Generate More Leads with a Strong Google Business Profile

A strong Google Business Profile is one of the most reliable ways to generate local leads. It’s a free listing that controls how your business appears on Google Search and Maps — and customers are 70% more likely to visit (and 50% more likely to consider purchasing from) a business with a complete profile, per Google. Organic visibility pays beyond the map, too: organic search drove 53% of trackable web traffic, per BrightEdge’s 2019 research, so ranking higher in search results is still worth every bit of effort you put in.

Here’s what a Google Business Profile is, how it turns searches into leads, and which features are worth your time. Let’s get started!

What is a Google Business Profile?

A Google Business Profile is a free listing that lets you control how your business appears on Google Search and Maps. It shows searchers your company’s name, location, hours, photos, reviews, and contact details, and a complete profile makes your business more likely to appear when nearby customers search for the products or services you offer.

This platform was formerly known as Google My Business (GMB). Google announced the rebrand in November 2021 and completed it in 2022: the standalone GMB app was retired, and profiles are now managed directly in Google Search and the Google Maps app. Google Business Profile helps eligible local and service-area businesses build an online presence and connect with customers:

A Google Business Profile allows you to list the name and location of your company on Google Maps and Search. These listings can display further relevant information, such as your hours of operation, phone number, and your website’s domain name. The top Business Profile listings appear when a user types a query into Google Search, Google Maps, or Google Shopping.

All businesses that have a physical location customers can visit, or that travel to customers where they are, can create a listing. Unfortunately, online-only businesses don’t currently qualify. However, if you meet the minimum requirements, it is completely free to create and maintain a listing. This makes it one of the great tools for small businesses with minimal marketing budgets.

After you sign up for your Business Profile, you can edit it to provide essential information and media in the knowledge panel. This is an automatically generated information box that appears on Google when you conduct a search. A fully optimized Google Business Profile will typically look similar to this:

Google Business Profiles’ extensive features help advertise your business and find more customers online. You can also save time and energy by providing important details ahead of time. For instance, if you post your business hours, you’ll likely reduce customer questions about what hours you’re available.

When creating your listing, it’s wise to include as much information as possible. That way, you’re answering customer questions before they arise. A few optimization steps matter more than the rest:

• Consistent name, address, and phone number (NAP): Use the exact same details on your profile, your website, and every directory that lists you. Google’s guidelines ask you to represent your business as it’s consistently recognized in the real world.
• Accurate categories: Pick a primary category that describes your core business, and add secondary categories only where they genuinely apply. Google recommends choosing the fewest categories it takes to describe your business.
• A customer-focused description: Write your description around the services and products people actually search for. Per Google’s guidelines, keep it useful and relevant — no links, and no promotional pricing.

We highly recommend including all the basics, plus anything else that makes your business stand out. You can also provide information for special attributes, such as accessibility, activities, and dining options:

Furthermore, you can upload photos and videos of your business’s location, products, and services. Google recommends adding photos or videos regularly to promote engagement and boost your ranking in search results. In certain countries or regions and for eligible business categories, you can also accept bookings directly from your listing through the Reserve with Google platform.

Your profile is also a place to interact with potential customers. They can leave reviews about their experiences, and you can respond to every one right from your profile. For eligible accounts, customers can also contact you through text messages or WhatsApp. (Two features you may remember are gone: Google discontinued profile chat in July 2024, and it retired the public Ask a question feature in late 2025.)

How a Google Business Profile generates leads

A Google Business Profile generates leads by putting your business in front of nearby customers at the moment they search for what you sell. It improves local Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for your business. If your listing is fully optimized, your business is more likely to appear when customers make a related search using Google Maps, Google Search, or Google Shopping. That alone can generate plenty of new leads — and in this context, a “lead” is any action that starts a customer relationship: a call from your profile, a website click, a direction request, or a booking.

Since Google holds 91.31% of the worldwide search engine market, per StatCounter (July 2026), it’s extremely likely that potential customers will see your Google Business Profile when they search for products and services. For listed businesses, Google’s local search rankings are determined by relevance, distance, and prominence. Therefore, ensuring that your listing includes the correct business name, location, and phone number is critical. You might also want to encourage customer testimonials in the review section — we’ll cover a full review strategy below.

Shoppers also plan ahead: many conduct a Google search to make sure products are available before leaving their houses. In fact, “available near me” searches grew by more than 100% year over year, per Google data reported in 2020.

Google Business Profiles appear in the “3-pack” area of local search results. This is composed of the three business listings Google displays when a user conducts a “near me” or “near [location]” search:

If your listing is optimized for your Google Business location and you have solid reviews, the 3-pack feature can send leads your way. In fact, customers are 70% more likely to visit a business and 50% more likely to consider purchasing from it if it has a complete Business Profile.

