What Is a Google Business Profile?
By BRIX Editorial Team · Updated
A Google Business Profile is the free listing that shows your business on Google Search and Maps: name, phone, hours, service area, photos and reviews. For a trades business it's usually the biggest free source of calls, because it's what appears in the map results when someone nearby searches for "plumber" or "roofer near me."
Key takeaways
- A Business Profile is free to create. Google says there's no way to pay for a better local ranking.
- Service-area businesses that don't serve customers at their address should hide it and list up to 20 service areas, within about 2 hours' drive of base.
- Use your real-world business name. Adding keywords, taglines or cities to the name breaks Google's guidelines and can get the profile suspended.
- Google picks your verification method (phone, text, email, video or postcard). You can't choose it.
- Reviews help ranking. Ask every customer with your Google review link, never pay or offer anything for reviews, and never ask only happy customers.
How does a Google Business Profile work?
A Google Business Profile works as your business's entry in Google's local listings. When someone searches for a service near them, Google picks the profiles that best match and shows them in the map results (the local pack) and on Google Maps, with your phone number, reviews, photos and a call button.
For contractors, most of the action is the call button. A homeowner with a leaking water heater rarely visits five websites. They look at the map results, check ratings, and call. Your profile is what they see in those few seconds.
Who can have a Google Business Profile?
Any business that either has a location customers can visit or travels to customers can have a Google Business Profile. Most trades businesses are service-area businesses: you go to the customer, so you list where you work instead of showing a street address.
| Rule | What Google says, in short |
|---|---|
| Eligibility | A physical location customers can visit, or a business that travels to customers |
| Service-area businesses | If you don't serve customers at your address, hide it from your profile |
| Service areas | Up to 20, set by city, ZIP code or area. Not a radius. The overall area shouldn't be more than about 2 hours' driving from your base |
| Business name | Your real-world name. No extra information such as taglines, services, phone numbers or locations |
| Address | No P.O. boxes or remote mailboxes. Virtual offices aren't eligible |
| How many profiles | One profile per business (and one per location) |
| Categories | Choose the fewest categories that describe your core business |
How do you set up and verify a Google Business Profile?
Set up a Google Business Profile by creating it at Google's Business Profile site, adding your real business name, category, phone, hours and service areas, then completing verification. Google decides which verification methods you get based on your category, location and details; you can't change them.
- 1
Create the profile.
Use the exact name on your truck and invoices, and pick one primary category (for example "Plumber" or "HVAC contractor").
- 2
Set location or service area.
If customers don't come to you, remove the address and add the cities or ZIP codes you serve, up to 20.
- 3
Add your phone and hours.
Use the number that's actually answered. If you take emergency calls, set hours that match what you can cover.
- 4
Verify.
Google offers some of: phone or text code, email, a video recording, a live video call, or a postcard. Google says reviews take up to 5 business days, and postcard codes usually arrive within 14 days and expire after 30.
- 5
Fill it out.
Services, a short accurate description, real photos of your team, trucks and work, and your Google review link ready to send.
What helps a Google Business Profile rank?
Google says local results are based mainly on relevance, distance and prominence. Relevance is how well your profile matches the search; distance is how far you are from the searcher or the location in the search; prominence is how well known your business is, including reviews and links. Google also says there's no way to pay for a better local ranking.
| Factor | What Google says | What you can do |
|---|---|---|
| Relevance | How well a profile matches what someone is searching for | Complete every field: categories, services, description, hours |
| Distance | How far each result is from the searcher's location or the location in the search | Nothing directly. List your real service areas |
| Prominence | How well known a business is, including links and reviews. More reviews and positive ratings can help | Earn reviews steadily, reply to them, get listed on real local sites |
For the full picture of how map results are chosen, see what is the local pack.
How do reviews work on a Google Business Profile?
Customers leave reviews on your Business Profile while signed into a Google Account, and you can reply publicly to each one. You can ask customers for reviews with your profile's review link or QR code, found under Read reviews → Get more reviews. Google says review QR codes can currently only be generated in a computer browser.
- Allowed: asking every customer for an honest review, sending your review link by text or email, printing your QR code on an invoice or leave-behind card.
- Not allowed: paying for reviews or offering discounts, free service or gifts in exchange; asking only happy customers (review gating); discouraging negative reviews; reviews from employees, family or anyone with a conflict of interest; telling customers what to write.
- Replying: keep replies short, polite and personal. Don't share a customer's private details. A constructive reply to a bad review shows future customers how you handle problems.
Step-by-step scripts and timing are on how to ask for Google reviews, and ready-to-send messages are in the Google review request templates. To see what more reviews could be worth, try the review revenue calculator.
Google Business Profile tips by trade
| Trade | Primary category example | Photos that help | Profile detail people check |
|---|---|---|---|
| HVAC | HVAC contractor | Clean installs, labeled equipment, your branded truck | Emergency hours, brands serviced |
| Plumbing | Plumber | Before-and-after repairs, water heater installs | 24/7 availability, service area |
| Electrical | Electrician | Neat panels, EV chargers, lighting | License info in the description where required |
| Roofing | Roofing contractor | Drone or ground shots of finished roofs | Storm and insurance work, financing |
| Landscaping | Landscaper | Seasonal before-and-after | Services list (mowing, design, hardscape) |
| Cleaning | House cleaning service | Your crew in uniform, finished rooms | Recurring options, response time |
Google Business Profile vs. Local Services Ads
A Google Business Profile is free and earns its place in map results through relevance, distance and prominence. Google Local Services Ads are paid per lead, require Google's screening, show above the map results with a Google Verified badge, and draw on your reviews. Most contractors need the profile first; LSA is an optional layer on top.
