Google Business Profile: what it is, what it's for and how to create one
How to get your business on Google and Maps: create, verify and optimize your business profile
Google Business Profile is the free listing that shows a business’s details in Google Search and Google Maps: address, opening hours, phone number, website, photos and reviews. It’s what appears to the right of the results, or on the map, when someone searches for “coffee shop near me” or the name of a store.
It used to be called Google My Business. In November 2021, Google renamed it Google Business Profile (Perfil de Empresa en Google in Spanish).
What is Google Business Profile for?
It helps customers find your business and know, without visiting your website, how to get there, when it’s open and what other customers think. It’s the foundation of local SEO.
With your profile you can:
| Feature | What it does for you |
|---|---|
| Basic information | Show your address, opening hours, phone number and website |
| Google Maps | Appear on the map and in “near me” searches |
| Reviews | Receive ratings and reply to them |
| Photos and videos | Show your premises, products or team |
| Posts | Announce offers, news and events |
| Statistics | See how many people search for you, call you or ask for directions |
It’s free, and any business that serves customers in person can create one: whether it has physical premises or travels to customers, like a plumber or an in-home tutoring service.
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How to create a Google Business Profile step by step
- Go to Google Business Profile with a Google account, ideally your business’s.
- Enter the business name. If a profile already exists, created by Google or by a customer, you can claim it.
- Choose the primary category, for example “Hair salon” or “Clothing store”. It has a big influence on the searches you appear in.
- Enter the location or service area. If you don’t serve customers at your premises, you can hide the address and show only the area.
- Add your phone number and website.
- Verify the business. Google will ask you for a verification method: a video of your premises, a phone call, SMS, email or a postcard, depending on the case.
- Complete the profile with opening hours, photos, services and a description.
Until you verify the business, changes are not published or are published only partially.
How to optimize your profile to rank higher
Google ranks local results based on three factors: relevance (whether your profile matches the search), distance and prominence. Prominence measures how well known your business is, including through its reviews and its presence online. To improve:
- Fill in every field and choose the right category.
- Keep your opening hours up to date, including on public holidays.
- Upload real photos and refresh them from time to time.
- Ask for reviews from satisfied customers and reply to all of them, including the negative ones.
- Use the same details (name, address and phone number) on your website and in other directories.
- Post news or offers so your profile doesn’t look abandoned.
Google Business Profile and email marketing
Your profile brings in new customers; email helps you bring them back. This is how they complement each other:
| Situation | What to do by email |
|---|---|
| After a purchase or visit | Send a thank-you email with a link to leave a review |
| Positive reviews | Highlight them in your newsletter as social proof |
| Offers on your profile | Send them to your subscribers too |
| Customers who come from Google | Invite them to subscribe with a form on your website |
Asking for reviews by email works best if you do it shortly after the purchase and include a direct link. Never offer discounts in exchange for positive ratings: it’s against Google’s policies.
News and recent changes
Google has been changing the service over the last few years:
- In 2021 it changed the name from Google My Business to Google Business Profile, and the profile came to be managed mainly from Google Search and Google Maps.
- In July 2024 it removed the feature for chatting with customers from the profile.
That’s why many older guides that talk about “Google My Business” are still useful, but it’s worth checking that the features they describe still exist.
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With Mailrelay, you turn the people who find you on Google into subscribers. You create forms for your website, send automated emails after each purchase to ask for a review and send your offers to your whole list.
The free account includes up to 80,000 emails a month and 20,000 contacts, with human support in English on all plans.
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Automate the thank-you email with the link to your profile and send your offers to your whole list. Human support in English.
Frequently asked questions about Google Business Profile
These are the most common questions.
What is Google Business Profile?
The free listing that shows a business’s details in Google Search and Google Maps.
Is it the same as Google My Business?
Yes. Google My Business changed its name in 2021 and is now called Google Business Profile.
How much does it cost to create a Google Business Profile?
Nothing. It’s free. What you pay for, if you want to, are the Google Ads that can be shown on Maps.
Can I have a profile without physical premises?
Yes, if you serve customers in person at their homes. In that case, you hide your address and show your service area. Online-only businesses can’t have a profile.
How do I get more reviews on Google?
Ask your customers for them shortly after their purchase, by email or with a QR code at your premises, and reply to every review you receive.