Google My Business was Google's free tool for managing how a local business appears across Search and Maps. In late 2021 Google renamed it Google Business Profile and moved management directly into Search and Maps, and the standalone app was retired in 2022. The listing itself, and its importance, remains central to local visibility.
Your profile holds the core facts a searcher needs and Google trusts: business name, address, phone number, hours, website, categories, service areas, photos, products, and Q&A. It is also where customer reviews live and where you reply to them. Keeping every field accurate and complete is one of the highest-return tasks in local SEO.
Google ranks profiles on relevance, distance, and prominence. Reviews, an accurate primary category, and an active, fully filled listing all raise prominence and improve where you land in the map pack.
A neighbourhood plumbing company had a bare profile: no categories, three photos, and unanswered reviews. After setting "Emergency plumber" as the primary category, adding 20 job-site photos, listing correct hours, and replying to every review, it moved from page two of Maps into the three-result local pack for "plumber near me," and calls from Google roughly doubled over two months.
For businesses migrating from older listings, see how the product evolved from Google Places. If you want the profile actively managed, our Google Business Profile services cover setup through ongoing optimisation.