You searched your own business name and a competitor showed up in a box on the right side of the screen — or on the map — and you didn’t. That box is a Google Business Profile, and not having one (or having one that’s incomplete) is costing you calls. Here’s exactly what it is and what it does.
The Short Answer
A Google Business Profile (sometimes still called Google My Business, or GMB) is a free listing that Google creates for local businesses. When someone searches for a plumber in Glastonbury or a hair salon in West Hartford, Google shows a set of local results — usually a map and three business cards — before it shows any regular websites. That set of cards is called the Local Pack. Your Google Business Profile is what gets you into it.
You do not need a website to have one. You do not pay Google for it. You claim it, fill it in, and keep it current.
To see if your business already has a profile — claimed or unclaimed — search your exact business name plus your town on Google right now. If a panel appears on the right side of the screen with your information, the profile exists. If it says “Own this business?” somewhere on that panel, it has not been claimed yet.
What Information Lives on Your Profile
Think of it as a public record Google maintains about your business. The fields that matter most are:
- Business name — use your real legal or operating name, exactly as it appears on your signage
- Category — Google uses this to decide which searches to show you for; pick the most specific one that fits
- Address or service area — if you go to customers (plumbers, cleaners, mobile services), you can hide your address and list the towns you serve instead
- Phone number — this becomes a tap-to-call button on mobile
- Hours — including holiday hours; wrong hours are one of the fastest ways to lose a customer
- Photos — businesses with photos get more clicks; add at least five real photos of your work, your space, or your team
- Reviews — customers can leave them whether you claim your profile or not
- Posts — short updates, offers, or announcements that appear directly on your listing
Action item: write down which of those eight fields you cannot answer off the top of your head right now. Those are the gaps to fix first.
Real Numbers: What a Profile Actually Gets You
Two figures worth knowing — both from published sources you can look up yourself — and one caution:
- Google reports that customers are 2.7 times more likely to consider a business reputable when it has a complete Business Profile.
- According to BrightLocal’s 2023 Local Consumer Review Survey, 98% of consumers used the internet to find information about a local business in the past year.
- Profile view counts vary enormously by category and by town, so treat anyone who quotes you a single number with suspicion. What is consistent is the direction: a claimed, complete, review-collecting profile gets seen far more often than one sitting on whatever Google guessed about you. Your own profile dashboard shows your real numbers, free, and that is the only figure that matters.
That gap is almost entirely explained by how complete and active the profile is — not by paid advertising. Google does not charge for any of it.
Free Local Marketing Checkup
We’ll look at your Google Business Profile, your local search visibility, and what your nearest competitors are doing — in about 20 minutes, no preparation needed on your end. Book it here. Honest feedback, zero pressure.
Claimed vs. Unclaimed: Why It Matters
Google often creates a basic profile for a business automatically, pulling information from public sources. If you have not claimed yours, that profile exists — you just cannot control what it says. Hours could be wrong. The phone number could be outdated. A competitor could, in some cases, suggest an edit that changes your information.
Claiming your profile takes about 10 minutes to start. Google will verify that you are the actual owner, typically by sending a postcard to your business address with a code, by phone, or in some cases by video. Verification can take a few days to a couple of weeks. Start it this week — there is no cost and no downside.
If you are in Bristol or Newington and you serve a specific part of Hartford County, the service-area settings inside your profile let you tell Google exactly which towns you cover, without listing a home address publicly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a Google Business Profile the same as a Google Maps listing?
Yes, effectively. When you fill in your Google Business Profile, that information is what populates your pin and your business card on Google Maps. They are the same underlying data — managed through the Google Business Profile dashboard.
Do I need to pay Google anything to have one?
No. The profile itself is free. Google does sell ads that appear above and alongside local results — those are called Local Services Ads or Google Ads — but the organic listing in the Local Pack costs nothing. Do not pay anyone who tells you there is a fee to create or claim a basic profile.
What’s the difference between a Google Business Profile and my website?
Your website is a page you own and host. Your Google Business Profile is a listing on Google’s platform — you fill it in, but Google controls the format and where it appears. Both matter, but for a brand-new business with no web presence, a complete Google Business Profile will get you visible in local searches faster than a new website will. Start with the profile, then build the site.
Your Next Step
Search your business name on Google right now. If you see “Own this business?” on the panel, claim it today — it is free and takes less than 15 minutes to start. If you do not see a panel at all, go to google.com/business and create one from scratch.
Once your profile is claimed and filled in, the next question is how to make it rank above your competitors in the Local Pack. That’s a separate topic — and you can read how it works in our guide to .
Questions before you dive in? Call us at (860) 730-1636 — we’re based in Hartford County and we’re happy to take a look at your listing with you.
