Is a Google Business Profile free?

Yes. Creating and managing a Google Business Profile is completely free — Google does not charge you to appear on Search or Maps. The only costs come if you choose to pay someone to set it up and maintain it, or to build the website it links through to.

What is the difference between Google Business Profile and Google My Business?

They are the same thing. Google renamed Google My Business to Google Business Profile a while back, so older guides and plenty of business owners still use the old name. Nothing about how it fundamentally works has changed.

How long does it take to set up and get verified?

The listing itself takes a few minutes to create. Google then verifies that you own the business, which can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few days depending on the method. If you also want a website that matches, most of our builds go live within three to six weeks.

How much does it cost to get help with my profile and website?

The profile itself is free. If you want us involved, our websites are fixed-price from £477 for a Starter site, £1,170 for Growth and £2,370 for Complete, and care plans that keep everything updated start at £27 a month. SEO work is quoted per project.

Do I still need a website if I have a Google Business Profile?

Yes. The profile gets you found and makes a strong first impression, but people click through to your website to check prices, read about your services and get in touch. The two work as a pair — you really want both.

Resources / Local marketing

What Is a Google Business Profile and Why It Matters

By Mohammad Javad Samadi·30 January 2026·5 min read

If you have ever searched for a plumber, an emergency dentist or a decent Sunday roast near you, the results that appear at the top — the little map, the star ratings, the opening hours — are powered by Google Business Profiles. So what is a Google Business Profile, and why does it matter so much for a small business? In plain terms, it is your free listing on Google Search and Google Maps, and for a lot of local firms it brings in more enquiries than the website ever does.

It used to be called Google My Business, which is why you will still see both names floating about. Whatever you call it, it is one of the most valuable pieces of marketing you can own — and one of the most neglected. Here is what it is, what it does, and how to make yours earn its keep.

What is a Google Business Profile, and why does it matter?

A Google Business Profile is the free listing Google gives every business so it can appear on Search and Maps. It holds your name, address, phone number, opening hours, photos, reviews and a handful of other details. When someone nearby searches for what you do, Google decides which few businesses to show them — and your profile is a big part of how it chooses.

It matters because most local searches happen on a mobile, often with real intent behind them. Someone typing 'barber near me' or 'boiler repair Leeds' is usually ready to call or visit, not idly browsing. A strong profile puts you in front of that person at the exact moment they want you, without paying for an ad. Get it right and you show up in the map results, look trustworthy at a glance, and make it easy to ring you. That is the whole game.

“For many local businesses the profile brings in more phone calls than the website — yet it is the thing owners spend the least time on.”

Where your profile actually shows up

Your profile is not one thing in one place. It quietly feeds several parts of Google that customers use every day:

Because it powers all of these at once, a well-kept profile works in the background while you get on with the job.

→The local pack — the boxed group of three businesses with a map that sits near the top of local search results.

→Google Maps — where people search directly for nearby services and tap through for directions.

→The knowledge panel — the information box that appears when someone searches for your business by name.

→Voice and 'near me' searches, where Google leans heavily on profile data to give an answer.

What a profile that works actually includes

Setting one up takes minutes; filling it out properly is where the results come from. The profiles that pull their weight tend to have:

None of it is complicated. It just needs doing, and then keeping on top of — which is exactly the sort of thing our care plans are built to handle for busy owners.

→Accurate name, address and phone number that match your website exactly — Google rewards consistency.

→The right categories, chosen carefully, so you appear for the services you actually offer.

→Real photos of your work, premises and team, not stock images.

→Opening hours kept up to date, bank holidays included.

→A steady trickle of genuine reviews, with a reply to each one.

→Regular posts and updates, so the profile looks active rather than abandoned.

The mistakes that quietly cost you customers

Most profiles are not broken, just half-finished. The usual culprits:

Fixing these is usually a quick win. It is also where good local SEO starts, long before you spend a penny on adverts.

→Claiming the profile, adding a logo, and never touching it again.

→Wrong or inconsistent details — an old phone number here, a different address there — which confuses Google and customers alike.

→Ignoring reviews, good and bad. A calm, polite reply to a critical review often reassures the next reader more than the review itself worries them.

→No photos, so you look less real than the competitor two doors down who added twelve.

Your profile and your website are a team

A Google Business Profile is brilliant at getting you found and making the first impression. But the moment someone wants to know more — see your prices, read about a service, book in — they click through to your website. If that site is slow, confusing or awkward on a phone, the profile has done its job and the website has undone it.

That is why we treat the two together. A fast, clear website gives the profile somewhere worth sending people, and the two reinforce each other in search. You do not need anything fancy or expensive to get this right — you can see our straightforward pricing up front, with no hourly billing and no surprises.

How to get started

If you have never claimed your profile, search your business name on Google, look for the 'Own this business?' or 'Claim this business' link, and follow the verification steps. If you already have one, spend twenty minutes checking every detail is correct and adding a few recent photos — you will often notice the difference within weeks.

And if you would rather someone simply looked at the whole picture for you, that is what we are here for. Get in touch and we will tell you honestly what is working and what is not.

Key takeaways

✓A Google Business Profile is your free listing on Google Search and Maps — the same tool once called Google My Business.
✓For many local businesses it drives more enquiries than the website, because it reaches people the moment they are ready to buy.
✓Accurate details, real photos, genuine reviews and regular updates separate a profile that works from one that just exists.
✓Your profile and website work best as a pair — one gets you found, the other closes the deal.