A Google Business Profile (GBP) is a free listing for your business in Google Search and Google Maps. The service used to be called Google My Business, which is why you will still see the abbreviation GMB. The profile lets you present your offer, location, hours, photos, and reviews, among other things. In 2026 it also counts in AI-powered search.
English version prepared in September 2026 · Polish original online and updated since 2023
How do you create a Google Business Profile, what should you fill in, and what does it take to rank a listing? Below I walk through the whole process. I also show what AI changes – and where the documented possibilities end and the empty promises begin.
In short: check whether your business qualifies for a profile, find an existing listing or create a new one, complete verification, and enter true information. Then build out your offer, collect real reviews, and measure customer contacts. Filling in every field does not guarantee the top spot or a place in AI answers.
Google Business Profile and a personal brand – my experience
When I started tidying up the search results for my own name, I assumed the profile of my main company – Fox Strategy – would be enough. Only after I published my first two cookbooks did I see how quickly the results can fill up with bookstore and price-comparison listings, stronger than my one-pager or blog at the time.
Shortly afterwards I changed my surname to a double-barreled one. The search results I had previously put in order started telling a story about me that I had less and less influence over. A Business Profile was one of the ways to bring that presence back under control. Verification and waiting for the results took time, though.
Later, the goal of my presence in search changed. I described the relationship between a Business Profile and a Knowledge Panel separately: Knowledge Panel not showing? My case. That is a description of one specific situation, not a universal instruction for removing a listing. For a personal brand, decide first whether you need a local point of contact, a presentation of the person, or both.
I cover personal branding in Google search in more depth in my book SEO dla blogerów, influencerów i marek osobistych (Helion; currently available in Polish). For the rules of specific Google features, rely on the current documentation I link throughout this guide.
Who can create a Google Business Profile?
A Business Profile is not a directory of every brand and author. Under Google’s guidelines, as a rule you need in-person contact with customers: at your place of business or at theirs. A business that operates only online does not qualify for GBP.
Storefront business
For example, a salon, a clinic, or a store that customers visit.
Service-area business
For example, a provider who travels to customers and does not receive them at the address of the registered office.
Hybrid business
Receives customers on site and also travels to them.
This applies to personal brands as well. Running a blog, publishing books, or selling online consultations is not enough on its own. For individual practitioners, Google also describes additional rules for individual practitioner profiles. Do not create separate listings for different specializations of the same person.
How to create a Google Business Profile
- 1Check whether the business already exists in Google Maps
Search for the name and address. If you find the right profile, claim it; if someone else manages it, use the procedure for requesting access.
- 2Sign in to a Google account and go to add your business
Create a new profile only when the right listing does not exist yet.
- 3Enter the basic information
Name, category, location or service area, and contact details that match your business.
- 4Complete verification using the method Google makes available
- 5Fill in the remaining elements and review the profile from a customer’s perspective
Google describes the process in its instructions for adding a business and claiming a profile. You manage the profile from Search and Maps after signing in to the right account.
If an agency or a freelancer helps you, add that person as a manager. Keep ownership of the profile on your own account. There is no need to share your Google account password.
Google Business Profile – fill in these fields
Available features depend on your business category and region, among other things. Treat this list as a guide to what is possible, not an obligation to add everything. What counts is an accurate description of your business.
Business name
Enter the real name your business is known by. Do not add cities, lists of services, slogans, or decorations just to boost visibility. Google requires the name to match the one used in the real world; unnecessary additions can get the profile suspended. See the rules for business names.
On the archival screenshot of my profile you will see an expanded name. Today I do not recommend treating it as a template. Describe your specialization in the appropriate fields of the profile.
Business category
Choose the most specific primary category that describes what your business is. Additional categories should match what you actually do. Do not add them just because they relate to your interests or might attract traffic.
Being the author of a cookbook does not, by itself, mean running a cooking school or a publishing house. That is an important correction to the example from the earlier version of this guide. Pick categories from the available list and follow Google’s instructions on categories.
Business location
Customers come to you
address visibleIf customers come to your business:
- enter the real address,
- check the position of the map pin.
You travel to customers
address hiddenIf you only travel to customers:
- hide the address from users,
- set up a service area.