How your profile feeds AI search results

Local discovery no longer ends at the map pack. Google now answers many local searches with AI-generated results, and after retiring public Q&A (the API in November 2025, with the public section phasing out from December 2025), it is steering those questions to the AI-powered “Ask Maps” experience instead. Per MB Adv’s 2026 guide to Business Profile interaction features, Ask Maps builds its answers from your profile’s categories, services, attributes, hours, photos, and reviews.

The practical takeaway: complete, accurate profile information supports visibility in both places. Google hasn’t published exactly how its AI answers choose businesses, and the selection systems aren’t identical to local ranking — but the inputs you control are the same profile fields, so completeness, current hours, and genuine reviews remain the safest investment.

How to create a Google Business Profile

Creating your profile is free and only takes a few steps. However, Google has several guidelines you must follow to avoid getting suspended. Here’s the current process:

1. Sign in and search for your business: Sign in to your Google Account, then search Google for your business’s name and city.
2. Add or claim your listing: If your company doesn’t appear, select “Add Your Business” to Google. If a profile already exists, claim it instead.
3. Verify your business: Google automatically determines which verification methods are available to you (a video recording, a live video call, phone or text, email, or a mailed postcard) and recommends video verification when your business is eligible for it.
4. Wait for review: Verification review can take up to five business days. Once your business is verified, you can edit the listing to add your details and important information.
5. Complete your profile: Fill in your hours, categories, description, services, photos, and attributes. Completeness is what drives visibility.

One headache worth planning for: suspensions. Google may suspend profiles that don’t follow its guidelines — sometimes after a batch of edits. If that happens, don’t create a new listing for the same business; instead, fix any violations and submit an appeal through Google’s appeals tool, attaching evidence like a business license or utility bill. Fake or rule-breaking competitor listings violate the same guidelines, and Google removes profiles that don’t follow them.

Like building a website, setting up a Google Business Profile can be somewhat challenging for beginners. Fortunately, you can hire industry experts to create and optimize your listing. Doing this will ensure that your profile is properly managed, so you can focus on running your business.

Google Business Profile features that generate leads

Once your profile is verified, a handful of features do most of the lead-generation work. Let’s take a closer look at each one.

1. Manage your profile in Search and Maps

Profile management now happens right where your customers find you. In the Google My Business era, listings had to be created and maintained through a separate dashboard or the GMB mobile app. Google retired that app in 2022, and today you verify, edit, and manage your Business Profile directly in Google Search and the Google Maps app. Simply search for your company’s name, and you will see an option to claim and verify your Business Profile.

This makes it easy to get your business on Google. Once your profile is verified, you can edit your details by clicking on Edit profile. From there, you can list important information, such as your address and business hours, upload photos, and respond to customer reviews.

Editing in place makes it easier to keep your hours, services, and contact details accurate. Google says businesses with complete and accurate information are more likely to show up in relevant local search results, and that’s the whole game for the Google local 3-pack.

One leftover from the rebrand: the old Google My Business website became Business Profile Manager in 2022, and it’s aimed primarily at larger businesses managing multiple profiles. For a single location, Search and Maps are all you need.

2. Build a steady review pipeline

Reviews are one of the strongest trust signals on your profile, and Google’s local ranking documentation is explicit that more reviews and positive ratings can help your business’s local ranking. Replying matters too: Google says responding to reviews shows that you value customer feedback.

Treat review generation as a routine, not an afterthought:

• Ask every happy customer: Google lets you share a review link so customers can rate your business in a couple of taps. Send it by email or text after every job or sale; a steady flow of recent reviews serves you better than a burst from two years ago.
• Respond to every review: Answer complaints with the fix, not a defense. Your reply is the preview of your customer service that every future searcher sees.
• Play by the rules: Google’s review policies prohibit soliciting reviews with incentives or review stations at your place of business, and violating reviews may be removed.

One thing you won’t find anymore is a chat inbox: Google discontinued Business Profile chat and call history on July 31, 2024. Today’s engagement surfaces are reviews, your call button, website links, bookings, and, for eligible accounts, text or WhatsApp contact options.

3. Post regular updates

You can post updates on your Business Profile to share announcements, offers, updates, and event details directly with your customers on Search and Maps. A listing whose latest update is a year old reads like a business that might not answer the phone; a current offer gives searchers a reason to pick you over the listing next door.

A simple rhythm works: one post every week or two (such as a promotion, a new product, or a seasonal announcement) plus fresh photos as you go. Google recommends adding photos or videos regularly to promote engagement and boost your ranking in search results, so pair your posts with pictures of real work, real products, and real people.

4. Show your products and inventory

If your business sells products, displaying your inventory turns searchers into store visits. Shoppers can see specific items that are in stock at nearby stores, though note that Google makes this available only for retail businesses in eligible countries or regions. When users see that products are available, they’ll be more likely to visit your store and make a purchase.

