TL;DR
- Eligibility under Google's guidelines requires in-person contact with customers, at a storefront or in a service area; online-only businesses generally do not qualify.
- Google decides which verification methods each business gets, such as phone, email, video or postcard, and the options change over time.
- Google names three local ranking factors, relevance, distance and prominence, and says you cannot pay to rank higher in local results.
- Owners cannot turn off or delete reviews, have 4 days to answer suggested edits that need review, and may not put time-bound prices or promotions in the listing.
Google Business Profile is Google's free business listing that lets a shop or company show its details on Google Search and Google Maps, such as its name, address, opening hours, phone number, website, photos and reviews. Owners use the profile to manage what people see when they search for the business by name or look for a service nearby, and it is the foundation of local SEO.
The tool used to be called Google My Business before Google renamed it Google Business Profile, so anyone asking what a Google Business Profile is may have heard both names. They refer to the same thing. This guide explains where the profile appears, who can create one, how verification works, what information to fill in, how reviews and posts work, which policies matter, and which factors Google uses to rank local results.
What Google Business Profile is and where it appears
A Google Business Profile is a single set of business information that Google displays in several places. The most common are:
- Google Search: when someone searches for the business name, they often see a business panel on the side (desktop) or at the top (mobile) with the address, hours, reviews, photos and buttons to call or get directions.
- Local search results: for searches with local intent, such as "coffee shop near me" or "dental clinic Sukhumvit", Google often shows a group of businesses with a map. The information in that group comes from Business Profiles.
- Google Maps: the map pin, the place details page, reviews, photos and directions all draw on the same profile.
One important point: a business may already have information on Google even if the owner never created a profile, because users and other sources can add places. Claiming and verifying the profile is what gives the owner control to manage and edit that information, instead of leaving others to decide how the business looks.
Who can create a Google Business Profile
Under Google's guidelines, a business is eligible for a profile if it makes in-person contact with customers during its stated hours. There are two main types:
- Storefront businesses: customers can visit the location, for example a restaurant, clinic, showroom or hotel. The profile shows the address.
- Service-area businesses: the business goes to its customers, for example air-conditioning technicians, cleaning services or removal companies. These can hide their address and set a service area instead.
Businesses that only sell online with no in-person contact are generally not eligible. The profile should be created by the business owner or an authorised representative, using a Google account the organisation controls rather than the personal account of an employee who may leave. Once verified, you can add other managers, so there is no need to share passwords.
How to create and verify a profile
The general steps to create a profile are:
- Sign in with the Google account you will use to manage the business, then start a profile through the Google Business Profile page, or find the business on Google Maps and claim it if it already exists.
- Enter the business name as it is used in the real world, choose a primary category, and state whether you have a location customers can visit or serve customers in an area.
- Add the address or service area, phone number and website.
- Complete verification using a method Google offers you.
Verification methods are not the same for every business. Google decides which methods a given business can use, based on the business type, country and available information. Methods that have been offered include phone or text message, email, a recorded video showing the location and proof of operation, a live video call, and a postcard by mail. These change over time, so check the options shown in your own account at the time, and prepare evidence such as signage, work equipment or business documents in advance. After verification, some edits may need to be reviewed before they go live.
Information to fill in completely
A complete and accurate profile makes it easier for both customers and Google to understand the business. The main fields to look after are below.
Business name
Use the name the business actually uses in the real world, for example on its signage, documents and website. Google's guidelines do not allow adding keywords, area names or promotional text to the name. If the profile name does not match the real name, the profile risks being edited or suspended.
Categories
The primary category tells Google what the business mainly does and affects which searches the profile can appear for. Choose the single most accurate category as the primary one, then add secondary categories only for services the business really provides.
Opening hours
Enter regular hours and update special hours for public holidays such as Songkran or New Year. Wrong information also invites users to suggest edits.
Photos and videos
Photos of the storefront, the interior, products, the team and real work help customers decide and find the place more easily. Use real photos of the business rather than stock images, and add new ones from time to time.
Products, services and attributes
Depending on the business type, you can add a list of services, products, a menu or a booking link, along with attributes such as parking, wheelchair access or Wi-Fi. The features available vary by category and country.
Business description
Write briefly what the business is, who it serves and how it differs from others. Avoid links, time-bound sales messages or promotional prices, because Google's policy on advertising content in profiles has become stricter.
Reviews and replying to reviews
Reviews are one of the parts customers look at most when deciding. The basic facts to know:
- A business owner cannot turn off reviews and cannot delete a customer's review. Only the reviewer, or Google when a review breaks policy, can remove one.
- Reviews that break policy, such as fake reviews, spam, content unrelated to the location, profanity or harassment, or a conflict of interest, can be reported to Google for review.
- Buying reviews, offering incentives in exchange for reviews, and having staff write reviews for their own business are not allowed.
