Google My Business is an incredibly useful free tool from Google that allows business owners to control how their business appears across Google’s search products and Maps. A Google Business Profile allows you to organize your business name, address, phone number, website, hours of operation, photos, customer reviews, and so on, into one easy location.
A Google Business Profile helps customers find your business and interact with it more easily. Customers can write and read business reviews and you can respond to reviews, post news and updates, share promotions, and even allow for messaging for real-time discussions. Whether you own a local shop or restaurant, are a service provider, or an online business with a physical location, Google My Business can help expand your online presence and authority.
Key Features and Benefits
1. Local SEO Boost
Your business will be more visible in local search, meaning customers who look for a nearby service or product can find you easily. This increases visits or inquiries to your business.
2. Customer Reviews
Customers can leave reviews for you and respond to reviews they can leave positive reviews, building trust that new customers will choose you.
3. Insights and Analytics
Google gives simple, useful insights about the way people interacted with your profile. Insights include:
How many people found you on Google
What queries they searched for
How many people called, clicked on your website or got directions
4. Direct Customer Interaction
There are some features that allow direct customer interactions, including:
Messaging: Customers can send you messages directly.
Q&A: you can answer frequently asked questions.
Bookings: customers can book an appointment directly from your profile.
These days, it’s essential for any company, especially one that depends on local business, to have a presence online. One of the greatest tools available to enhance visibility locally in Google Search and Map search results is through Google My Business (GMB). Although it does not have the best of abbreviations, Google My Business has been recently changed to Google Business Profile (GBP). This guide will share all you need to know to set up, optimize, and manage Google Business Profile in 2025.
What is Google Business Profile?
Google Business Profile is a free tool provided by Google. With this tool, businesses can manage the way their information appears across Google Search and Maps. Google Business Profile provides the ability for companies to create a public profile which displays basic parts of the company above their website and where customers can look through important information such as their business name, address, phone number, business hours, business website, photos, customer reviews, and more.
In essence, a Google Business Profile helps customers discover your business, helps customers learn more about your services, helps customers interact with your business, and all of this is simply done through an easy-to-access profile. This is a no-brainer for grocery stores or any business with a fixed/captive location, as well as services that operate within a specific geographic radius. You need to develop and manage your Google Business Profile to reach local customers.
Why Google Business Profile is Important
1. Increased Local Visibility
Google Business Profile will greatly improve your chances of ranking in local search results. When a user searches for a service or product with a “near me” qualifier, you’ll have a much higher chance to show up in the local pack of 3 businesses rather than organic results with a verified profile.
2. Builds Trust with Potential Customers
A completed and updated profile, effective and recent reviews can start to build trust. If you have a great Google profile, customers will trust your business more.
3. Drives More Visits and Calls
Google Business Profile has traffic-driving usability links that users can tap to visit your website, call your business, and use the directions feature. The simple tap at or click of a button could drive increased web traffic and conversions.
4. Customer Engagement
Customers have the ability to engage with your business through reviews, Q and A, and direct messaging from the search results page.
5. Statistical Insights
Google provides a lot of valuable analytical comparisons including how users found your business, what they engaged with, or how your photos compared to competitors.
Creating a Google Business Profile
Creating your Google Business Profile is easy and simple! Here’s how:
1. Sign into Google
Go to google.com/business and sign in with your Google account.
2. Add Your Business
Enter your business name. If it does not show up, hit ‘Add your business to Google.’
3. Select a Category
Choose your category as specific as possible. For example, instead of ‘Restaurant’, opt for ‘Italian Restaurant’ or ‘Vegan Restaurant’.
4. Add a Location
If your business has a store front, add your full address. If your business services customers at their location, select your service area.
5. Input Contact Information
Add your business phone number, and your website URL if applicable.
6. Verify You Business
Google will typically send your business a postcard with your verification code. If you do not receive one, any other option such as verification by phone call, email, or instant verification (if your account is eligible), may be available.
How to Improve Your Google Business Profile
You’ve created your profile, now you have to be able to continue to optimize your profile to be visible to local searches.
