How to add your business to Google Maps in Nigeria: create a free Google Business Profile at business.google.com/add, enter your business name, category, address or service area and phone number, then verify it. Many new profiles are asked to record an unedited video of the premises. Once Google approves it, your business can show on Maps and Search.
It’s written for Nigerian shops, schools, clinics, salons and churches, with informal addresses, home-based work and patchy mobile data in mind, and follows Google’s own requirements.
How to add your business to Google Maps in Nigeria: an overview
- Settle on one name, category, address and phone number.
- Check Google Maps in case your business is already listed.
- Create or claim your profile.
- Choose a storefront, service-area or hybrid setup.
- Verify with the method Google offers you.
- Complete the profile, ask for reviews and keep it up to date.
A Google Business Profile in Nigeria is free, and Google says nobody can pay for a better local ranking.
Before you start: a name, category, address and phone that match everywhere
Google compares your profile with your signboard, your website and any verification video, so settle these details first.
- Name: exactly as on your signboard, receipts and letterhead. Google’s guidelines rule out added keywords or locations, so “Grace Hair Studio” is right and “Grace Hair Studio Best Braids Lekki” is not.
- Category: the primary category that best describes the whole business, such as Hair salon, Medical clinic, Primary school or Church. You can add more later.
- Phone: a line someone answers during opening hours, ideally the same number on your sign and WhatsApp. If Google offers phone or text verification, the code goes to this number.
Address tips for Nigerian locations
- Use the official street address with the plot or house number, plus the shop number if you are in a plaza or market complex.
- Google allows cross-streets or landmarks (“opposite the filling station”) only where the official address doesn’t locate you accurately.
- If your street has no numbers or Google can’t find the address, drag the pin to your exact entrance.
- P.O. boxes are not accepted. Spell the address the same way everywhere.
Create your Google Business Profile step by step
- Sign in with a Google account the business controls, not a staff member’s personal Gmail.
- Search Google Maps for your business. If it is already listed, perhaps by a customer, claim that listing instead of creating a duplicate.
- Otherwise, go to business.google.com/add and select “Add your business to Google”.
- Enter the name, choose your primary category and say whether customers can visit you.
- Enter your address or service areas, then your phone number and website.
- Continue to verification. You can skip it and return later, but until you verify, you can’t manage how the business appears on Maps and Search.
If someone helps you, add them as a manager on the profile rather than sharing your Google password.
Storefront or service-area business? Choosing correctly
Google’s rule is simple: if you don’t serve customers at your business location, don’t show that address on your profile.
| Setup | Who it suits | What to enter |
|---|---|---|
| Storefront | Shops, schools, clinics, churches: customers come to you | Show your address |
| Service-area business | Caterers, mobile make-up artists, AC technicians working from home | Hide the address, list the areas you serve |
| Hybrid | A salon that also does home service | Show the address, add service areas |
A service area business can list up to 20 areas, and Google says the whole area should generally stay within about two hours’ drive of your base. List the places you really cover, such as Ikeja, Yaba and Surulere, not every state. Google’s guide to service areas covers the setup.
Google Business Profile video verification: what Google wants to see
Google chooses which verification methods you see, based on things like business type and region, and they can’t be changed. Options include phone or text, email, video recording and a live video call; some businesses need more than one. Many new profiles are offered video.
Google’s video verification requirements are:
- One live take: at least 30 seconds, continuous and unedited, recorded on your phone inside the Business Profile. You can’t film earlier and upload it.
- Location: street signs, neighbouring businesses or landmarks that show where you are. A home-based service business can film landmarks and signs in its immediate neighbourhood.
- The business: permanent signage showing the same name as your profile, then your stock, equipment or tools.
- Proof of management: something only staff can access, such as opening the till or the store room, or using your POS. Service businesses can show themselves doing the work or unlocking a branded vehicle.
- Leave out: bank account, tax or ID numbers, other private information and other people’s faces.
Review can take up to five business days.
Planning around signage, power and data
- Walk the route once first: street, signboard, entrance, inside, staff-only area.
- Film in daylight before customers arrive, so a power cut doesn’t leave the shop dark and no faces are in shot.
- A signboard fixed to the building is safer than a banner tied up for the day.
- Charge the phone, use your strongest network or a Wi-Fi hotspot, and keep the app open until the upload finishes.
