What is a Google Business Profile?
A Google Business Profile is the free listing that represents a business in Google Maps and in the local results on Google Search. It shows your name, category, address or service area, hours, phone number, website link, photos, and customer reviews. It was called Google My Business until Google renamed it in 2021.
For most local businesses it is the single most important piece of local SEO. The map results and the local pack are built from these profiles, and many people call or get directions straight from the listing without visiting a website.
Setting it up
- Search for your business on Google or Maps. If a profile exists, claim it; otherwise create one at Google's Business Profile site.
- Choose a primary category that describes the core business ("Coffee shop", not "Food"). Add secondary categories only for things you actually offer.
- Enter the address if customers visit you, or set a service area and hide the address if you travel to them.
- Verify ownership. Google chooses the method, which can include a phone call or text, email, a video recording of the premises, or a postcard.
- Fill in hours, special hours for holidays, phone, website, services or menu, attributes, and a description.
Keeping it useful
- Photos. Real photos of the storefront, interior, team, and work help customers recognize you. Replace outdated ones.
- Reviews. Ask satisfied customers for reviews and reply to them, including critical ones, briefly and professionally. Offering incentives for reviews and filtering who you ask both break Google's policies.
- Updates. Posts can announce events, offers, and news.
- Accuracy. Update hours for holidays and closures promptly. Wrong hours lead to bad reviews fast.
- Performance data. The profile's performance view shows searches, calls, direction requests, and website clicks, useful because many of these actions never reach your site. See zero-click search.
Business Profile and your website
The profile and the website support each other. Link the profile to the most relevant page, usually the homepage, or the location page for a multi-location business. On the website, show the same name, address, and phone as text, and add Local Business schema with matching details. Hydrogen SEO's Local Business schema docs explain how the schema and the profile work together; the short version is that they should never disagree. See NAP consistency.
Common mistakes
- Keyword stuffing the business name, such as "Harbor Lane Coffee | Best Espresso Portland". Use your real-world name.
- Duplicate profiles for the same location, often created by staff or old agencies. Merge or remove them.
- Using a residential address for a storefront business when customers cannot visit it.
- Leaving it unattended, so public edits and outdated details pile up.
Common questions
Is Google Business Profile free?
Yes. Creating, verifying, and managing a profile is free. Google Ads are a separate paid product and do not improve local rankings.
Can I have a profile without a physical location?
Yes, as a service-area business, if you meet customers in person at their location. Online-only businesses are not eligible.
Why was my profile suspended?
Common causes are guideline violations such as keywords in the name, an ineligible address, or duplicate listings. Fix the issue and submit an appeal through Google's support process.