Google My Business Guide: Complete Overview & Expert Tips for 2025

If you’re just getting started with local SEO, this Google My Business guide is the perfect spot to kick things off.

Even though GMB looks simple and pretty intuitive, there are a lot of things to pay attention to. You’ll really benefit from it only if your listing is set up right.

Remember — when people search for a product or service near them, they’re usually very close to making a purchase. One in two people who conduct a local search (think “watch repair near me”) visit a store that day.

So it’s important the information about your business that shows up when people search Google is as accurate, complete, and optimized as possible.

In this article, I’ll show you how to create your Google My Business account, verify your business, make your listing as strong as possible, and more — with some expert guidance along the way.

Table of Contents

What is Google My Business?
Is Google My Business free?
Google My Business Benefits
How to Create a Google My Business Listing
How to Verify Your Business on Google
How to Optimize Your GMB Listing
Google My Business App — Does It Exist?

But wait … do I need Google My Business or Google Business Profile? 🧐

They’re the same thing. It used to be called Google My Business, and a lot of people still call it that, even though it’s now Google Business Profile. To keep things simple, in this piece, we’ll stick with the old name most folks are familiar with.

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Google My Business Benefits

Let’s explore the key six benefits of Google Business Profile and how it can help you get noticed online and bring in more local customers by putting all the important info right where people can see it.

1. Increased Visibility and Better Rankings

According to Safari Digital, 46% of all Google searches are driven by local intent. Plus, 97% of people search online to find nearby stores, and in 2023, 28% of those local searches ended in a purchase.

So, what does Google My Business do for you?

It boosts your business’s presence in Google Search and Maps, especially in local searches. When someone searches for “near me” services, GMB ensures your business shows up in the top results — if relevant.

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Google looks at various factors, including relevance, distance, and the prominence of the business in the local area. A complete and optimized GMB listing gives Google the data it needs to rank you higher.