When someone searches for “emergency plumber near me,” “best nail salon in [city],” or “roof repair open now,” they want answers fast.
They want to know who serves their area, whether the business is open, what services it provides, what customers say, and how to call or get directions. Google Search and Google Maps are designed to provide those answers in seconds.
If your business does not have a Google Business Profile, customers may see your competitors first—and choose one before they ever visit your website.
For eligible local businesses, a Google Business Profile is free to create. It is also one of the most useful foundations for local visibility, customer trust, and measurable actions such as calls, website visits, direction requests, and bookings.
What is a Google Business Profile?
A Google Business Profile—previously called Google My Business—is the listing that can appear in Google Search and Google Maps when someone searches for your business or for services in your area.
A complete profile can show:
- Business name, address, service area, phone number, and website
- Current opening hours and special holiday hours
- Business category, services, products, and attributes
- Photos and videos
- Customer reviews and business responses
- Options to call, get directions, visit your website, or book
Google explains that local results are primarily based on relevance, distance, and prominence. Clear, accurate information helps Google understand your business and match it with relevant customer searches. Read Google’s local-ranking guidance.
The real cost of not having a profile
Without a claimed and complete profile, you give up control of an important customer decision point.
Potential customers may find:
- No visible listing for your business
- Incorrect or incomplete business details
- No clear way to call, get directions, or check your hours
- No photos, reviews, or customer proof
- A more complete and trustworthy competitor instead.
A Google Business Profile is not a shortcut to the top of local search results. But without one, you make it harder for Google to understand your business and harder for customers to choose it.
The numbers behind local visibility and customer action
No provider can honestly guarantee a specific position in Google, a set number of calls, or a fixed revenue increase. Results depend on your location, category, competition, reputation, and customer experience.
The data still shows why a complete and well-managed profile matters.
| What the data shows | Why it matters to your business | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Customers are 2.7× more likely to consider a business reputable when they find a complete Business Profile. | A complete listing gives customers more confidence to contact or visit you. | Google profile-completion guidance |
| Customers are 70% more likely to visit and 50% more likely to consider purchasing from a business with a complete profile. | Accurate hours, services, photos, and reviews can make a searcher more likely to take the next step. These are likelihood figures, not a sales guarantee. | Google profile-completion guidance |
| In a four-location case study, regular profile updates produced 119% more searches, 112% more views, and 29% more customer actions. Calls rose by an average of 29 per month. | Active management can increase lead-generating actions such as calls, website visits, messages, and direction requests. | Digital Giants case study |
| 70% of general online searches effectively use Google, while one in five consumers searches for local businesses directly in maps. | Google and Maps are core places where local buying journeys begin. | BrightLocal Consumer Search Behavior, 2025 |
| 85% of consumers consider contact information and opening hours important when researching a local business; 67% often or always check reviews. | Missing details and unmanaged reviews can create friction at the point of decision. | BrightLocal Consumer Search Behavior, 2025 |
| 83% of consumers who were asked to leave a review said they went on to leave one. | A simple, ethical review-request process can steadily build the trust signals customers look for. | BrightLocal Local Consumer Review Survey, 2026 |
Creating a profile is the start. Optimization is what makes it useful.
A profile with only a name and phone number is better than nothing. But it does not answer the questions that customers—and Google—need answered.
Claim and verify the profile
Your profile should be claimed and verified so your business controls its information. Google requires eligible businesses to have in-person contact with customers, either at a physical location or by traveling to customers in a defined service area.
Keep the essentials accurate
Your business name, address or service area, phone number, website, and hours should be current and consistent with your real-world business information.
For a storefront, customers need the right location and hours. For a service-area business, customers need to know where you travel and how to contact you.
Explain exactly what you do
A clear category and specific service details make your profile more useful.
For example, “home services” is broad. “Drain cleaning, water-heater installation, emergency plumbing, and sewer repair” tells customers and Google much more about the work you provide.
The goal is not to fill a profile with keywords. The goal is clarity.
Build trust before the first call
Photos, reviews, specialties, availability, and customer-facing proof points can help a searcher feel comfortable choosing your business.
Ask real customers for honest feedback after a completed service or purchase. Respond professionally to reviews. Never buy reviews, post fake reviews, or offer incentives only for positive feedback.
Give customers a simple next step
A potential customer should not have to search for your contact information. Make it easy to call, get directions, visit your website, or book—depending on what fits your business.
Measure the impact on your business
Rankings matter, but they are not the only measure of success. The more important question is: Are more local searchers taking meaningful actions?
A verified Google Business Profile can track:
- Views in Google Search and Maps
- Searches that triggered your profile
- Phone-call clicks
- Website clicks
- Direction requests
- Messages and bookings where available
Compare a 90-day period before and after optimization to understand whether local visibility is turning into customer interest. Learn about Google Business Profile Performance.
Claim free Google Business Profile setup with an AI Profile package
Your business should be easy to understand not only on Google, but across the places customers, search engines, and AI systems use to discover local providers.
If your eligible local business does not already have a Google Business Profile, you can apply to receive free Google Business Profile setup and optimization when you purchase an AI Profile package from BestProsInTown.
An AI Profile package helps make your BestProsInTown presence clearer and more useful through:
- A customer-focused business description
- Specific services and category details
- Stronger local and service-area relevance
- Useful trust signals from your business profile
- AI-ready FAQ content
- Direct updates by the BestProsInTown team
As part of the free Google Business Profile offer, we will help with:
- Google Business Profile creation or claim support
- Accurate business information, categories, services, and service area
- A clear customer-facing description
- Guidance for photos, reviews, and ongoing management
- Support through Google’s required business-owner verification process
Google controls verification and local rankings. No one can guarantee placement in Google Search, Google