Google Business Profile
A free Google tool that lets businesses manage how they appear in Google Search and Maps, including reviews, hours, and photos.
Full definition
Google Business Profile (GBP), formerly Google My Business, is the backbone of local SEO. A verified and optimised GBP listing enables a business to appear in the Local Pack, Google Maps, and Knowledge Graph panels. Key optimisation factors include: choosing accurate primary and secondary categories, writing a keyword-rich business description, uploading high-quality photos, maintaining accurate hours including special hours, responding to all reviews, posting regular updates, and using Q&A to pre-answer common questions. GBP is also where businesses manage their Google Reviews — a critical local ranking factor and trust signal for prospective customers.
Real-world example
A boutique hotel adds 85 professional photos to their GBP, updates to the correct category, and begins posting weekly offers. Profile views increase 340% and direction requests double.
Related terms
Optimisation strategies that help businesses appear in local search results and Google Maps for nearby queries.
Read definitionThe consistent business information — name, address, and phone number — used across all online directories for local SEO.
Read definitionEnhanced search result listings that display additional information — star ratings, FAQs, prices — pulled from structured data markup.
Read definitionStructured data code added to a webpage to help search engines understand content context and display rich snippets.
Read definitionReady to apply this to your business?
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