A mailing address alone is not enough. A virtual office where you do not run the business is not a valid location. A coworking office must meet Google’s conditions, including signage, receiving customers, and having your own staff present during business hours. You will find the details in the address guidelines.
Service area
Service area · definition
A service area is the set of places you actually travel to or deliver products to. It is not a way to list every country you could work with over the internet.
Google lets you specify up to 20 areas, such as cities or postal codes. It recommends a radius of about two hours’ drive from your base, although the general guidelines allow justified exceptions. Choose areas that match how you actually serve customers. See the service-area rules.
Phone number
Enter a number that connects the customer with the right business or location. Test it after publishing. If you do not handle phone contact, provide a clear alternative on the website the profile links to.
Website
Link the profile to the official website of the business. If you have several branches, choose the page for the specific location if one exists. The customer should find a matching offer, contact details, and visit information there.
To measure traffic, you can add UTM parameters, for example ?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=gbp. That is my analytics recommendation, not a Google requirement. After setting it up, check that the link works and that redirects keep the parameters.
Verifying a Google Business Profile
Google decides the verification method. Depending on the business, the options may include a video recording, phone or SMS, email, a live video call, or postal mail. Not every profile gets every option; sometimes more than one method is required.
According to the current verification instructions, reviewing the submitted information can take up to 5 business days, and exceptionally longer. If mail is available, most codes arrive within 14 days. That is the delivery time for the code, not a guarantee that the whole process is finished.
For video verification, prepare footage that shows the location, the actual business activity, and your authority to manage the business. The video must be continuous, unedited, at least 30 seconds long, and recorded and uploaded from a mobile device through the profile. Requirements vary by business type – check the video verification instructions.
Photos
Add a logo, a cover photo, and photos that show what the customer will actually find: the entrance, the interior, the team, products, or services being delivered. For a local business, a clear photo of the entrance is often more useful than another promotional graphic.
- Photo format: JPG or PNG.
- File size: 10 KB to 5 MB.
- Recommended resolution: 720 × 720 px; minimum 250 × 250 px.
These are Google’s general guidelines for profile photos, not a promise of identical cropping in every view. Google also does not guarantee that your chosen cover photo will always appear first. Show reality; do not present an AI-generated interior as a photo of your premises.
Opening hours
Enter the hours when you actually serve customers and keep special hours for holidays and exceptional days up to date. Hours should not simply mean the time when you happen to reply to email.
If you see customers by appointment only, do not suggest open access to the office all day. Under Google’s rules on hours, such a business should not list standard opening hours.
Booking – appointments and scheduling links
If the profile offers this feature, add a link to a page where the customer can actually book a service at that location. It can be your own form or the right booking calendar. Do not treat this field as extra space for random links to your projects.
Google requires a landing page appropriate for the action. Link availability depends on category and region; some booking partner links may appear automatically. Check where they lead and which one is preferred.
Description
The business description can be up to 750 characters. Write what you do, whom you help, and what sets your way of delivering the service apart. Pick information that is useful for making a decision. Skip the keyword stuffing.
An example direction for a salon: range of treatments, neighborhood, booking method, and relevant amenities. For a specialist: type of services, target clients, and form of cooperation. Every claim has to be true.
Do not put links or HTML code in this field, and do not center the description on promotions and prices. Those are Google’s rules.
If you use AI to edit the text, check every experience, certificate, or promise the model adds.
Additional attributes in Google Business Profile
Attributes · definition
Attributes refine your offer and the conditions of a visit: for example, a wheelchair-accessible entrance, Wi-Fi, outdoor seating, or the fact that the business is women-owned. The available list depends on category and location; some of this information also comes from users.
Select only options that match reality. Google confirms that some attributes can make a business appear in searches for places with specific features. Check the attribute rules. When someone asks about a specific need – say, accessibility of the premises – that information is far more useful than a generic “highest quality”.
Services
Enter the services you actually offer and specify their scope. The editor lets you pick items from a list or add custom services, then add a description and a price. Do not put a price or a phone number in the name of a custom service itself. See the instructions for editing services.
Instead of generic “consulting”, choose a name that matches what the customer is buying. In the description, explain what the service covers and what it includes. Check field limits in the current editor – do not treat old values from guides as a fixed specification.
