Google Business Profile

Google Business Profile, formerly known as Google My Business, is a free tool that allows business owners to manage how their company appears on Google Search and Google Maps.

A profile can display a business name, address or service area, phone number, hours, website, photos, services, products, updates, and customer reviews. Customers may use it to call the business, get directions, visit its website, make a reservation, or find essential information directly from Google.

What is Google My Business?

Google My Business was the previous name of Google’s business-listing platform. In 2021, Google renamed the service Google Business Profile. The standalone Google My Business app was retired in 2022, and management of individual profiles moved primarily to Google Search and Google Maps.

The rebrand did not remove existing listings. Business information, photos, and customer reviews remained in place. What changed was the product name and the way owners access certain management features.

The terms “Google My Business,” “Google Business Profile,” “Google business listing,” and “Google Maps listing” are still commonly used to describe the same service.

Where can a Google Business Profile appear?

Business Profile information may appear in several parts of Google, including:

• search results for the business name;
• local results for relevant products and services;
• the local three-pack, also known as the Local Pack;
• Google Maps;
• the business knowledge panel;
• nearby searches performed from mobile devices;
• Google Ads that use location information.

The exact presentation depends on the device, query, business category, user location, country, and features available for that particular profile.

What information can a Business Profile include?

Available fields vary by category, but a profile may include:

• the real-world business name;
• a primary category and additional categories;
• a physical address or service area;
• a map pin;
• a phone number;
• a website URL;
• regular and special hours;
• a business description;
• services, descriptions, and prices;
• products or menus;
• attributes such as parking, Wi-Fi, payment methods, and accessibility features;
• photos and videos;
• a logo and cover photo;
• booking, ordering, and other action links;
• social profile links;
• updates, offers, and events;
• customer reviews and business responses;
• questions and answers.

Not every feature is available to every business. Google adjusts profile capabilities based on factors such as category, location, and business type.

Is Google Business Profile free?

Creating, claiming, verifying, and managing a Google Business Profile is free. A company does not have to pay Google for its basic listing to appear on Search and Maps.

Costs may arise when the owner hires an agency, uses paid booking software, subscribes to third-party tools, or runs Google Ads. Advertising is a separate service and is not required to maintain a Business Profile.

Who is eligible for a Google Business Profile?

Business Profiles are primarily intended for companies that make in-person contact with customers at a staffed location or provide services at the customer’s physical location. Eligible examples may include stores, restaurants, medical practices, repair shops, hotels, offices, salons, contractors, plumbers, and mobile service providers.

Online-only brands and companies that do not meet customers in person are generally not eligible. Having a registered company, website, or mailing address alone does not satisfy the eligibility requirements.

Google also restricts the use of addresses that do not represent a genuine operating location. P.O. boxes and unstaffed virtual offices are not eligible. A coworking space may qualify only when the business meets Google’s requirements for permanent signage, staffing, and customer contact.

Storefront, service-area, and hybrid businesses

Google distinguishes among several common business models:

• storefront businesses serve customers at a publicly displayed address;
• service-area businesses travel to customers and do not receive them at the listed address;
• hybrid businesses serve customers both at their location and off-site.

A service-area business that does not receive customers at its address should hide that address and specify the areas it serves. Google currently allows up to 20 service areas based on cities, postal codes, or other supported geographic units.

Adding service areas does not guarantee strong visibility in every selected city. Distance between the business and the searcher remains a fundamental local-ranking factor.

How do you create a Google Business Profile?

Before creating a new profile, search Google and Maps to determine whether a listing already exists. Google may have information about a business even when the owner did not create the profile.

If no profile exists, the setup process generally includes:

1. signing in to the appropriate Google Account;
2. opening the Google Business Profile setup page;
3. entering the real-world business name;
4. selecting the primary business category;
5. indicating whether customers visit the business location;
6. adding an address or service area;
7. entering the phone number and website;
8. selecting an available verification method;
9. completing the remaining profile information.

All information should be accurate and verifiable. Creating multiple profiles for one location or using an address where the business does not operate may lead to verification problems or suspension.

How does Business Profile verification work?

Verification confirms that the person managing the profile is authorized to represent the business. Google automatically determines which methods are available, and an owner cannot always choose a preferred option.

Depending on the business, verification may involve:

• a video recording showing the location, equipment, and proof of management;
• a phone call or text message;
• email;
• a live video call;
• a code delivered by mail;
• automatic verification based on information already available to Google.

For video verification, the owner may need to show the surrounding area, signage, tools, products, employee-only areas, or other evidence that demonstrates the business is genuine and under their control.

Google may request reverification after major profile changes or when it needs additional evidence concerning the business or its ownership.

What if the business listing already exists?

If an unclaimed listing exists, an authorized representative can claim it and complete verification. When another person already manages the profile, the current business owner may request access.

