Google My Business (Google Business Profile).

Google My Business (now officially renamed Google Business Profile, or GBP) is the free tool Google provides for businesses to manage how they appear in Google Search and Google Maps. It is the single most important local SEO asset: the listing provides NAP data, categories, operating hours, photos, Q&A, review management, and post publishing to Google's local results.

Optimising a Google Business Profile

A fully optimised GBP includes: the exact legal business name (without keyword stuffing), the most specific primary category available, a complete and keyword-relevant business description, all applicable secondary categories, high-quality photos (exterior, interior, products, team), accurate hours including special/holiday hours, and consistent NAP matching the website.

GBP as a Local Pack Ranking Input

The three primary factors in Google's local algorithm are: Relevance (how well the business matches the query), Distance (how close the business is to the searcher), and Prominence (how well-known and reviewed the business is). GBP completeness and verification, review quantity and recency, and consistent citations all influence prominence—the most controllable of the three factors.