Glossary

GBP (Google Business Profile)

The free business listing Google maintains for every local business, which controls how you appear in Google Maps and the 3-pack.

Also calledGoogle My BusinessGMBBusiness Profile
In plain English

What it actually means.

Google Business Profile, formerly Google My Business (GMB), is the free dashboard at business.google.com where you manage what Google shows about your business in Maps and Search. It's the single most important asset in local SEO. Without a verified, fully completed GBP, you cannot rank in the 3-pack.

GBP controls your name, categories, hours, phone, website link, photos, services list, products, posts, Q&A, and reviews. It also exposes performance data: searches you appeared in, calls, direction requests, and website clicks. Most local SEO work starts and ends with optimizing this profile.

Google renamed GMB to GBP in late 2021 and started phasing out the standalone app in 2022. Both names refer to the same thing. The community still uses 'GMB' colloquially.

Watch out

Common mistakes we see.

  • Never logging in after the initial verification. GBP needs ongoing updates: weekly posts, monthly photos, Q&A monitoring, review responses.
  • Hiding your address when you have a real storefront. Hidden-address profiles rank lower than visible-address profiles for the same query.
Keep going

Related terms.

Primary category

The single category Google uses to decide which queries your Google Business Profile should rank for.

Read definition

Suspension

When Google disables your Google Business Profile, either partially (soft) or completely (hard), usually for a guideline violation.

Read definition

Knowledge panel

The box on the right side of a Google search (or the top on mobile) that shows your business details directly.

Read definition

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