A Google Business Profile (GBP) is the free listing Google gives your business so you can appear on Google Maps and in local search results. It's the panel that shows up on the right of the page, or the pin on the map, when someone searches for a business like yours nearby. You might know it by its old name, Google My Business.
For a local business, it's often the first thing a customer sees on Google, before they ever reach your website.
Is a Google Business Profile free?
Yes. Creating and running a profile costs nothing. Google doesn't charge you to be listed, to show on Maps, or to collect reviews. The only real cost is the time to set it up properly and keep it active, and that's exactly where the ranking benefit comes from.
Who is a Google Business Profile for?
It suits almost any business that serves a local area or has a place customers can visit, for example:
- Trades such as landscapers, builders, plumbers and electricians
- Restaurants, cafés and takeaways
- Hair salons and barbers
- Gyms and fitness studios
- Professional services with an office
A landscaper covering Nottingham can have a profile without a shopfront, listing the areas they serve. A café would use its physical address so customers can walk in and get directions.
What does a Google Business Profile show?
Your profile puts the key facts about your business straight into Google's results:
- Business name
- Opening hours
- Phone number
- Website link
- Service areas or address
- Photos of your work or premises
- Customer reviews
- Posts and business updates
That's usually enough for someone to decide whether to call you, visit your website, or tap for directions, all without leaving the search page.
Below is an example of how a Google Business Profile appears in search results.
![Example of a Google Business Profile in search results showing NLS Landscaping [border]](/Images/Help-Centre/what-is-a-google-business-profile/what-a-gbp-looks-like-NLS-example.png)
Your profile vs your website
A profile doesn't replace your website, and you shouldn't think of it as a choice between the two. Your Google Business Profile is your shopfront on Google: it gets you found and earns that first bit of trust through reviews and photos. Your website is the room behind it, where you do the deeper selling and convert the enquiry.
In practice, the profile often generates the first call before anyone visits your site, but the two work best together. Our guide on local SEO vs traditional SEO explains how the local and website sides fit.
Why does a Google Business Profile matter?
For a local business, the profile is one of the most valuable online assets you can own. It helps you:
- Show up for "near me" and location searches in the Google Map Pack
- Let customers call, message or get directions in one tap
- Build trust through real reviews and photos
- Support the local SEO of your wider website
Even businesses with a strong website lean on their profile for calls, messages and direction requests, because that's where a lot of local searches start and end.
How do you set one up?
Setting up a profile takes around 15 minutes if you have your details to hand. We've written a full step-by-step walkthrough: how to create your Google Business Profile. If you'd rather hand it over, our Google Business Profile service covers the setup and the ongoing optimisation that gets you ranking.
