What is Google Business Profile?

Google Business Profile (GBP), formerly known as Google My Business, is a free tool that lets businesses manage how their local business appears across Google Search and Google Maps. When customers search for your business or browse local listings on Google Maps, they’re seeing information pulled directly from your GBP. It’s the dynamic profile card that appears on the right side of search results when someone looks up your business, complete with your phone number, hours, reviews, and photos.

Google Business Profile is the ultimate business directory and a must-have for any local business. A few years ago, customers might have consulted Tripadvisor or similar aggregators to find local recommendations. Today, Google provides all that information directly in search results, eliminating the need to click through multiple websites. This shift has made GBP indispensable for local visibility.

How Google Business Profile Impacts Local Search and Maps Visibility?

Studies on local search ranking factors have shown that the completeness of your Google Business Profile can have a big impact on conversion rates. The more information you provide in your listing, the more likely users are to convert from browsers to customers.

Google ranks local businesses based on three critical factors: relevance, distance, and prominence. An optimized GBP directly influences all three. Businesses with complete and accurate information are more likely to show up in local search results. When your profile clearly communicates what services you offer, where you’re located, and when you’re open, Google understands your business better and matches it with relevant customer searches.

In Google Maps specifically, a well-maintained profile with regular updates, quality photos, and positive reviews ranks higher in discovery searches. GBP listings are placed higher on SERPs, thus attracting more attention and providing users and Google with all the necessary information at once, which helps Google understand your entity better.