Creating a duplicate is not the correct way to resolve an ownership issue. Duplicate profiles can split reviews, confuse customers, and reduce visibility. The appropriate action is to request ownership, merge duplicates, or report an inaccurate listing.

How do businesses manage their profiles?

An individual profile can be managed directly through Google Search or the Google Maps app. The user must be signed in to the Google Account connected with the business and then open the profile or search for the company name.

Businesses and agencies managing multiple locations can use Business Profile Manager and business groups. These tools help organize access, update multiple profiles, and download consolidated performance reports.

Primary owners, owners, and managers

A profile may have multiple owners but only one primary owner. Owners have full control, including user management and profile deletion. Managers can edit most business information, publish content, and respond to reviews, but they cannot perform every ownership-related action.

The business owner should remain the primary owner. Agencies and employees should generally receive manager or additional-owner access instead of being given the password to the entire Google Account.

How should the business name be entered?

The profile name should match the name used in the real world, including signage, the company website, stationery, and other customer-facing materials. Services, cities, phone numbers, taglines, and keywords should not be added unless they are genuinely part of the business name.

For example, a company known as “TRAVI” should not rename its listing “TRAVI — Best Web Design Agency in Lodz and Warsaw.” Keyword-stuffed names may create short-term relevance for certain queries, but they violate Google’s guidelines and may lead to an edit or suspension.

How should business categories be selected?

The primary category helps Google understand the company’s core business. It should be as specific as possible and describe what the business is, rather than acting as a complete list of its products and services.

Additional categories should be used only when they represent a genuine and important part of the business. Categories are not a place to add arbitrary keywords. They may also determine which fields, attributes, and features become available.

How do you optimize a Google Business Profile?

Business Profile optimization begins with complete, accurate, and useful information. Important tasks include:

• completing verification;
• choosing an accurate primary category and relevant additional categories;
• providing the correct address or service area;
• placing the map pin accurately;
• adding a working phone number and website;
• maintaining regular, holiday, and special hours;
• writing a factual business description;
• adding available services, products, menus, and attributes;
• publishing current photos and videos;
• requesting genuine customer reviews;
• responding to positive and negative feedback;
• monitoring edits suggested by Google and users;
• reviewing profile information regularly;
• analyzing performance data.

Core business information should also remain consistent across the company website, social profiles, and relevant directories. Conflicting names, addresses, and phone numbers can confuse customers and systems that process information about the business.

Photos and videos on a Business Profile

Visual assets help customers recognize a location, evaluate the offer, and understand what to expect. Depending on the business, useful photos may show the exterior, interior, staff, products, completed work, equipment, and service process.

Images should be current, clear, and representative of the real business. Customers may also upload their own photos. The business owner cannot remove them at will but can report content that violates Google’s policies.

What are Google Business Profile posts?

Posts allow businesses to publish timely information directly on their profile. Available formats include updates, offers, and events. A post may contain text, an image, a video, and a call-to-action button leading to a website, booking page, order page, or additional information.

Posts can be scheduled and, in some cases, published on a recurring basis. Google archives them after six months unless a date range has been specified.

Relevant updates may improve communication and encourage customer actions. However, publishing a large volume of posts does not automatically improve local rankings. Google does not identify posting frequency as a separate guaranteed ranking factor.

How do Google reviews work?

Customers can rate a business and describe their genuine experience. Reviews are public and may strongly influence trust, customer contacts, and purchasing decisions.

A business can share a direct review link or QR code. It cannot pay for reviews, offer discounts or free products in exchange for feedback, require a particular rating, or selectively ask only satisfied customers for positive reviews.

Business owners can publish public responses. Replies should be professional, concise, and specific to the customer’s feedback. A company should not disclose personal information or argue publicly with a reviewer.

Can a business remove a negative review?

A review will not be removed simply because the business owner considers it unfair. Reviews that violate Google’s policies may be reported, including fake, abusive, irrelevant, spam-based, or privacy-violating content.

Google reviews the report and makes the final decision. When a negative review does not violate policy, the most appropriate response is usually a professional public reply followed by an attempt to resolve the issue privately.

How does Google Business Profile ranking work?

Google identifies three primary groups of factors in local search:

• relevance – how closely the business matches the user’s query;
• distance – how far the business is from the searcher or location specified in the query;
• prominence – how well known and credible the business appears based on available information.

Complete information, accurate categories, clearly described services, and a useful website can help Google understand the business. Prominence may be influenced by information available across the web, links to the business, and the quantity and quality of customer reviews.

Distance cannot be eliminated through optimization. A company located far from a user may rank below a closer competitor even when its profile is more complete.

A business cannot pay Google for a higher position in organic local results. Advertising can provide additional paid visibility, but it does not purchase a better organic Business Profile ranking.

Can keywords be added to a Business Profile?

Google Business Profile does not have a dedicated keyword-list field. Google interprets the business through categories, services, descriptions, photos, website content, reviews, and other information.

