Is Google Business Profile the same as Google My Business?

Yes. Google rebranded Google My Business as Google Business Profile in 2022. The product is the same: a free listing that helps local businesses appear in Google Search and Google Maps. If you have an existing Google My Business account, it is now managed at business.google.com and works exactly as before.

Is a Google Business Profile free?

Yes, completely. Creating and maintaining a Google Business Profile costs nothing. You can pay for Google Ads to appear above the organic and map results, but appearing in the local pack and on Google Maps through your profile is free. The only investment is the time it takes to set it up and keep it updated.

What is the difference between a Google Business Profile and a website?

They serve different purposes and work best together. Your Google Business Profile is what gets you discovered: it appears in local searches and on Google Maps before a customer reaches your website. Your website is where they go to find out more, read about your services, check your prices, and get in touch. A profile without a website limits how much information you can share. A website without a profile limits how easily new customers can find you locally.

What is the Google local pack?

The local pack (also called the map pack) is the block of three business listings that appears at the top of Google Search results when someone searches for a local service, for example "plumber near me" or "hairdresser in Portsmouth". These results come from Google Business Profiles, not from websites. Getting into the local pack is one of the highest-value things a small business can do for its online visibility.

Do I need a physical address to have a Google Business Profile?

No. Service-area businesses (plumbers, cleaners, mobile dog groomers, gardeners) can hide their address and instead list the towns or postcodes they cover. You will still appear on Google Maps and in local searches for those areas. You simply enter your service area during setup instead of a customer-facing address.

What happens if my business does not have a Google Business Profile?

You are invisible to anyone searching locally for what you do. The businesses that appear in the local pack get the vast majority of clicks on those searches. Without a profile, you also will not appear on Google Maps, which is often the first place people check when looking for a local business. Competitors who have set up and optimised their profiles will consistently win those customers instead.

How do I verify my Google Business Profile?

After creating your profile at business.google.com, Google needs to confirm you are who you say you are. For most businesses, verification is by postcard: Google sends a card with a code to your business address, which you then enter online. Some accounts can verify by phone, video, or email. Verification typically takes five to seven days by postcard. Until your profile is verified, it will not appear in search results.

Local SEO

What is a Google Business Profile?

Q: What is a Google Business Profile?

A Google Business Profile is the free listing that appears when someone searches for your business by name, or for a type of business near them, on Google. It shows your name, address, phone number, opening hours, photos, and customer reviews. It is also what puts you on Google Maps and into the local results that appear above the usual website links.

A Google Business Profile is the listing that appears when someone nearby searches for what you do on Google. Here is what it includes, why it matters, and whether your business needs one.

7 July 2026

A Google Business Profile is the listing that appears in Google Search and Google Maps when someone searches for your business by name, or for a type of business near them. It is free, it is separate from your website, and for most local businesses it is the single most important thing you can do to get found online.

This article explains what a Google Business Profile includes, how it differs from a website, who needs one, and what happens to businesses that do not have one set up properly.

WHAT IT INCLUDES

What appears on your Google Business Profile

When a customer finds your profile in search or on Google Maps, here is what they see.

Business name and contact details

Your business name, phone number, website link, and address (or service area) all appear on your profile. This is the first information a customer sees when they find you on Google.

Opening hours

Your regular hours, holiday hours, and whether you are currently open. Google shows a clear "Open" or "Closed" label to anyone searching, which directly affects whether they contact you.

Photos and videos

Images of your premises, your work, your team, and your products or services. Profiles with photos receive significantly more clicks than those without.

Customer reviews

Your star rating and individual reviews from customers, along with your responses to them. Reviews are one of the strongest signals Google uses to decide how prominently to display your profile.

Services and products

A list of what you offer, each with its own name and description. Google can match individual services to specific searches, which broadens the range of queries your profile appears for.

Google Posts

Short updates you can publish directly on your profile: offers, news, events, or useful information. Regular posts signal to Google that your business is actively managed.

THE LOCAL PACK

Why the local pack matters

When someone searches for a local service on Google, for example "plumber near me", "accountant in Portsmouth", "web designer Somerset", Google shows a map with three local businesses before any website links. That block of three is called the local pack, and the businesses in it get the large majority of clicks on that search.

Those three listings come entirely from Google Business Profiles. Your website does not put you in the local pack, your profile does. If you do not have one, or if it is incomplete, you will not appear there, regardless of how good your website is.

Getting into the local pack is one of the highest-value things a small business can do for its online presence. Read our guide to getting your business on Google Maps for a step-by-step walkthrough of the setup process.

PROFILE VS WEBSITE

Your profile and your website do different jobs

A common mistake is treating a Google Business Profile as a substitute for a website, or ignoring the profile because you already have a website. They serve different purposes and work best together.

Your profile gets you discovered in local searches and on the map. Your website is where customers go once they have found you: to read about your services, check your pricing, and decide whether to get in touch. One without the other leaves a gap.

Google Business Profile

Gets you into local search results and Google Maps
Shows your hours, location, phone number and reviews
Limited space to explain your services in detail
No ability to take bookings or collect enquiries directly

Profile and website together

Profile drives discovery in local search
Website handles the full story, pricing and contact
Each reinforces the other in Google's eyes
Covers both "near me" searches and broader queries

QUESTIONS

Common questions about Google Business Profile

Want us to set up and manage your profile?

We set up, optimise, and manage Google Business Profiles for small businesses across the UK. From £29/month as an add-on to a web design plan.

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