When verification fails: common reasons and fixes
If Google rejects your video, it tells you why and you can record a new one. Fix that specific problem before you try again to verify your Google Business Profile.
| What went wrong | Fix |
|---|---|
| Video paused, cut or under 30 seconds | Rehearse, then record one continuous take of 30 seconds or more |
| Location not clear | Start on the street with a street sign, landmark or neighbouring shop in view |
| Sign doesn’t match the profile name | Correct the profile to your real name, or put up a permanent sign that matches it |
| No proof you run the place | Unlock the door, open the till or show a staff-only area |
| Faces or documents in shot | Film when the place is empty and keep papers out of view |
| Profile details look wrong | Remove keywords from the name, check the category, and hide the address if customers don’t visit |
Be wary of anyone selling “guaranteed” verification: the checks are Google’s, and the fixes above are what count.
Complete your profile: hours, photos, products and links
- Hours: set your regular opening hours.
- Photos: JPG or PNG, between 10 KB and 5 MB; Google recommends 720 × 720 pixels. Show your shopfront, the inside, your products and your team at work (with their permission), without heavy filters.
- Products and services: list what you sell, with prices if you publish them anyway.
- Website: untagged visits from your profile tend to show in analytics as direct or ordinary Google search traffic. Tag the link with our Campaign Link Builder (for example utm_source=google, utm_medium=organic, utm_campaign=gbp), then filter by that campaign in Google Analytics.
- Social profiles: where available, add one link each for Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, TikTok, X and YouTube.
- WhatsApp: Google’s own chat feature ended on 31 July 2024. Some verified profiles, in selected regions, can add WhatsApp under Edit profile, then Contact, then Chat. If you see that option, paste a wa.me link from our WhatsApp chat link generator; if not, use the link on your website and social pages.
How to get Google reviews and reply to them
Google ranks local results by relevance, distance and prominence, and reviews feed prominence. To get your review link, open your Business Profile, select Read reviews, then Get more reviews, and copy the link. On a computer, the same screen offers a QR code, as described on Google’s review link help page.
You can also paste the link into our free QR code generator and print it on a small counter sign made with the Notice & Sign Maker: “Enjoyed your visit? Scan to review us on Google.” Add the link to receipts and thank-you messages too.
Google’s Maps content policy sets the rules:
- No incentives: no discounts, free items or payment in exchange for a review, or for changing or removing one.
- No review gating: ask every customer, not only those you expect to be happy, and don’t discourage negative reviews.
- No reviews posted from several accounts, and no asking for reviews that don’t reflect a genuine experience.
Reply to every review, briefly and politely. For complaints, apologise, don’t argue in public, and give a number where you can sort it out. Clinics and law firms should never confirm in a reply that someone is a patient or client.
Keep it current: holidays, new numbers and moves
- Public holidays: set special hours under Edit profile, then Hours. Sallah dates are often confirmed only days ahead, so update them once the Federal Government announces them, and put the same notice on your door.
- Longer closures: for more than seven days, such as a renovation, Google suggests marking the business temporarily closed.
- New phone number: change it on the profile, signboard, WhatsApp and stationery the same day.
- Moving: a new address means verifying again, so change it once the new place is open and the sign is up.
- Monthly check: search your business name and check the hours, phone number, map pin and new reviews.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Google Business Profile free in Nigeria?
Yes. Creating, verifying and managing a Google Business Profile is free, and Google says there is no way to pay for a better local ranking. You might pay someone to help with setup, photos or regular updates, but nobody can buy you a higher position on Google Maps.
Can I add my business to Google Maps without a shop?
Yes. Set it up as a service-area business: hide your address and list up to 20 areas you serve. You still need to verify. For a video from home, Google suggests filming landmarks and signs in your immediate neighbourhood, then yourself doing the work or unlocking branded equipment.
How long does Google Business Profile video verification take?
Google says the review can take up to five business days after you upload the video. If it is rejected, Google tells you the reasons and you can record a new video. Fix that specific problem first, such as missing signage or a cut in the recording.
Why is my business not showing on Google Maps?
The usual reasons are that the profile is not verified yet, recent edits are still under review, or nearer and better-known businesses rank higher for that search. Search your exact business name: if it appears, complete the profile and gather reviews; if not, check its status.
