Google Business Profile (GBP)

Your Business Profile is often the first thing a customer sees, before your website. It shows up in Google Search and on Google Maps. This entry is a quick reference for the fields, categories, and verification, plus the name that still causes confusion.

Google Business Profile vs Google My Business

They are the same product. Google renamed Google My Business to Google Business Profile in November 2021. At the same time, Google moved most editing into Search and the Maps app.

You will still see “GMB” in old tutorials, agency proposals, and Facebook groups. Treat it as the old label. Some guides tell you to download the Google My Business app. They are out of date, since that app was retired.

The fields that matter most

• Primary category: the single label that best describes your business. It shapes which searches you can appear for.
• Additional categories: extra labels for other things you really offer. Add only what is true.
• Business hours: regular hours plus special hours for holidays like Holy Week.
• Service area: for businesses that visit customers, like plumbers or caterers. You can hide your street address and list the cities you serve.
• Photos, products, and services: these help customers decide, and they show your offer clearly.

Google says complete and accurate info makes a business more likely to show in local results.

Verification and profile updates

Verification proves you are allowed to manage the listing. Google chooses which method you get. It may be a phone call, text, email, or a short video. Edits to key fields, like your name or category, can trigger a fresh review.

Here is an edge case. Customers and Google can also suggest changes to your profile. Check it often so wrong hours do not slip in. Reviews also live on this profile, so it is the hub for your reputation.

Example

A Marikina bakery picks “Bakery” as its primary category. It adds “Cake shop” because it sells custom cakes from ₱1,200. It skips “Coffee shop,” since it only sells brewed coffee to go. During the Christmas season, it sets special hours to 10 p.m. Customers searching late at night now see accurate hours on Google Maps.

For hands-on practice setting up and verifying a profile, open the linked lesson.