Google Business Profile (GBP)

Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is the free tool that lets you manage how your business appears on Google Search and Maps. You can control your business name, address, phone number, hours, photos, and respond to customer reviews. GBP is essential for local businesses because it determines what shows up when people search for your business name or find you through local searches.

You can connect your GBP to Google Ads for better performance in local campaigns. Google aggressively suspends GBPs for violating quality guidelines or deceptive content, especially after profile changes. Most suspensions happen for using fake business addresses, keyword stuffing in business names, or other attempts to manipulate local search rankings.

Example: A plumbing company claims their Google Business Profile, verifies their physical address, adds photos of their work, and starts appearing in the Local Map Pack when people search ‘plumber near me,’ driving phone calls and direction requests.