Why Google My Business is So Important to Local SEO

Google My Business — now officially called Google Business Profile, after Google renamed the product in late 2021 — is the single most important free tool for local SEO. A well-optimised profile puts your business on Google Maps, surfaces it in local search results, and turns nearby searchers into customers. This guide explains what the product does, how to set it up correctly, and how to use it to outrank competitors in your area.

Naming note: Google renamed Google My Business to Google Business Profile in November 2021, and the standalone Google My Business app was retired in 2022. The product is now managed directly from Google Search and Google Maps. The functionality is the same; the name has changed. We use both names below for clarity.

What is Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business)?

Google Business Profile is a free tool that lets business owners control how their business appears across Google Search, Google Maps, and Google reviews. You manage it directly from a search for your own business name in Google, or from the Google Maps app.

It is free, fast to set up, and the highest-impact local SEO change most small businesses can make.

Increasing the visibility of your business

A complete Business Profile shows your business across the Maps pack, the local 3-pack in Search, and reviews on Google. That is far more visibility than most businesses can earn through their main website alone, especially in the early months of trading.

Better interaction with customers

The profile lets you respond to reviews, answer customer questions, post updates, and keep details — opening hours, contact information, location, services — current. That live, two-way interaction signals to Google (and to customers) that the business is active, trusted, and worth showing higher.

Who is eligible

Google Business Profile is open to two main types of business:

• Brick-and-mortar businesses — shops, restaurants, salons, clinics, and any business with a fixed location customers visit.
• Service-area businesses (SABs) — plumbers, electricians, mobile pet groomers, mobile mechanics, and other businesses that travel to customers rather than expecting customers to visit a fixed shop.

Online-only businesses with no physical presence and no customer-facing service area do not qualify.

How does Google Business Profile work?

To get started, search for your business in Google. If it already appears, click “Own this business?” or “Claim this business” to start the verification process. If it does not appear, click “Add your business to Google” inside Google Maps.

The verification flow has changed over time. Some categories are now verified instantly through your existing Google account; others still use postcard verification (Google sends a physical card with a code), video verification (you record a short clip of your premises and signage), or phone verification. Pick whichever option Google offers you and follow the prompts.

A few practical tips:

• Use a Google account tied to your business email, not a personal Gmail. All reviews, questions, and edits route through this account.
• If the location is registered to a closed business, suggest an edit marking it “permanently closed” before claiming the location for your business.
• Place the map marker precisely on the entrance customers actually use, not just the centre of the building footprint.
• Pick the most specific business category Google offers. “Italian restaurant” beats “Restaurant”; “Family law firm” beats “Solicitor”.

Optimise your Google Business Profile listing

Once verified, fill the profile in completely. Sparse profiles rank lower and convert worse. Specifically:

• Use strategic SEO keywords and phrases in your business description, services, and posts.
• Add every service you offer, with short descriptions.
• Confirm your full address, phone number, and website.
• Set the right primary and secondary categories.
• Add attributes (wheelchair access, free Wi-Fi, outdoor seating, delivery, dine-in, takeaway — whatever applies).

The more complete the profile, the more searches it can match. The more searches it can match, the more customers find you. For deeper local SEO context, see what matters for local SEO.

Be clear on opening times

Opening hours are some of the most important details to share on your Business Profile — and one of the most common reasons customers leave one-star reviews (“drove there, was closed”).

If you are a small accountancy firm in Wetherby, Bishop Auckland, or Exeter, your clients will largely be other small local businesses rather than international corporations. You probably do not need a 24-hour phone service, but you do need to advertise the exact hours clients can reach you.

For a nail salon in Darlington or anywhere else, hours often vary by day, season, or holiday. Set every variant: special hours for bank holidays, seasonal openings, late nights, early closes. Customers who cannot find clear hours move on to a competitor that lists theirs.

A picture is worth a thousand words

If you can add photos, add them. Businesses with photos in their profile receive significantly more requests for directions and clicks to website than profiles without — Google has reported around 42% more direction requests in its own publications.