Reviews in Google Business Profile
Ask customers for an honest review after they have used the service. Google lets you share a direct link or QR code for leaving a review. Respond factually, also when the rating is critical. For someone considering working with you, your reaction is information too.
Do not buy reviews, do not offer a discount for a review, and do not send the request only to satisfied customers. Do not demand five stars or specific phrases in the text. Google’s content policy for reviews prohibits such practices. AI should not invent customer experiences or replace them with a ready-made “review to paste”.
Products
The Products section is not a universal catalog of everything you sell. According to the product editor documentation, it is meant for local stores that offer physical goods. Google points to a separate editor for services and to other solutions for menus and attractions.
If the feature fits your business, add real products with photos and current details in the available fields. If the profile is linked to Merchant Center, management may happen through that tool. Describe services in the Services section – which is why I removed from this version of the guide the old example of service packages presented as products.
Posts in Google Business Profile
Posts let you publish news, offers, and events. Use them when you have something useful to share: new dates, a seasonal offer, or an event. Add relevant content, a photo, and an available button leading to the details.
Under Google’s instructions, posts older than 6 months are archived unless they have a set date range. Keep information and links current. I am not setting a mandatory number of posts per week here: the publishing rhythm should follow what is happening in the business.
Social media links
If this option is available on your profile, add the brand’s official channels. Google allows one link per supported platform, including Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. The feature is not available for all profiles and regions. Choose accounts that actually represent this business.
The limits from this section in brief:
| Field | Limit | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Service area | up to 20 areas | recommended radius of about two hours’ drive from your base |
| Verification | up to 5 business days to review the information | exceptionally longer; postal codes usually arrive within 14 days |
| Video verification | at least 30 seconds | continuous, unedited recording from a mobile device |
| Photos | 10 KB to 5 MB, JPG or PNG | recommended 720 × 720 px, minimum 250 × 250 px |
| Description | up to 750 characters | no links or HTML code |
| Posts | archived after 6 months | unless the post has a set date range |
Values from Google’s documentation, verified September 28, 2026. Check the limits of individual fields in the current editor.
Ranking a Google Business Profile – what affects visibility?
Google names three main groups of local ranking factors:
Relevance
How well the business matches what the user is looking for.
Distance
How far the business is from the searcher’s location.
Prominence
How well known the business is; Google mentions links from other sites and the number of reviews and positive ratings, among other things.
Source: Google’s official guidance on local ranking. Google also notes that you cannot pay for a better position in organic local results.
My practical takeaway: start with correct data and a well-described business, then build reputation and the company website. Look at results in specific locations. What you see from your own office does not describe your visibility for every customer.
Do not confuse ranking with the “Profile strength” indicator. Google describes it as help with completing information and materials. I treat it as a checklist, not a measure of position or of the likelihood of an AI recommendation.
Google Business Profile and AI – what changes in 2026?
A well-run profile also matters when a user looks for a place through a conversation with AI. Distinguish, however, between AI Mode and AI Overviews in Search and Ask Maps in Google Maps. They are different features with different rules of availability.
AI Mode and current business data
On October 8, 2025, Google announced the expansion of AI Mode to more than 40 new countries and territories, Poland included. It is a tool for asking more complex questions and digging deeper into answers. So the launch of AI Mode itself is not 2026 news.
In its guidance on appearing in AI features in Search, Google explicitly lists keeping your Google Business Profile data up to date. It also stresses that SEO fundamentals still apply: important information should be available as text, the site should be crawlable, and structured data should match the visible content. There is no special schema markup that guarantees a place in AI.
Ask Maps – a conversation about places and services
On March 12, 2026, Google unveiled Ask Maps, a feature built on Gemini models. In its announcement, Google said Maps analyzes information about more than 300 million places, including reviews from a community of more than 500 million contributors. Those are global figures declared by Google, not the number of businesses in your market or the number of businesses AI recommends. Source and description of the Ask Maps launch.
An example of a question your business information should be ready for: “Where in Wrocław can I eat with my dog, sit outside, and find something without meat?” That is my example of a use case – not a record of a test I ran or a promise that a specific restaurant will show up.
The feature launched in the US and India. On August 6, 2026, Google announced a further expansion of Ask Maps, including availability in English in more than 150 countries and territories. That announcement does not confirm full availability in other languages, Polish included. New actions, such as ordering food, were announced for the US. When assessing what is possible for your business, check the specific feature, language, and account.
