Local Search

Google Business Profile

Also known as: GBP, Google My Business, Google Maps listing

• Home Services
• Custom Home Builders

Definition

A Google Business Profile is the free business listing that appears in Google Maps and the local map pack in search results, showing your name, location or service area, hours, phone number, photos, and reviews. For local businesses, it is often the first thing a customer sees, and its completeness, accuracy, and reviews strongly influence local rankings.

For custom home builders

For custom home builders, the profile is part of the research trail. Buyers check reviews, browse project photos, and look for signs the business is active. Choosing the right primary category, adding photos of completed homes regularly, answering reviews, and keeping your service areas accurate make the profile support the rest of your marketing.

For home services

For home service companies, the Google Business Profile is often worth more than the website for winning local calls. When someone searches "tree service near me," the map pack shows three businesses with ratings and a call button, and many homeowners call straight from there. Review count, rating, recent review activity, accurate categories, and a correctly set service area all affect whether you appear.

How to measure and improve it

1. Choose the most accurate primary category, then add relevant secondary ones.
2. Set your service area to where you actually work.
3. Keep name, address, phone, and hours identical to your website and directory listings.
4. Ask every satisfied customer for a review, and reply to reviews.
5. Add photos and posts regularly. An active profile signals an active business.
6. Track calls, direction requests, and website clicks from the profile.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get my business into the Google map pack?

Complete and verify your Google Business Profile, choose accurate categories and service areas, keep your business details consistent across the web, and build a steady flow of genuine reviews. Relevance, distance from the searcher, and prominence, which includes reviews, determine local rankings.

Do reviews affect Google Business Profile rankings?

Yes. Review count, average rating, and how recently you received reviews all contribute to prominence, one of the factors Google uses for local results. Replying to reviews also shows customers the business is attentive.

Is Google Business Profile the same as Google My Business?

Yes. Google renamed Google My Business to Google Business Profile. The listing works the same way.

Reviewed by Diamond Digital · Last reviewed November 5, 2026