A restaurant, café, bar, or pub should show what the customer is actually buying: the food on the plate, a well-pulled pint, friendly staff, and the look and feel of the room.

A family looking for a Sunday lunch pub in the North East is not going to pick the listing with no photos. They will pick the one showing Yorkshire puddings on the plate, a roast veg portion that looks generous, and a log fire in the back. Every category has its equivalent — find yours and shoot it.

Google Business Profile for local SEO

SEO matters for local search just as much as it does for national search. To rank well, the words on your profile need to match what customers search for.

A practical rule: think about the exact queries you most want to appear in, then write your profile in those words. An Italian restaurant in Yarm should naturally use phrases like “Italian restaurant in Yarm”, “authentic Italian Yarm”, and “best Italian food Yarm” across the description, services, and Google posts.

How to improve your local search ranking

The single most effective ongoing tactic is the Google Posts feature inside your Business Profile. Posts let you publish offers, events, seasonal updates, and answers to common questions directly into the profile.

Active profiles outrank inactive ones. A profile that has been posting weekly for six months looks more trustworthy and more useful to Google’s algorithm than a profile that has not been touched since the verification email.

Regular posts also show prospective customers that:

• Your business is genuinely active — closures and dormant businesses are common, so signs of recent activity matter.
• You care about answering common questions before customers have to ask them.

Beyond posts:

• Encourage reviews and respond to all of them — five-star, one-star, in between. Response volume and quality both feed local ranking.
• Use Q&A inside the profile to publish answers to questions customers commonly ask. You can seed these yourself.
• Keep services and attributes updated — every time your menu, opening hours, or service list changes, update the profile the same week.

Common mistakes that hurt local SEO

• Duplicate listings. Having the same business listed twice (often after a rebrand or address change) splits your reviews and confuses Google. Merge or close duplicates as soon as you find them.
• Inconsistent NAP — Name, Address, Phone number must be exactly the same on your Business Profile, your website, and any other business directory you appear on. Inconsistency directly damages rankings.
• Keyword stuffing in the business name. Adding extra words to your registered business name (“Best Plumber Leeds 24/7 Emergency”) gets the profile suspended. Use the legal business name.
• Ignoring negative reviews. Unanswered complaints hurt both rankings and conversion. A measured response is usually all it takes.
• Letting the profile go stale. Profiles that go six months without an update lose ground to active competitors.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Google My Business and Google Business Profile?

They are the same product. Google renamed Google My Business to Google Business Profile in November 2021 and retired the standalone GMB app in 2022. The functionality is identical — you now manage your profile directly through Google Search and Google Maps rather than through a separate app or dashboard.

How long does it take to rank in local search?

A complete, verified Business Profile usually starts appearing in local search within a few weeks. Climbing into the Maps 3-pack for competitive keywords takes longer — often three to six months of consistent activity (reviews, posts, photos) combined with a properly optimised website. Highly competitive categories (lawyers, dentists, plumbers in major cities) can take twelve months or more.

Do reviews really affect local SEO rankings?

Yes — significantly. Review quantity, average star rating, recency, and how often you respond all feed local rankings. The biggest single thing most small businesses can do for their profile is to politely ask satisfied customers to leave a review, then reply to every one.

Can I run Google Business Profile myself, or do I need an agency?

You can manage the basics yourself: verification, hours, services, posts, and review responses. An agency adds value when you want competitive optimisation against rivals, professional photo and video content, structured review-request systems, and integration with the rest of your digital marketing programme.

What is the most common Business Profile mistake?

Letting the profile go stale. Many businesses verify the profile, fill in the basics, and never log back in. Profiles that are not actively maintained slowly lose ground to competitors that post weekly, respond to reviews, and keep details current. The fix is to put one or two Business Profile actions into someone’s weekly calendar — five minutes a week consistently beats a one-off setup. For broader context, see how this fits into wider SEO performance and where Business Profile sits in why a site might not be showing up on Google.