Back to glossary

Term

Google Business Profile

Google's free tool for managing a business listing on Google Search and Maps. Core asset in Local SEO. Formerly "Google My Business" (GMB).

Google Business Profile — explained in more detail

Google Business Profile (GBP) is the interface through which a business manages its listing in Google Search and Google Maps — address, opening hours, phone, website, photos, services, reviews, posts. A verified profile is a prerequisite for visibility in the Local Pack (the three map results at the top of the SERP) and in the Knowledge Panel for the brand.

Verification works via postcard, phone, email, or video — depending on industry and location. Without verification, there is no write access. The product was renamed in 2021/22 from “Google My Business” (GMB) to “Google Business Profile” (GBP), and the app was discontinued — management now happens directly in Search or via the Maps web interface.

Example / In practice

Levers for local-SEO visibility: NAP consistency (Name, Address, Phone identical across site, GBP, citations), primary category chosen carefully (decisive for relevance), regular posts, Q&A answered actively, reviews collected and replied to systematically, local photos instead of stock.

Distinction from similar terms

The Knowledge Panel is the SERP output (what users see on the right in Search); Google Business Profile is the backend that feeds it. Citations are mentions with NAP data on third-party sites — they complement GBP but do not replace it.

Entdecke mehr