If you’re starting a business in El Paso, there’s one thing you need before your Facebook page, before Instagram, before LinkedIn, and definitely before you start filming TikTok dances that get zero likes.
You need a Google Business Profile.
Without one, it’s going to be very hard for anyone to find you. It’s free, it takes less time than most people think, and it keeps working for you every day.
What is a Google Business Profile?
Google Business Profile, formerly called Google My Business, is Google’s official free tool for showing your business on Google Search and Google Maps. When someone in El Paso searches for “bakery near me” or “plumber in El Paso,” the businesses that appear on the map with photos, reviews and a phone number are Google Business Profiles.
If you’re not there, you’re invisible at the exact moment someone is ready to buy.
What your profile needs to include
A profile with just a name won’t do much. To get Google to recommend you, fill in the essentials:
- Business name, exactly as customers know it
- Logo
- Photos of your work: your products, your space, your team, the jobs you’ve finished
- A clear description of what you do and who you serve
- Phone number, website and social media links
- Business hours
- Address, if customers come to you
Work from home or offer digital services? You don’t have to show your home address. Google lets you hide it and show a service area instead, like El Paso and the surrounding cities, along with your phone number.
The more complete and accurate your profile is, the more confident Google is about showing you to people nearby.
Why it matters even more now that AI answers questions
Search is changing. When someone asks Google, “What’s the best bakery in El Paso?”, Google’s AI doesn’t make up an answer. It looks for businesses with clear, trustworthy information online: complete profiles, reviews, websites, awards, and listings like the Better Business Bureau.
Other AI assistants, like ChatGPT and Gemini, work the same way. They all draw on information already published on the internet. Nobody reinvented the wheel.
That means every detail you add to your Google Business Profile and your website helps describe your business clearly enough for both people and AI to recommend you.
Related: Is Your El Paso Website Costing You Customers?
Protect your profile: make sure you own it
This is the part most business owners miss, and I’ve seen it go wrong many times.
When an agency, a freelancer or your nephew sets up your profile, they sometimes register it under their own account. If you stop working together, they keep control of your profile, and getting it back can be a long, frustrating process.
My recommendation:
- You should be the owner of your Google Business Profile, using an account that belongs to your business.
- Anyone who helps you should be added as a manager, not an owner. Google lets you give access without giving away ownership.
- Check who has access every so often, and remove anyone who no longer works with you.
There’s always someone trying to take over, close or rename profiles that aren’t well protected. Ownership is your best defense.
Suspended or stuck “under review”?
Sometimes Google blocks a profile or leaves it under review for weeks. This often happens when the profile is created from a different location than the business, or when information doesn’t match. The reinstatement process can be slow and confusing.
If your profile is suspended or under review, we can help you get it back. We’ve been through that process many times.
Don’t forget the channels that never go out of style
Social media trends come and go. Two things that have never gone out of style are a strong Google presence and a good email list. Customers who already know you are your best source of repeat business, so stay in touch with them.
Once your Google Business Profile is set up, go ahead and post on TikTok. Nothing bad has ever happened to anyone for dancing on TikTok to 500 views. Just build the foundation first.
Frequently asked questions
Does a Google Business Profile cost anything?
No. It’s completely free. Not having one is what costs you, in customers who find your competitors instead.
Do I need a physical location?
No. Service-area businesses and home-based businesses can hide their address and show the areas they serve.
How often should I update it?
Add new photos and posts regularly, keep your hours current (holidays too), and reply to every review.
Need help with your profile?
If you don’t know where to start, or you simply don’t have time to keep adding photos, posts and updates, we can set it up and manage it for you, and write the content so it describes your business clearly. Learn more about our Local SEO services in El Paso, or see more marketing tips for small businesses in El Paso.
Is your Google profile working for you?
We’ll review your Google Business Profile and send you a short list of what to fix first. No cost, no pressure.
Do you already have a Google Business Profile? Tell us in the comments how it’s working for you.