In this article:
What is a Business Profile?
With a Business Profile on Google, you can manage how your local business shows up across Google products, like Maps and Search. If you run a business that serves customers at a particular location, or you serve customers within a designated service area, your Business Profile can help people find you. Verified businesses on Google are twice as likely to be considered reputable.
Imagine yourself in the shoes of a potential customer. This customer is 3 blocks from your storefront and looking for exactly what you do best in the neighborhood — maybe a friend recommended your business to them. If they search for your services on Google, what will they find?
Your presence through your Business Profile can help customers discover the products and services that you provide, contact you, and find your location.
Your crash course in online marketing
You can manage the way your business appears online in several ways:
- Search engine optimization, or SEO, refers to how results appear when someone uses a search engine like Google. We call these organic search results. You can’t pay to change how and where organic search results show up. Your results are determined by a number of factors, like how relevant they are to the original search. Learn how to improve your SEO.
- Search engine marketing, or SEM, refers to ads you buy to show up near search results—it’s what you can do with Google’s online advertising program, Google Ads. When you’re ready to advertise your business, we suggest that you get started with the easy-to-use Smart campaigns in Google Ads.
- Your Business Profile on Google helps you maintain local results, which show up in a number of ways in Maps and Search. These results are tailored to particular geographic areas and help users find nearby businesses. Learn how Google ranks local results.
To recap: SEO, SEM, and management of local results are all ways to improve your online presence.
What you can do with a Business Profile
You can find the benefits of your Business Profile in 3 main categories.
- Maintain accurate information about your business online
- Tell Google your hours, website, phone number, and location (a street address, service area, or place marker, depending on your business).
- Use the mobile app to stay up-to-date with your online presence wherever you are.
- Interact with customers
- Post photos of your business and its products and services.
- Collect and respond to reviews from customers.
- Attract new customers
- Improve how your business appears online so new customers can find you.
- Point customers to your website.
- When you’re ready, consider using location-based ads with Smart campaigns in Google Ads to reach an even larger audience.
Is a Business Profile for you?
What kind of business do you manage?
I manage a storefront or service-area business.Your business might be a great fit for Business Profile on Google.
Business Profiles are built for businesses that make in-person contact with customers during specific hours. It’s not for exclusively online businesses, or homes for rent or sale. Learn more about eligibility for a Business Profile.
For larger businesses, Business Profiles also offer a tool to manage lots of locations. Learn more about bulk location management.
Ready to get started? Click the sign up button and proceed to the next page of this guide.
Unfortunately, a Business Profile only serves businesses that make in-person contact with customers, and doesn’t serve online-only businesses. Learn more about eligibility for a Business Profile.
There’s good news, though: you can still grow your business with Google by getting started with Smart campaigns, Google’s easy-to-use online advertising platform.