How Google Business Profile helps local businesses.

Google Business Profile is the panel that appears on the right side of Google when someone searches for your business — and, more importantly, the map results that appear for local searches.

For most local businesses, it's the single biggest source of phone calls, direction requests, and website clicks. And yet it's often the most neglected part of a business's online presence.

A well-tended profile has accurate categories, current hours, real photos, a steady flow of reviews, and regular posts. Each of those signals tells Google (and potential customers) that the business is active and worth showing.

A neglected profile is invisible. A well-tended one is a channel.