1. Complete all sections
Make sure each section is complete including your:
Business description
Hours of operation (including holidays)
Services or products
Attributes (i.e. “wheelchair accessible”, socially responsible)
2. Use high quality images
Businesses with images get more clicks and engagements. Include:
Your storefront
Your interior
Your employees
Your products or services
Make sure to change out images on a regular basis to ensure that your profile is current and up-to-
Advice for Local SEO with Google Business Profile
Optimizing your GBP is not just about brand image, it can be a major boon to your local SEO effectiveness.
1. Use Keywords in the Correct Way
Include relevant keywords as they are appropriate in your business description and posts, but avoid keyword stuffing. Use good commonsense and be helpful.
2. Create Local Citations
Be sure your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) are dressed the same on any online directory or platform your business appears on.
3. Get Backlinks to Your Website
High quality backlinks from reputable sites can assist with your local search ranking.
4. Engage with Reviews
Google takes into account review engagement when ranking local businesses. Having a consistent stream of new reviews shows Google you are a trustful business.
Managing Multiple Locations
If you have more than one location, you can have separate profiles for each of your businesses. Simply use the Business Profile Manager (business.google.com):
Add or Import multiple locations
Manage access levels of your staff members
Post across several locations
View data all together
Using Google Business Insights
Google provides Insights, which give you a built-in method of analytics to help you learn about customer behavior:
Search Queries: You can see what search keywords people used to find you.
Where Customers View Yo ur Business: Whether viewed on Search or Maps.
Customer Actions: Visits to your website, requests for directions, and requests for phone calls.
Photo Views and Comparisons: You can compare how your photo views stack up against other businesses in your category.
Leverage these insights to adjust your customer service or marketing.
Common Errors to Avoid
Steer clear of these common errors to keep you credible and to boost your results.
❌ Keyword Stuffing Your Business Name
Keyword stuffing means adding irrelevant extra keywords to your business name (e.g., “John’s Bakery Best Cakes in Chicago”) and is a violation of Google’s policies, resulting in suspension.
❌ Posting a P.O. Box or an Incorrect Address
The address you post for your business should be a real physical location where you can receive mail and/or meet customers.
❌ Not Responding to Customer Reviews
To Integrate Your Google Business Profile With Other Tools
Google ads
If you connect your profile to Google ad services, it allows you to show ads for your business using location extensions; primarily, these ads will help nearby customers find your business by displaying relevant information about your locations.
Booking and appointment tools
If you use booking services like Calendly, Square, or Mindbody, integrate these services so customers can book directly from your profile through your booking service.
Social media and website integration
Embed your Google reviews on your website.
Share your Google Posts on social media.
Continually link back to your Google Business Profile for reviews.
Your final Google Business Profile checklist
You can use this checklist to help you ensure that your profile is fully optimized and actively working for you:
✅ Ownership of your business has been verified.
✅ Your business name, address, and phone number are accurate
✅ You have selected a clear and specific category
✅ Quality photos uploaded regularly
✅ First 5-10 customer reviews collected
✅ Posts are updated on a weekly or bi-weekly basis
✅ Messaging is on and being checked
How to set up your Google Business Profile
Step 1: Go to google.com/business
Create an account, or sign in with your Google Account. Then you can start the sign up process.
Step 2: Fill out your Business Info
Add your business name, business category, location (or service area), and contact info.
Step 3: Verify your business
Usually Google will send you a postcard to your business address with a verification code. Sometimes, phone or email may be available as alternatives.
Step 4: Add to Your Business Profile
Once you are verified, you can add photos, update your hours, write a description, and post updates.
🧠 Best practices to optimize your business profile
– Keep your information up to date (for example, during holidays or during promotions)
– Ask your customers to leave reviews. Respond to every review, the positive ones and the negative ones.
– Make sure to keep posting about your business. Post updates, events, special promotions, or any new products/services.
– Choose accurate categories that suit your major services/products.
– Use good quality photos and videos. The more great quality images you have, the more chance you have of attracting attention.
Closing
Google Business Profile is one of the best resources for local businesses looking to improve visibility, create customer engagement and convert customers into sales. By properly setting up and continually optimizing your Google Business Profile, you’re eliminating the odds of being lost in search results, you’re establishing trust with future customers as well as future competitiveness against current local competitors.
One of the greatest digital marketing strategies and benefits, regardless if you are a small business owner, marketing team or entrepeneur, that you can undertake in 2025, is investing time into your Google Business Profile.