- Owners can reply publicly to every review. Replies that are polite, specific and explain how a problem was handled help the next reader feel more confident.
Google's help page on local ranking says the number of reviews and positive ratings can contribute to prominence. Asking real customers for reviews is allowed.
Posts and Performance (insights)
Business Profile posts are used to share updates, offers and events with people who see the profile on Search and Maps. The rules to know: post content must relate to the business and follow content policy, and the latest policy says posts should not include email addresses, phone numbers, social media links or unrelated website links in the post content.
The Performance section in the profile dashboard shows how customers interact with the profile, such as profile views, calls, direction requests, website clicks and the searches that showed the profile. This data shows trends well but does not answer every question. To know what people do after clicking through to the website, add UTM parameters to the website link in the profile and check the results in Google Analytics.
Prohibited practices and things to watch
Google has guidelines for representing a business and content policies that must be followed. Breaking them can lead to the profile being edited, suspended or removed. Common issues include:
- Adding keywords or area names to the business name.
- Creating duplicate profiles for the same location, or profiles at fake or virtual addresses to look like several branches.
- Fake reviews, paid reviews, or reviews written by owners or staff.
- Putting time-bound promotions, pricing or direct calls to buy in the business information itself, under the advertising and solicitation policy Google updated, as reported on 6 October 2026.
- Leaving information outdated or wrong, which invites users to suggest edits. Google's help documentation says owners have 4 days after being notified to accept or reject a suggested edit that needs review, and if they do not respond, Google may publish the edit when other public information supports it.
Google Business Profile and local SEO
Google explains in its help pages that local results are based mainly on three factors: relevance, distance and prominence. The table below summarises what each means and what a business can do.
| Factor (as stated by Google) | What it means | What the business can do |
|---|---|---|
| Relevance | How well the profile matches what the person searched for | Choose the right categories and fill in services, description and details completely |
| Distance | How far the business is from the customer who is searching | Keep the address or service area accurate; this factor cannot be changed much |
| Prominence | How well known the business is, including how many websites link to it and how many reviews it has | Build genuine reviews, reply to reviews, earn links and mentions from other sites, and keep the website's SEO strong |
Google also states that there is no way to pay or ask Google to rank a profile higher in local results. Because links from other websites count toward prominence, profile work should go hand in hand with local SEO services and website care rather than being done in isolation.
In practice, the name, address and phone number on the profile, the website and other directories should match. Each branch's web page should carry information genuinely specific to that branch, and the website linked from the profile should load quickly and answer the questions local customers usually ask.
How to manage the profile over time
After verification, a profile needs ongoing care. It is not a one-time setup.
- Manage it from several places: a single business can manage its profile directly from Google Search or the Google Maps app, while multi-location businesses usually use Business Profile Manager or the Business Profile API to handle many profiles at once.
- Split user access: set clear owners and managers, and remove access promptly when an employee or agency stops working on the profile.
- Check information regularly: review hours, phone numbers and categories every month, and act on suggested-edit notifications in time.
- Reply to reviews consistently: assign someone responsible and a clear time frame for replies.
- Update photos and posts: add real photos when the premises or products change, and use posts for relevant news or events.
What this means for businesses in Thailand
Businesses in Thailand that serve tourists or foreign residents as well as Thai customers should check that the name, description and service details are understandable to both groups, and use the business name as it actually appears on the sign.
Points worth checking include duplicate pins for the same shop created by users, addresses in sois where the pin position is off, and opening hours over long holidays that were never updated. All three can be fixed by claiming and verifying the profile, reporting duplicates to be merged or removed through Google's channels, and checking the information regularly.
FAQ about Google Business Profile
Does Google Business Profile cost anything?
No, creating and managing a Google Business Profile is free. Advertising on Google Maps or Search is a separate paid service through Google Ads, and it does not raise a profile's position in regular local results.
Is Google Business Profile different from Google My Business?
No, they are the same tool. Google renamed Google My Business to Google Business Profile and moved most management directly into Google Search and Maps.
Can an online-only business create a profile?
Generally no, because Google's guidelines require in-person contact with customers, either at a storefront or within a service area. Businesses without that should focus on their website's SEO instead.
Why doesn't my profile show on Google Maps when people search for my service?
Possible reasons are that the profile is not verified, the category does not match, or competitors are closer to the searcher and more prominent. Distance cannot be changed, but relevance and prominence can be improved.
Can I delete a bad review?
No, owners cannot delete reviews themselves. You can report reviews that break policy for Google to check, and reply politely so other customers can see how the business handles problems.
Start with an accurate profile
If you want the business to be found more often on Google Maps and Search, Relevant Audience can review the profile, correct details and categories, set up a review-management routine and connect the profile with the website. See our local SEO service, our SEO services in Thailand, or start with an SEO audit to see how much the website can add to the profile's prominence.
