Get Found on Google: My No-BS Setup Guide
I’m Nolan from FunkPd. I tell every client the same thing: if you’re not on Google, you don’t exist. This guide is my exact process for getting you listed. We will set up Search Console first to prove you own your website. This is the key that lets you skip the postcard verification and get your Business Profile live immediately.
“According to Google’s official guide, verifying with Search Console can sometimes skip the postcard.”
Step 1: Buy a Domain
You need a real domain to verify anything. Use Namecheap, GoDaddy, or any other registrar. Buy your domain and keep your login information ready for the next step.
Step 2: Verify Your Domain in Google Search Console
This step gives you authority with Google. Google will give you a TXT code. Log into your domain registrar (like GoDaddy) and paste that code into your DNS settings to prove ownership. No domain means no trust, which means no shortcut for your Business Profile.
Step 3: Set Up Google Business Profile
This is the payoff. Because we already proved you own your domain in Step 2, Google will now verify your Business Profile instantly. No waiting for a postcard in the mail. This is the entire reason we do it in this order. Do not skip it.
Now, with verification guaranteed, let’s build your profile. Each step below has the instruction on the left (33%) and the matching screenshot on the right (66%).
1. Enter Business Name & Category
Use your real business name. For category, start broad like “Contractor.” You can add more later.
2. Choose Your Business Type
If you travel to customers, you are a “Service business.” This is the right choice for most trades.
3. Confirm Physical Location
If you don’t have a storefront customers can walk into, select “No.” Most service businesses select no.
4. Define Your Service Area
Be honest. Start with your primary city and add surrounding towns you actually work in. Don’t overdo it.
5. Add Your Contact Info
Enter your public business phone number and the website URL you verified in Step 2.
6. Set Your Business Hours
Do not leave these closed. Set the hours you are available to take calls or do work. Be realistic.
7. Finish and Get Verified
Follow the final prompts. You’ll see a screen like this confirming you’re live and visible to customers.
Step 4: Optimize Your GSC Setup
Your profiles are live, but Search Console needs a few more things to work for you. Go back to GSC and complete this Mchecklist.
- Submit Your Sitemap: Go to Sitemaps and enter “sitemap.xml”. This tells Google about all your pages.
- Request Indexing: Use the URL Inspection tool for your homepage and main service pages. Click “Request Indexing” for each one.
- Monitor Performance: Check the Performance report to see what search terms bring people to your site. Focus on Clicks and CTR.
- Fix Issues: Look at the Page Experience and Enhancements tabs. Fix anything in red, especially mobile and speed problems.
- Manage Users: In Settings, only give access to people you trust. Remove them when the work is done.
The Right Way vs. The Wrong Way
I see the same mistakes over and over. Follow the left column. Avoid the right one.
| DO THIS | NOT THAT |
|---|---|
| Use your exact, legal business name. | Keyword-stuffing your name like “Winnipeg Best Roofer Inc.” |
| Set a realistic service area you actually cover. | Claiming you serve the entire province or country. |
| Use real photos of your team, your truck, and your work. | Using generic stock photos you downloaded. |
| Set your hours and keep them updated. | Leaving your profile marked as “Closed” 24/7. |
You’re Live. Now Do the Work.
Your profile is just a tool. It only works if you use it. Add photos of your jobs, not stock images. Ask your best customers for reviews. Answer questions. This activity signals to Google that you are an active, legitimate business, which helps you rank higher. If you’re a client and you get stuck, you know how to reach me. For everyone else, follow the plan. Now get to it.
FAQ
1. What is this verification shortcut, and do I really need a website for it?
Your Google Business Profile (GBP) puts you on the map. Google Search Console (GSC) proves you own your website. When you verify your website with GSC first, Google trusts you. This trust lets you skip the postcard in the mail and verify your Business Profile instantly. Yes, this powerful shortcut requires you to have a real domain and a website.
2. How do I set my name, address, and service area without getting suspended?
Always use your real, legal business name. Do not add extra keywords like “Best Roofer.” If you are a service business without a storefront, you must hide your address and define your service areas instead. Be honest about the towns you actually serve.
3. My profile is live, so what’s next? And what if a profile for my business already exists?
Your work is just beginning. You must consistently add real photos of your jobs and ask customers for reviews. This activity signals to Google that you are an active, legitimate business, which helps you rank higher. If a profile already exists, find it on Google Maps and click the “Own this business?” link to start the process of claiming it.
nolan@funkpd.com
Built FunkPd from scratch. 15+ years in trades, 20+ years coding. Full-stack dev, SEO tactician, server-side operator. Rebuilt over 20 sites; most under 3 seconds load time. Clients span mining, manufacturing, e-comm, and local services. Specializes in fixing sites that fail under pressure. Works async. Ships fast. No fluff.
