If you don't show up on the map, the neighborhood doesn't know you exist

Google Business Profile, formerly Google My Business, is your company's listing in Google Search and Google Maps. Your address, opening hours, phone number, photos and customer reviews live here. For businesses where customers come to you or you go to them, such as auto repair shops, clinics, training centers, hotels and stores, this listing is often seen before the website. A well-managed profile makes the phone ring; a neglected one turns customers away at the door because of wrong hours or an old number.

Is the profile yours? Settle ownership first

Many companies' profiles were created years ago by an employee, an agency or Google itself. The first job is to make sure the profile is managed under the company's own Google account as the owner. Agencies or employees can be added as "managers"; when the collaboration ends, their access is removed and the profile stays with the company.

Profile verification is done by whichever method Google offers: phone, email, video recording or postcard. The method offered varies by business; when video verification is requested, you need to show the business's real location and signage.

How does Google rank local results?

According to Google's own help documentation, three main factors determine local ranking:

• Relevance: How well the profile matches what is being searched. The right category and complete information are decisive here.
• Distance: How far the searcher, or the location specified in the search, is from the business.
• Prominence: How well known the business is; reviews, mentions across the web and the site's search visibility.

You cannot change distance. But you can directly influence relevance and prominence.

Filling in the profile completely

Consistency matters: writing your name, address and phone number the same way on your site, your profile and industry directories makes it easier for Google to trust that the information is correct. The same details should appear on your website's contact page, ideally with structured data; we handle this side when setting up a corporate website.

Reviews — routine and replies matter more than numbers

Reviews affect both rankings and the customer's decision. Points to watch:

• Ask for reviews, but the right way. Sharing the profile link in a short message after the job is done is enough. Google's rules prohibit offering discounts or gifts in exchange for reviews, and asking only satisfied customers selectively.
• Don't use bought or fake reviews. Google may remove such reviews and restrict the profile. They are also risky under consumer protection law.
• Reply to every review. A short thank-you for positive reviews; a calm, solution-focused reply with no personal information for negative ones. A good reply to a negative review often sends a stronger message to future customers than a positive review.
• Be careful with personal data. Never write the customer's name, transaction details or health information in a reply. This is especially important for clinics; see healthcare and clinics.
• Report reviews that break the rules. Competitor attacks, insults or irrelevant content can be reported to Google through the profile. The outcome is not guaranteed, but it is on record.

Keeping the profile alive

• Share posts through the profile for campaigns, new services or announcements.
• Add a few new photos every quarter.
• Regularly check information changes suggested by users (Google sometimes suggests them too); a wrong hour or address can go live without you noticing.
• Monitor search and map views, calls and direction requests in the profile's performance data once a month.

Monthly checklist

• Are opening hours and special-day hours up to date?
• Have all new reviews been answered?
• Are there any suggested information changes?
• Were new photos added in the past month?
• Do the phone number and website link work?
• Are the people with access to the profile still the right people?

How we do it at Globya

We treat your Google Business Profile as an integral part of your website. We tie ownership to the company, set up categories and services to reflect what you actually do, and make everything consistent with the contact details on the site. We make the review request flow easy with a rule-compliant short message or email template, and leave your team examples of how to write replies. For companies with multiple branches, we set up a separate profile and a separate page structure for each branch. We describe our approach for auto repair shops on our automotive and service page.

Frequently asked questions