An Overview of Google Business
Google Business, or 'Google Business Profile', is a free service by Google that allows businesses and organisations to manage how they appear on Google Search and Google Maps.
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It is essentially a digital profile for a business, providing potential customers with important information such as the business location, opening hours, contact details, website, photographs, services and customer reviews.
A typical Google profile will display a range of business information.
- Business name
- Business category
- Business address
- Service area
- Telephone number
- Website
- Opening hours
- Photos & videos
- Products & services
- Customer reviews
- Questions & answers
- Appointments & bookings
For example, if someone searches Google for 'car mechanic shop near me', Google will display local businesses with relevant Business Profiles.
Note: If you've encountered the term 'Google My Business', it is the former name for this service, with Google changing the branding as it moved away from the old, single 'Google My Business', experience and towards managing business profiles directly through Google Search and Google Maps.
Google Business Profile & Local Search
One of the most important aspects of Business Profile is its relationship with local search.
When someone searches for a product or service in a particular area, Google attempts to show relevant local businesses. Having an accurate and complete profile can therefore help a business establish a presence in Google's local search results.
However, simply having a Business Profile does not guarantee a particular ranking in Google Search or Google Maps. Like with any optimisation for search, also known as SEO, Google's local search results are determined by various factors.
Some Frequently Asked Questions
For businesses that serve customers locally, a Business Profile can be an important part of their online presence.
A potential customer might discover a business through Google without ever having to visit its website. From the Business Profile, a user can find the location, check whether a business is open, read reviews, view photographs and contact the business.
This makes it particularly useful for businesses such as:
- Restaurants and cafes
- Shops
- Hotels
- Hairdressers and beauty businesses
- Plumbers, electricians and other trades
- Professional services
- Healthcare and other local services
- Businesses that travel to customers
Yes, Google Business Profile is free to use for eligible businesses. Separate from Google Ads, a business does not need to pay for any services to have a Business Profile, although it can choose to use Google Ads to promote its business.
A business can create or claim its profile through Google's Business Profile service and requires the business to verify that it is authorised to manage the profile.
Once verified, the business can manage information about itself and keep its profile up to date.
In Summary
Google Business Profile is a free online business listing service, helping businesses control and present their business information across Google Search and Google Maps.
Related Information
To understand and learn more, the following information and related resources are available within our Knowledge Base.
Further Information, Websites & Links
The following websites and links provide further information and resources if you would like to learn more.
