Google Business Profile: Complete Guide to Boosting Your Local SEO & Google Maps Rankings

Updated on: 2025-08-13 by Heysho

Are you wondering what Google Business Profile is and how it can help your local business? Perhaps you've already seen some traffic from Google Maps but aren't sure how to maximize its potential? Or maybe you're a store owner looking to attract more customers?

In this comprehensive guide, we'll cover everything you need to know about local SEO through Google Business Profile, including:

What is Google Business Profile?
What You Can Do with Google Business Profile
How to Register for Google Business Profile
Tips for Optimizing Your Business Profile
Average Costs for Outsourcing Management

Google Business Profile is a powerful, free tool that helps local businesses connect with customers searching on Google Maps and Google Search. This article breaks down the essential information you need in a clear, straightforward way to help you get started right away.

What Is Google Business Profile?

Google Business Profile is a free tool that allows you to register and manage your business information on Google Search and Google Maps. It's simple to set up and essential for local businesses looking to increase their online visibility.

For example, when someone searches for "Izakaya in Shinjuku" on Google Maps, if your restaurant appears at the top of the results, you'll likely see a significant increase in customer traffic.

Today, Google Business Profile is considered the most effective customer acquisition tool for small, locally-focused businesses. It's particularly valuable for new establishments or companies frequently opening new locations.

Reference Google Business Profile Official Website

Renamed from "Google My Business" in November 2021

Previously known as "Google My Business," this service was renamed to "Google Business Profile" on November 4, 2021.

What Are Local SEO and MEO?

Local SEO and MEO (Map Engine Optimization) refer to techniques used to optimize your Google Business Profile to rank higher for specific keywords in local searches.

Since these strategies focus on improving visibility for local businesses, they're commonly referred to as "local SEO." The term "MEO" is industry jargon often used by companies that provide business profile optimization services.

Recently, many web marketing agencies have begun offering local SEO as a core service due to its effectiveness.

What Are the Benefits of Google Business Profile?

Google Business Profile offers several specific advantages for your business:

Display your store information prominently on Google Maps and Google Search
Increase the number of "Call" button clicks from Google Maps
Drive more traffic to your website through the "Visit Website" button
Get more customers with the "Get Directions" button from Google Maps

All these metrics can be tracked through the business profile reporting dashboard.

How to Register Your Business on Google Business Profile

The first step in implementing local SEO is registering your business on Google Business Profile.

Requirements for Registering on Google Business Profile

There are two main requirements for registering on Google Business Profile:

A business model that involves direct interaction with customers
A physical location where you interact with customers

This means that purely online businesses without customer-facing locations or those that don't need to publicly display an address may not benefit as much from Google Business Profile.

The Process of Registering for Google Business Profile

STEP 1: Sign up for Google Business Profile
STEP 2: After registering your address, Google will send a verification code by mail
STEP 3: Verify your business and enter detailed information

Google Business Profile uses a verification system that sends a code to your registered address to confirm that your business location is legitimate.

How to Register via the App

You can also register through the mobile app for more convenient management.

Reference Google Business Profile | Apple App Store Reference Google Business Profile | Google Play Store

We recommend installing the app if you plan to use the chat feature to communicate with customers.

Tips for Google Business Profile

To increase the visibility of your Google Business Profile, you need to rank higher in both Google Search and Google Maps results.

Here are several effective strategies to improve your rankings:

Reference How to improve your local ranking on Google | Google Business Profile Help

Enter Store Information Accurately & Standardize Formatting

Your business name, address, phone number, and other details must be entered exactly as they appear on your website and other online directories.

Google crawls the web to verify information reliability, and inconsistencies will lower your credibility score.

For example, if your official website lists "3-18-11 Shinjuku" but Google Maps shows "3-18-11 Shinjuku" with different formatting
Or if your business name appears differently across platforms

The number of times your business is mentioned online (known as citations) is a key ranking factor for Google Business Profile.

Provide as Much Information as Possible

Complete all available fields in your Google Business Profile to maximize its effectiveness.

Respond to Reviews

Promptly responding to Google Maps reviews offers several benefits:

Demonstrates professionalism when addressing negative feedback
Increases engagement, which leads to more reviews
Proper management helps minimize negative comments

If you find it challenging to respond to every comment or need legal approval for responses, prepare a few templates to use. Even simple responses like "Thank you for visiting" or "We appreciate your feedback and will consider your suggestions" are better than no response at all.

For more guidance on responding to reviews, check out these helpful resources:

Request Reviews

For satisfied customers, consider politely asking, "If you enjoyed your experience, would you mind leaving us a review?"

Be careful not to incentivize positive reviews or offer rewards in exchange for reviews, as this violates Google's guidelines.

You can also generate a direct link for customers to leave reviews.

Reference Create a link for customers to write reviews | Google Business Profile Help

Add High-Quality Photos

Quality matters more than quantity. Upload professional, appealing photos that showcase your business rather than numerous low-quality images that could reduce engagement.

Register on Various External Sites

Like traditional SEO, local SEO benefits from backlinks and citations. Register your business on relevant industry directories and platforms to increase your online presence.

For example, restaurants should consider listing on popular review sites like Yelp or TripAdvisor.

If managing multiple listings with frequently changing information (like business hours) becomes challenging, consider using a management tool to streamline the process.

Reference Yext | The Search Experience Cloud

Many large companies use Yext for managing their online presence across multiple platforms.

Consider Working with a Web Marketing Company

Google Business Profile optimization services began appearing around 2016, with demand significantly increasing from 2017 onward.

There are now companies specializing exclusively in local SEO. Costs typically range from $500 to $2,000, with some companies charging an initial setup fee while others don't.

Some providers can help you achieve higher rankings for specific target keywords.

Growing Demand for Local SEO

Local SEO continues to see increasing demand, making it a focus area for many small SEO companies.

Having an optimized Google Business Profile has become essential for local businesses—in some cases, even more important than a traditional website.

With reasonable costs compared to other marketing channels, hiring a freelance SEO consultant for local optimization can be a worthwhile investment.

Summary

This article provided an introduction to Google Business Profile and its importance for local businesses.

While this overview covers the basics, we'll publish more detailed guides on specific aspects of local SEO in the future.

Thank you for reading.