The Google Business Profile (formerly "Google My Business") is the free business listing shown in Google Search and Google Maps — with opening hours, photos, reviews, menu and booking links. For restaurants and hotels it is often the most-seen digital presence of all: "restaurant near me" is searched millions of times, and whoever appears there with a complete profile, strong photos and fresh reviews often wins the guest before they ever visit the website.
Tick eight points — score and the most important next step appear instantly.
| Factor | What you can do |
|---|---|
| Relevance | Complete profile: correct categories (primary + secondary!), services, attributes, menu. |
| Distance | Not controllable — but a consistent address across the web (NAP consistency) helps Google match you reliably. |
| Prominence | Reviews (count, rating, freshness, replies), mentions, links — this is where review management pays in directly. |
No, the listing is completely free — including posts, insights and booking links. Only optional Google Ads extensions cost money. Calls from "Google partners" demanding payment for the listing are a well-known scam pattern.
Completeness + review work + consistency — and patience. Choose categories precisely, keep fresh reviews with replies coming, correct data everywhere. A perfect profile often beats the most elaborate website in local search.
Have duplicate profiles merged via profile support; actively review changes suggested by Google users — otherwise strangers change your hours. Maintain holidays a quarter in advance.
Debated as a ranking factor, underrated as a shop window: offers and events appear directly in the profile — minimal effort when social-media content is repurposed.