Relevant phrases should be used naturally and only where they accurately describe the offer. Adding keywords to the company name, creating artificial services, or repeatedly stuffing the same phrases into fields is not a safe optimization strategy.

Google Business Profile and local SEO

A Business Profile is a major component of local SEO, but it does not operate independently from the rest of the company’s online presence. Google may use information from the business website, third-party websites, Maps, customer contributions, and public data sources.

A local search strategy may include:

• Business Profile optimization;
• local service and location pages;
• consistent contact information;
• useful content addressing local customer needs;
• links from credible websites;
• listings in relevant industry and local directories;
• a consistent process for requesting genuine reviews;
• sound technical website optimization.

Creating a profile does not guarantee placement in the local three-pack. Rankings vary by query, user location, competition, and the quality of signals associated with the business.

Google Business Profile vs. a website

A Business Profile does not replace a professional website. The profile provides fast access to essential information and actions, while a website gives the company greater control over its presentation, content, lead generation, e-commerce capabilities, and functionality.

The two should support one another. A profile link may direct customers to a location-specific or service-specific landing page, while website content helps Google understand what the company offers.

Google Business Profile and Google Ads

A Business Profile can be connected with Google Ads so location information can be used in advertisements. Customers may then see information such as an address, distance, business hours, or directions.

Location data may also support campaigns designed around local objectives and Performance Max. Store-visit measurement and certain local conversion actions are available only to eligible advertisers.

Connecting a profile with an advertising account does not directly improve its organic local ranking.

How do you measure Business Profile performance?

Google provides performance reporting for verified profiles. Depending on the business type, available metrics may include:

• profile views on Search and Maps;
• search terms used to find the business;
• website clicks;
• clicks on the call button;
• direction requests;
• bookings;
• product views;
• menu clicks;
• offer views and clicks;
• other profile interactions.

Search-query data is updated at the beginning of each month. Performance reporting may include activity from both organic results and Google Ads.

UTM parameters should be added to the website URL to distinguish Business Profile visits from other organic traffic. Profile results should also be compared with form submissions, calls, reservations, qualified leads, and actual sales.

Common Google Business Profile mistakes

Common mistakes include:

• creating a duplicate of an existing profile;
• using a fake or virtual address;
• displaying a private address where customers are not served;
• adding services and city names to the business name;
• selecting an overly broad or inaccurate primary category;
• adding unrelated categories;
• publishing outdated business hours;
• using an incorrect phone number or website URL;
• placing the map pin in the wrong location;
• failing to update holiday hours;
• buying or manipulating reviews;
• ignoring important customer feedback;
• using outdated or misleading photos;
• giving an agency primary ownership of the profile;
• sharing passwords instead of granting appropriate access;
• failing to monitor Google and user-suggested edits;
• evaluating success only through profile views.

Why can a Business Profile be suspended?

A profile may be suspended or restricted when it violates Google’s guidelines. Possible causes include an inaccurate name, an ineligible address, duplicate listings, misleading information, a lack of authority to represent the business, or prohibited content.

After a suspension, the owner should correct the violation and use Google’s official appeals tool. Google may request registration records, utility bills, licenses, signage photographs, or other evidence confirming that the business exists and operates at the stated location.

Creating a replacement listing to bypass a suspension is not recommended. It can generate additional duplicates and make recovery of the original profile more difficult.

How should businesses manage multiple locations?

A company with several genuine locations may create a separate profile for each one. Locations should use consistent names and categories when they operate under the same brand and provide the same type of service.

A separate profile should not be created for every city within a service area. An additional profile is justified only when there is a distinct eligible location with its own staff and real business operations.

What are the advantages of Google Business Profile?

Important benefits include:

• free visibility on Google Search and Maps;
• greater exposure in local results;
• fast access to phone numbers, addresses, and business hours;
• one-click direction requests;
• the ability to showcase photos, services, products, and updates;
• customer-review collection and management;
• greater trust and credibility;
• website traffic;
• booking and other category-specific actions;
• performance and search-query data;
• integration with Google Ads.

What are the limitations of a Business Profile?

A Business Profile operates within a platform controlled by Google. A company does not have complete control over its design, content order, available features, or search ranking. Google may update information based on third-party sources and user suggestions.

A profile does not guarantee visibility for every query or placement in the local three-pack. It may be restricted or suspended, and an unfair review will not always qualify for removal. A listing also offers less space, functionality, and commercial control than a business-owned website.

Is Google Business Profile worth using?

For a local company that receives customers at a physical location or provides services in person, Google Business Profile is a fundamental online channel. It helps the business reach people who are already searching for a relevant service, product, or place nearby.

Creating the listing is only the beginning. Information should remain accurate, complete, and current, while performance should be evaluated through calls, direction requests, website visits, bookings, qualified inquiries, and sales.

If you want to connect your Business Profile with advertising, use location data correctly, and reach customers actively searching for your offer, learn how we manage Google Ads campaigns for businesses.