Google Business Profile
Also called: GBP, Google My Business, GMB
A Google Business Profile (GBP), formerly Google My Business, is the free Google listing that represents a business on Google Maps and in local search results. It holds details like name, address, hours, photos, and reviews, and is the core asset for appearing in the local pack.
What decides where you rank
Google says local results are ranked mainly by three things: relevance (how well your profile matches the search), distance (how far you are from the searcher), and prominence (how well-known your business is). Prominence is partly driven by “how many websites link to your business and how many reviews you have,” and Google states that more reviews and positive ratings can help your local ranking.
The profile is also a gatekeeper. Google warns that businesses with complete and accurate info are more likely to show up, so gaps in your categories, hours, or NAP (name, address, phone) directly cost visibility. To qualify for a profile at all, you need either a physical location customers can visit or a service area you travel to.
There is also no longer a standalone Google My Business app. Google retired it in 2022 and moved management into Google Search and Maps, so you edit your profile from the same Google account, directly where customers see it.
A worked example: search plumber near me on a phone and Google returns a map with three listings (the local pack) above the normal blue links. Those slots are pulled from Business Profiles, not from websites, which is why the profile often earns the click before your homepage ever does.
How it affects your traffic
For any business with a storefront or a service area, the Business Profile is often the highest-converting surface you own, because the local pack sits above organic results for "near me" and city-plus-service queries. A weak or unclaimed profile means competitors take those three slots and the calls that come with them. Tightening categories, review flow, and NAP consistency is the core of our Local SEO work, and it moves the profile up the pack without changing your website's rankings.
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