What is the Google Business Profile?

The Google Business Profile is the free business listing on Google that lets companies manage how they appear in Google Search and on Google Maps. Until November 2021 the service was called Google My Business. The profile shows contact details, opening hours, photos, services, and reviews and is the most important lever for local visibility on Google.

Why is Google My Business now called Google Business Profile?

Google renamed the service in November 2021: Google My Business became the Google Business Profile. Along with the new name, Google moved the management: instead of a separate platform, you now maintain your listing directly in Google Search and in the Google Maps app; the dedicated My Business app was retired in 2022.

In practice, both names live on: Many businesses still search for “Google My Business”, and it always means the same service. The listing itself did not change with the renaming; all profiles and reviews were preserved.

What does the Google Business Profile show?

The Google Business Profile feeds three surfaces: the profile panel next to the search results, the local pack with the map above the search results, and the listing on Google Maps. What appears there:

• Core data: Name, address, phone number, website, and opening hours. These details must match your website and every directory listing.
• Reviews: Star rating and written reviews, the most visible trust signal. How to work with them is covered in our entry on Google reviews.
• Categories and services: The primary category largely determines which search queries the profile appears for.
• Photos and posts: Pictures of the location plus current news, offers, or events.
• Questions and answers: Public user questions that the business itself should answer.

How do you create a Google Business Profile?

A Google Business Profile is created in four steps:

1. Start the listing: Sign in with a Google account and create your business in the profile manager, or claim a listing that already exists.
2. Complete the data: Enter name, category, address or service area, opening hours, phone number, and website.
3. Verify: Google checks that you really represent the business, depending on the case via video, phone, email, or postcard. Only then can the profile be managed publicly.
4. Maintain: Keep opening hours current, respond to reviews, and add photos and posts. A maintained profile beats an abandoned one.

Why is the Google Business Profile so important for local SEO?

Without a Google Business Profile, local visibility practically does not happen: The local pack and Google Maps only show businesses that have a profile. Google sorts local results by three documented factors: relevance (does the profile match the query?), distance (how close is the location?), and prominence (how present is the business online, including reviews and mentions?).

Of these, you can influence relevance and prominence in particular: through the right category, complete service descriptions, consistent core data, and a steady stream of genuine reviews. A step-by-step guide is our article on Google Business Profile optimization; how the profile interacts with website signals and directory listings is the core of our work as a local SEO agency.

Frequently asked questions about the Google Business Profile

What does the Google Business Profile cost?
Nothing. The Google Business Profile is completely free, including all features such as posts, photos, questions and answers, and statistics. Only advertising, which you can add on top, costs money.

Does Google My Business still exist?
Only the name was retired. The service lives on as the Google Business Profile, and all listings were preserved in the 2021 transition. Today you manage the profile directly in Google Search and Google Maps.

Can I create a Google Business Profile without a storefront?
Yes. Service providers without a customer-facing address create a profile with a service area: the address stays hidden, and the area you serve is shown instead. The requirement is real customer contact in that area.

How do I claim an existing listing for my company?
If your company already exists on Google, you request ownership in the profile. Google verifies the claim, for example via video, phone, or postcard, and then hands you the management.