What is Google Business Profile?
A Google Business Profile is the free listing that determines whether a business appears in Google Maps and the local map results, and what shows in its knowledge panel. It must be verified by the owner, and it is the single prerequisite for competing on map-based and "near me" searches.
- Category
- Search, AEO & AI Visibility
- Also called
- GBP, Google My Business, GMB
Businesses without a storefront can verify as a service-area business: the street address is hidden and a set of served locations is declared instead. This is the correct configuration for studios and consultancies that visit clients or work remotely, and declaring a service area that matches the locations you actually publish pages for keeps the two signals consistent.
The profile is also a disproportionately common source for AI-generated local answers, which lean on business listings and review platforms. An unverified profile therefore costs visibility on two surfaces at once, not one.
Where it comes up.
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Related terms.
Local SEO
Search, AEO & AI VisibilityLocal SEO is optimisation for searches with geographic intent — queries naming a city, or carrying implicit "near me" intent.
NAP Consistency
Search, AEO & AI VisibilityNAP consistency means a business publishes exactly the same name, address and phone number everywhere it appears online — its own site, its business profile, directories, and social pages.
AI Overviews
Search, AEO & AI VisibilityAI Overviews are Google’s generated summaries shown above the traditional results for many queries, assembled from multiple web sources and displayed with links to them.
Scoping a project?
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