) is free. You do not need to pay Google, or its subsidiaries, any money to create a Google Business profile.

Note that if you receive a phone call about not being listed on Google or needing to complete the registration process, this is not Google calling you! This is likely a sales-oriented or phishing call where a third-party may impersonate Google or simply try to sell their services. We’ve noticed an uptick of these calls in 2026, with multiple instances where a small business receives 2-3 of these automated calls per day.

Do I Have to Pay for Google Ads to Help My Google Listing?

No, you are not required to pay for Google Ads to create a Google Business Profile. However, during the sign-up process, Google will encourage you to run a Google Ads campaign, typically offering a coupon or ad credit to get you started.

That said, just because you create a Google Business Profile does not mean your profile will rank well on Google Search/Google Maps and drive leads to your business.

The Cost of Optimizing and Maintaining a Google Business Profile

Even though setting up a Google Business Profile is free, it does take significant time and effort to fully optimize and maintain the listing. Additionally, you may run into video verification issues, which can be challenging to resolve.

Please also be sure to abide by Google’s policies to avoid a suspension (or reverification) of your listing which can occur through tactics like creating duplicate listings, changing your primary categories frequently, keyword stuffing your company name, creating fake reviews, breaking Google’s content policy guidelines, etc.

As an alternative, you can certainly hire a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) company to help you optimize your Google Business Profile. If you’re considering paying a company for professional help, I would highly recommend reviewing our guide on picking an SEO company and questions to ask potential providers. Please also keep in mind that web designers and search engine optimizers are not typically the same person! So, do your due diligence when picking out a trustworthy SEO company.

Tools that Can Help Manage Your Google Business Profile

Alternatively, there are paid tools available like Semrush Listing Management and BrightLocal that can monitor and sync data to your Google Business Profile (GBP) as well as other third-party listings. They also have health metrics and automated recommendations on how you can improve your listing.

Additionally, we’ve written an enormous number of guides on optimizing your listing. Here are a few to get you started:

• Types of Photos You Should Add to Your Google Business Profile (GBP)
• How to Add Videos to Your Google Business Profile
• Why You Should Fix Your Google Business Profile’s Map Marker (Pin)
• How Google Review Count, Frequency, Recency, and Average Rating Affect Your SEO and Credibility
• 5 Google Business Profile (GBP) Optimizations to Boost Your Small Business Website's Rankings

For more guides like these, sign up for our free monthly newsletter, packed full of tips for optimizing your web presence.

How to Create a Google Business Profile

If you want to create a Google Business Profile for your small business, head over to https://business.google.com/us/business-profile/. Note that you will first need a Google account to create a new Google Business Profile or claim an existing profile. We recommend using a company branded Google account instead of a Gmail account, as that can help with the verification process.

Follow the prompts by Google to either claim an existing listing (if one was already created) or add a new listing for your business. Note that you will likely have to go through a video and/or business documents verification process initially to launch your listing.

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