To get your business on Google, you create a Google Business Profile, formerly Google Meu Negócio, right from Google Search. Setup is free, takes about ten minutes, and depends on a verification step that today, in Brazil, is done by video in most cases.
There are three ways to do it, and only one is free
When someone says they want to get their business on Google, they usually mean one of these three things, and each one costs and takes a different amount of time.
- Show up on the map and in local results. Free, done through your Google Business Profile. That’s what this article covers.
- Show up with your website in organic results. Free in terms of money, costly in terms of time. It depends on content and SEO, and takes months.
- Show up first right away. That’s advertising, and you pay per click.
Setting up your free profile in six steps
Start by logging into the business’s Google account. If you use someone’s personal account, the day that person leaves, the profile goes with them.
- Search for “create a Google Business Profile”
- Enter the name exactly as it appears on your storefront, without the city or service tacked on
- Choose the main category, the most specific one that describes what you do
- Say whether you serve customers at your address, at their location, or both
- Fill in your phone number and website
- Request verification, which in most cases will be done by video
Three things you need to have in place first
You can set up your profile without any of this. But it won’t go anywhere, and that’s not Google’s fault.
First, a place to send people who click. It can be your website, a single landing page, or WhatsApp. A profile that leads nowhere gets visits but no customers.
Second, someone to answer. Your profile generates calls and messages whenever the customer wants, not whenever you want. A phone no one answers turns into a one-star review.
Third, consistency. Your name, address, and phone number need to match across your profile, your website, and your social media. Google cross-checks this data, and any mismatch hurts trust. This and everything else that matters are in our optimization checklist.
Video verification, no mystery
You record it on your phone, inside Google’s own screen, with no cuts and no uploading a pre-made file. The recording needs to prove that the address exists, that the business operates there, and that you have access to the inside.
Start on the sidewalk showing the street number, zoom in on the sign, walk in without stopping the recording, show the inside in motion, and end on something administrative, like the register or the front desk computer.
Most common reason for rejection: recording with the store closed. Second most common: a keyword in the business name. The detailed step-by-step is in our Google Business Profile setup guide.
I set it up. Why don’t I show up yet?
Because setting up your profile gets you indexed, not ranked at the top. Google builds local results using three signals it publishes itself: relevance, distance, and prominence.
Relevance comes from the category and services you listed. Distance comes from where the searcher is, and there’s no way to change that. Prominence comes from reviews, mentions of your name on other sites, and how well-known your website is. This is where new businesses lose out.
In the first few weeks, four things move the needle: ten photos taken on site, services listed one by one, one post a week, and your first reviews from real customers. None of this happens fast, and no paid shortcut replaces it.
How much it costs to have someone do it for you
No one should charge you for the setup itself, since it’s a free form. What you pay for is optimization, the work of making your profile competitive.
At Ciclicko, the profile audit is free and lands on WhatsApp within 24 business hours, with a score from 0 to 100 and a comparison against 3 competitors on Maps. If you want to do it yourself, there’s the GMN Express Kit; if you’d rather have us do it, there’s the full optimization service. Pricing for both depends on scope and is sent on request.
Frequently asked questions
Is getting your business on Google really free? Yes. Creating and maintaining your profile costs nothing. Advertising is a separate product.
Do you need a CNPJ (Brazil’s company registration number)? No. Micro-entrepreneurs (MEI) and freelancers can register just like anyone else.
I work from home. Can I register? Yes, as a service-area business, with your address hidden.
How long until you show up? Verification takes between 3 and 14 days. To rank well, it takes weeks or months, depending on competition in your area.
Someone charged me to register. Is that a scam? Charging for the registration itself doesn’t make sense. Charging for optimization and maintenance does.