Google Business Profile

A Beginner’s Guide to Setting Up, Optimizing, and Managing Your Google Business Profile

When someone searches for a local business – a plumber, a dentist, a restaurant, a law firm – Google doesn’t just show a list of websites. It shows a map with business listings right at the top of the page. Those listings come from Google Business Profile (GBP), and for most local businesses, they’re responsible for more phone calls, direction requests, and website clicks than any other single source. The numbers back this up. According to BrightLocal’s 2026 Local Consumer Review Survey, 97% of consumers read online reviews before visiting a business, and 41% always read reviews when browsing for businesses. Your Google Business Profile is often the very first thing a potential customer sees – before your website, before your social media, before any directory listing. That makes your profile more than a listing. In 2026, GBP data also feeds directly into Google AI Overviews – when someone asks […]