What to fill in with AI questions in mind
My recommendation is practical: describe the information a customer asks about before buying or visiting. Do not build an offer around features you do not provide. Organize the data you already have:
- Scope of services: exactly what you do, for whom, and on what terms.
- Visit conditions: location, directions, hours, accessibility, booking method.
- Real amenities: selected attributes and explanations on the website.
- Evidence: your own photos, completed work, and customer reviews.
- Consistency: the same business, offer, and current details in the profile, on the website, and in official channels.
That is a conclusion drawn from how the product works and from data-quality rules, not a leaked list of Ask Maps ranking factors. Google combines information from owners, users, websites, and other sources. So keep an eye on what other sources say about your business, not just the text you type into the profile yourself.
On a local business website you can implement the appropriate LocalBusiness structured data. It should describe facts visible on the page. It does not replace the profile and does not guarantee citations. In its guide to generative AI search, Google also advises against focusing on special formatting for AI or chasing manufactured mentions.
Do not equate visibility in Google with a guaranteed recommendation in every assistant. Presence in Maps, an AI Mode answer, and a mention in ChatGPT are separate observations. Check them separately; do not draw conclusions about all systems from a single result.
How AI systems read a personal brand, and what you can do about it, is the subject of my book Marka osobista w czasach AI i generatywnego wyszukiwania (Onepress, 2026; currently available in Polish).
How to measure the results of running a Business Profile
In the profile’s performance statistics, check the data available for your business: impressions, website clicks, direction requests, phone button clicks, and bookings. A phone click is not an answered call or a won customer. So compare that data with actual inquiries and sales.
My suggestion: log changes to the profile, compare similar periods, and account for seasonality. Separate UTM-tagged traffic to the website from the results of the whole site. In a small business, even a simple sheet is enough: date, type of inquiry, source, and outcome of the conversation.
For the website, also check the Generative AI performance report in Search Console. The current documentation describes impressions of links in AI Overviews and AI Mode, with the option to analyze pages and countries. The report covers the website, not all recommendations of your profile in Maps; if you do not see it, one possible reason is too few impressions.
For manual AI tests, record the question, date, location, and tool. Test a set of real customer needs, not just “which company is the best?”. A single answer is a sample, not a full measure of visibility.
Running a Google Business Profile – frequently asked questions
Is adding a business to Google Maps free?
Yes. Creating and managing a Google Business Profile is free. The condition is meeting the eligibility guidelines. Source: Google.
How much does a Google Maps listing cost?
Google does not charge a subscription for the profile itself. A separate cost may be hiring a specialist to set it up or manage it, or an ad campaign. Paid management does not mean a fee to Google for keeping the listing.
How long does Google Business Profile verification take?
It depends on the method made available and how the process goes. Google states up to 5 business days to review the information after the verification steps are completed, with possible exceptions. With postal verification, most codes arrive within 14 days. There is no guarantee that the whole procedure closes within two weeks.
Can I have a Business Profile without a visible address?
Yes, if your business qualifies as one that travels to customers or delivers products to them and you do not receive customers at your address. In that case you hide the address and specify a service area. It is not a way around the rules for a business that operates only online.
Does a Google Business Profile help with visibility in AI?
Up-to-date profile data is one of the elements Google recommends in the context of AI features in Search, and Ask Maps draws on information about places and reviews. That does not guarantee a recommendation for your business, nor does it mean every AI assistant works the same way.
Does frequent posting guarantee a higher position?
There is no basis for promising a specific position in exchange for a set number of posts. Use posts to share useful information. Judge the results by data and customer contacts.
Why doesn’t my business show up for the query I expect?
Start by checking the profile’s status and verification, category, data, and compliance with the guidelines. Then compare the user’s query and location with your actual offer and the location of the business. A verified profile has no guaranteed presence for every keyword.
Need help with your profile?
See the recommendation from my client Agata Sylwestrzak, for whom I set up the profile of the Hi Beauty salon. It is an example of my earlier work with Business Profiles.
Want to tidy up your profile and its connection to your website, or assess your brand’s visibility in Google and AI?
Write to me and describe your situation. I will help you decide where to start.
