Definition
Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is the free business listing that determines how your business appears in Google Search and Google Maps: name, category, address or service area, opening hours, phone number, website, photos, services, products, posts, questions and answers, and reviews. The profile is the basis of the local map block and of the knowledge panel that appears to the right of the search results when someone searches for your business name.
For local businesses, the profile is the most important SEO asset that exists. Google uses it as the primary source for relevance (through categories and services), for distance (through the address or service area) and for prominence (through reviews, photos and activity). An incomplete or outdated profile — wrong opening hours, an old category, no photos — costs visibility and trust immediately.
The primary category weighs most: choose the most specific category that describes your business ('Orthodontist' instead of 'Dentist' if that is accurate) and add secondary categories for other services. Then fill in services and products with descriptions, keep opening hours current including holidays, upload your own photos regularly and use posts for offers, news and events. Answer the questions in the Q&A block yourself before a random user does.
Reviews are the most visible part. The number, the score, recency and the keywords in the text influence ranking; your responses influence the click. Ask consistently for reviews through a direct link, respond to every review and report reviews that violate the guidelines. Never buy reviews: Google removes them and can suspend the profile.
AI engines use the Business Profile as one of the most reliable sources for facts about a business: address, opening hours, category and review score. Consistency between the profile, your website and other listings prevents an AI answer from giving outdated or contradictory information about you. Traze checks the agreement between your Business Profile, your branch pages and the LocalBusiness schema on your site and flags discrepancies.