There are two free ways to get products onto your profile:

• Manually, with Google’s Product Editor: Go to your profile, select Edit profile, then Products, and add each item’s title, photo, and description.
• Automatically, through your point-of-sale system: Connect your POS to Google’s Local Inventory app or product reader, and your in-store products upload on their own.

Manual uploads make sense for a small catalog; the point-of-sale connection is the better option once your inventory runs into the hundreds.

5. Complete your attributes

When creating or updating your listing, you’ll want to complete all applicable profile attributes to be sure potential customers understand your business. Attributes are personalized descriptors and identifiers that show what your company offers.

Attributes can vary depending on your Google Business categories. The most common attributes include Accessibility, Amenities, Payments, and Service Options. For example, if your business location is wheelchair-accessible, you can update your Accessibility attribute so customers will be aware. You can also share practical details, like whether your business offers outdoor seating or Wi-Fi.

There is also a category titled From The Business, which allows you to share more about your leadership. In this section, you can highlight additional unique details about your company. For instance, if your business is women-led, veteran-led, or Black-owned, you might want to include that information here.

Customers can then conduct a Google Search for a specific attribute. For example, when a potential customer searches “Black-owned restaurant near me,” they will only see results with this attribute:

Adding all applicable attributes to your Google Business Profile can optimize your listing and influence your local SEO. It can also help potential customers narrow down their search results, making it easier for them to choose your business.

6. Measure your leads and consider paid options

Optimizing is only half the job; you also want proof the profile is producing. Your profile’s built-in performance report tracks engagement metrics such as calls, web traffic, and direction requests. To attribute leads properly:

• Tag your website link: Add UTM parameters to the website URL on your profile so profile clicks show up as their own source in your analytics.
• Watch the trend, not the day: Compare calls, clicks, bookings, and direction requests month over month.
• Ask new customers how they found you: The low-tech check that catches everything analytics misses.

When you’re ready to add paid reach, Google Ads is the next step. Google’s own lead-generation guide (August 2025) recommends setting up conversion tracking first, so you can tell which campaigns produce actual inquiries rather than clicks.

Inside Google Ads, Performance Planner is an optional forecasting tool for planning your advertising spend. It analyzes billions of queries each day and simulates relevant ad auctions to collect data and create forecasts. You can manage your budget, see campaign forecasts, explore possible outcomes, and gauge seasonal opportunities:

Two current routes are worth knowing. Google retired its Local campaigns in 2022 and automatically upgraded them to Performance Max, so that’s now the campaign type for putting your products and ads in front of nearby searchers. And for service businesses, Google’s Local Services Ads deliver qualified leads on a pay-per-lead basis: you pay for a phone call, text, or email inquiry rather than a click.

Google Business Profile FAQs

How do I add my business to Google?

Sign in to your Google Account and search for your business’s name and city on Google or Google Maps. If it doesn’t appear, select “Add Your Business”; if an unclaimed profile already exists, claim it. Then verify the business to take control of the listing.

Is a Google Business Profile free?

Yes. Creating and maintaining a Google Business Profile is completely free, including reviews, posts, products, and performance reports. Paid products like Google Ads and Local Services Ads are optional add-ons, not requirements.

How do I get verified on Google?

Google automatically determines which verification methods your business can use: a video recording, a live video call, phone or text, email, or a postcard by mail. Google recommends video verification when you’re eligible. After you verify, review can take up to five business days.

Can an online-only business get a Google Business Profile?

No. To qualify, your business needs either a physical location customers can visit or staff who travel to customers where they are. Online-only businesses don’t currently meet Google’s eligibility guidelines.

Does Google Business Profile still have chat or messaging?

No. Google discontinued Business Profile chat and call history on July 31, 2024. Customers can still reach you through your call button, website links, and bookings, and eligible accounts can display text or WhatsApp contact options.

Turn your Business Profile into a lead source

Attracting leads to your brick-and-mortar location can be difficult. Therefore, maximizing your online presence should be critical to your overall marketing strategy.

A strong Google Business Profile can organically promote your products or services. Let’s recap the features that can help you generate leads:

1. Profile management: Create and update your listing directly in Google Search and Maps
2. Reviews: A steady ask-and-respond review pipeline that builds trust and local ranking
3. Regular posts: Announcements, offers, and events that keep your profile active
4. Products: Display your in-store inventory with the Product Editor or a point-of-sale connection
5. Attributes: Tell your business’s story, from accessibility details to identity attributes
6. Measurement: Performance reports and Google Ads tools that show which leads your profile drives

Are you looking for additional ways to grow your online business? Learn more about DreamHost’s Pro Services and explore our extensive marketing and local business support solutions. If you need help setting up your Google Business Profile, you can always chat with an expert or schedule a free consultation for advice and guidance!

Now get out there, and get your business on Google!