A Google Business Profile (formerly “Google My Business”) is the panel that appears when someone searches for a business by name on Google, and the pin that represents it on Google Maps. It is free and is managed from a Google account once the owner has proved they run the business (this is verification).
What a profile contains
- name, address or service area, phone number and website link;
- regular opening hours and special hours (bank holidays, closures);
- a primary category (“Italian restaurant”, “hair salon”…) and secondary categories;
- photos, a description, products or services;
- customer reviews and the owner’s replies.
Why it matters for a local business
For many customers the profile is their first contact with the business, before the website: they check the rating, the photos and the hours, then call or ask for directions. An incomplete or wrong profile (old hours, wrong number) loses customers without the owner ever noticing.
Example: a bakery opens on Sunday mornings but its profile says “Closed”. People searching for “bakery open now” that morning either don’t see it or walk on by.
Common mistakes
- never claiming the profile, so anyone can suggest edits;
- forgetting special hours;
- picking a category that is too vague;
- stuffing keywords into the business name, which Google’s rules forbid and which can lead to a suspension.
To fill it in step by step, read our complete Google Business Profile guide.
Go further
Related terms
Local SEO
Local SEO covers what a business does to show up when people search for its type of business nearby on Google and Google Maps: profile, reviews, website and consistent details.
Google Local Pack
The Local Pack is the block of Google results that shows a map and a few businesses (often three) for a search with a nearby intent, such as “bakery near me”.
NAP (name, address, phone)
NAP (Name, Address, Phone) means a business’s name, address and phone number, which should be written the same way on its Google profile, website and directories.