Common Google Business Profile mistakes
- Keywords in the business name. It breaks the guidelines and risks suspension.
- Showing a home address. If customers don't come to you, hide it and use service areas.
- A phone number nobody answers. The profile's main job is to make the phone ring. A missed call from Maps is a lost job; see the missed call calculator.
- Too many categories. Google asks for the fewest that describe your core business.
- Buying or bribing reviews. Google removes fake engagement and incentivized reviews, and it can cost you the reviews you earned honestly.
- Set and forget. Out-of-date hours, old photos and unanswered reviews make a profile look abandoned.
Frequently asked questions
Is a Google Business Profile free?
Yes. Google says creating a Business Profile and listing your business on Google is free. Google also says there's no way to request or pay for a better local ranking, so the profile's position in map results is earned through relevance, distance and prominence.
Can I have a Google Business Profile without a storefront?
Yes. Businesses that travel to customers, like most trades, can set up a service-area profile. If you don't serve customers at your address, Google says to hide it and list the areas you serve instead, up to 20, within about 2 hours' drive of your base.
Can I use my home address for my Google Business Profile?
Many owner-operators run the business from home. If customers don't come to your home, Google says to hide the address from your profile and show the service areas you cover instead. P.O. boxes, remote mailboxes and virtual offices aren't eligible addresses.
How long does Google Business Profile verification take?
Google says verification reviews take up to 5 business days after you complete the steps, though some take longer. If you verify by postcard, most codes arrive within 14 days and expire after 30 days. Google decides which methods are available to you.
Can I put keywords in my Google Business Profile name?
No. Google's guidelines say your profile name must match your real-world business name, and unnecessary information such as services, locations or taglines isn't permitted. Keyword-stuffed names can lead to suspension.
How do I get more reviews on my Google Business Profile?
Ask every customer soon after the job, using the review link or QR code from your profile's Get more reviews option. Don't offer anything in exchange and don't ask only satisfied customers; both break Google's policies. Reply to reviews to show you're listening.
What's the difference between Google My Business and Google Business Profile?
They're the same product. Google My Business was renamed Google Business Profile, and the listing is now managed directly in Google Search and Maps or through the Business Profile site.
Related
- What Is the Google Local Pack?What the Google local pack (map pack) is, how Google picks the businesses in it, and what trades businesses can do to show up for "near me" searches.
- What Are Google Local Services Ads?How Google Local Services Ads work for contractors: pay-per-lead pricing, what counts as a charged lead, the Google Verified badge, ranking and setup.
- How to Ask for Google ReviewsHow contractors can ask every customer for a Google review: when to ask, word-for-word text and in-person scripts, and what Google and the FTC don't allow.
- Google Review Request Templates (Text, Email and In Person)Free Google review request templates for texts, emails, in-person asks and QR cards, written to follow Google's review policy on asking every customer.
- Google Review Calculator: How Many Reviews You Need and What They're WorthSee how many 5-star Google reviews you need to reach your target rating, how many customers to ask, and what more reviews could be worth to your business.
- Review Request Automation: More Google Reviews Without Remembering to AskAsk every customer for a Google review automatically after the job, by text and email, without breaking Google's rules. Built for trades businesses.
- AI Receptionist for Contractors That Books the Job, Not Just the MessageAn AI receptionist that answers every call 24/7, qualifies the caller and books the job, then carries it through quote, invoice and QuickBooks.
- What Is Lead Source Tracking?Lead source tracking records where every call and form came from so you can see which marketing pays. How to set it up, what to measure and what to avoid.
- Cost Per Lead Calculator (and Marketing ROI)Free cost per lead calculator for contractors: get CPL, cost per booked job, marketing ROI, ROAS and the most you can pay per lead before you lose money.
- What Is Markup?Markup is what you add to cost to set a price. Learn the markup formula, how contractors mark up materials, equipment, subs and labor, with examples.
Sources
- Google Business: Business Profile ("creating a Business Profile... is free") (checked October 12, 2026)
- Google Business Profile Help: Guidelines for representing your business on Google (checked October 12, 2026)
- Google Business Profile Help: Manage your service areas (checked October 12, 2026)
- Google Business Profile Help: Verify your business on Google (checked October 12, 2026)
- Google Business Profile Help: Tips to improve your local ranking on Google (checked October 12, 2026)
- Google Business Profile Help: Create a Google link or QR code to request reviews (checked October 12, 2026)
- Google Business Profile Help: Read and reply to reviews (checked October 12, 2026)
- Search Engine Land: Google My Business now known as Google Business Profile (November 2021) (checked October 12, 2026)
- Google Maps User Contributed Content Policy: Prohibited and restricted content (checked October 12, 2026)