What a Business Profile includes
- Business name, categories and address or service area
- Phone number, website and opening hours, including holiday hours
- Photos, products, services and a description
- Reviews and your replies to them
- Posts about offers, news and events
- Booking and ordering links, where available
Why it matters
Your profile decides how you appear in the map pack and on Google Maps, which is where many local customers choose who to call. Complete, accurate profiles with good reviews tend to get more views, calls and direction requests.
Tips
- Verify the profile and keep the details identical to your website.
- Choose the most specific primary category.
- Add real photos regularly and reply to every review.
- Check the Performance report to see calls, website clicks and the searches that found you.
Business Profile example
A plumber with a van and no shop sets up a profile as a service-area business: name, category “Plumber”, the towns served, opening hours and a phone number. The plumber adds photos of finished jobs, a list of services and asks every happy customer for a review. Over time, the profile appears in the map results for “plumber” near the customer, and the calls come straight from the listing.
Business Profile checklist
- Claim and verify the profile.
- Use your real business name, with no keyword stuffing.
- Choose the most accurate main category and add secondary ones.
- Fill in services, hours (including holidays), website and phone.
- Add recent, real photos.
- Ask for reviews and answer all of them.
- Keep the same name, address and phone as on your website.
Business Profile mistakes
- Adding fake locations or virtual offices, which can lead to suspension.
- Putting keywords in the business name.
- Ignoring reviews or arguing with reviewers.
- Letting hours and details go out of date.
Business Profile FAQs
Is it still called Google My Business?
No. It was renamed Google Business Profile. See local SEO and map packs.
Do I need a website?
It is strongly recommended, but a profile can work without one. See backlinks for local SEO.