What is Google Business Profile?
Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is a free tool that lets business owners manage how their business appears on Google Search and Google Maps. It's the most important local SEO asset.
A complete, optimized GBP includes:
- Accurate business name, address, and phone number (NAP) - Primary and secondary business categories - Business description with keywords (750 characters) - Hours of operation (including holiday hours) - Photos (businesses with 100+ photos get 520% more calls) - Products and services with descriptions - Weekly posts (updates, offers, events) - Q&A responses - Review management
GBP ranking factors: relevance (how well your listing matches the search), distance (proximity to searcher), and prominence (reviews, citations, overall web presence).
Businesses in Google's Map Pack (top 3 local results) capture 42% of all local clicks.
Example
A dentist searching 'dentist near me' sees the Map Pack showing 3 dental practices. The one with a complete GBP — 200 reviews, weekly posts, photos of the office — ranks above competitors with sparse profiles.