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Bill Stilwell
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Free A to Z business setup guide

Set up your business to get found on Google
and recommended by AI.

Every step of your business setup sends a signal to Google, Bing, and AI tools. I'm following this guide as I build SiteSmarty, with a video for every step.

Google Business Profile firstWhat to put in at every stepHow each step affects searchTested on my own businessesSources and review datesVideos of the real work
Start the guide

The video for this page is coming soon.

Feed it. Sync it. Get found everywhere.

Your Google Business Profile and your website share the same facts. Everything that feeds them decides where Google, Bing, and AI tools send people.

1. What feeds the system
Business factsName, address, phone, and hours
ReviewsGoogle, Yelp, Facebook, and more
DirectoriesLocal and industry listing sites
Bing and AppleBing Places, Apple Business Connect
Social profilesFacebook, Instagram, and YouTube
News and linksPartners, press, and local groups
2. What stays in sync
Google Business ProfileSiteSmarty★★★★★
Always
in sync
sitesmarty.com
WebsiteSiteSmartySame facts, plus the details
NameAddressPhoneHoursServicesPhotosReviewsPosts
3. Where people find you
Google SearchSearch results
Google MapsMap pack and reviews
AI OverviewsGoogle AI answers
Bing and CopilotSearch and AI answers
Apple Maps and SiriMaps and voice
ChatGPTAI recommendations
PerplexityAI answers with sources
Gemini, Claude, moreOther AI assistants

The result: more calls, directions, website visits, and bookings.

How it works: your business facts, reviews, directory listings, Bing and Apple listings, social profiles, and news and links feed your Google Business Profile and your website. The profile and website stay in sync with the same name, address, phone, hours, services, photos, reviews, and posts. That decides where people find you: Google Search, Google Maps, Google AI Overviews, Bing and Copilot, Apple Maps and Siri, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Claude, and other AI assistants. The result is calls, directions, website visits, and bookings.

The 8 checkpoints every business passes

Each checkpoint builds on the one before it. Get each one right before you spend time or money on the next, and every step after it gets a lot easier.

1A viable ideaA real customer, a real problem, and a price that works for you.See the steps2Legal basics in placeStructure, registration, permits, taxes, insurance, and contracts.See the steps3Money under controlBank accounts, bookkeeping, payments, and a cash cushion to fall back on.See the steps4Easy to findYour profile, website, listings, and the accounts you own.Your Google Business Profile lives here.See the steps5Ready to sell and deliverIntake, estimates, scheduling, delivery, and closing the job.See the steps6Ready to advertiseFast lead response, tracking, and knowing what a customer costs.See the steps7Ready to hire and growRoles, training, payroll, and procedures that scale.See the steps8Built to lastClean records, backup people, and a plan for whatever comes next.See the steps

Browse the guide by topic

Jump straight to the part you need. Every part has plain steps to follow, sources you can check, and a video showing the real work on a real business.

Plan

Set up

Get found

Run and grow

See all 29 parts of the guide

Who writes this guide

I'm Bill Stilwell. I help businesses across the United States turn more searches into calls and customers, using proven marketing basics plus the latest AI tools.

SiteSmarty is my marketing company in North Idaho, with a real office that follows Google's rules for a local business. It starts with Google Business Profiles and websites that stay in sync with them. Those websites can connect to just about any platform, app, or tool a business already uses.

This site is where I teach what I learn. It's free, it covers the whole country, and every page lists its sources and the date I last checked it.

  • 20 years building membership sites
  • Founder of SiteSmarty in North Idaho
Read my full storySee what past clients say

Common questions

Short answers to the questions business owners ask me most. Each one links to the guide page that covers it in full, with the steps and the sources.

What is a Google Business Profile?

It's a free listing from Google that shows your business on Google Search and Google Maps. It holds your name, address or service area, phone, hours, photos, and reviews. You own it and keep it up to date.

Read: Setting up your profile
Do I need a website if I have a Google Business Profile?

You don't have to have one, but it helps. A website gives Google, Bing, and AI tools more to read about you. When the facts on your website match your profile, they have an easier time trusting both.

Read: Your website
How do AI tools like ChatGPT decide which businesses to recommend?

They draw on what is published about you online. That includes your website, your listings, your reviews, and other sites that mention you. Each tool works a little differently, but clear facts that match everywhere make your business easier to understand.

Read: How AI tools choose sources
Can a home-based or service-area business have a profile?

Yes, if you meet customers in person at their location. You can hide your home address and show the area you serve instead. A business that only works online can't have a Google Business Profile.

Read: Service-area eligibility
Who is this guide for?

Anyone starting or fixing a small business in the United States. Rules that change from state to state are marked, so you know when to check your own state's website.

Read: How to use this guide
Is this guide really free?

Yes. Every page and every video is free to read and watch. There is nothing to buy here.

Read: How this guide is made

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