Google Business Profile: the guide for local businesses
Everything you need to create, verify, optimize and protect your Google Business Profile — organized step by step, with no fluff.
When someone in your city searches for what you sell, Google decides in seconds whether you exist or not. And it doesn't make that call by looking at your website: it looks at your Google Business Profile, the listing that shows up in Google Search and on Google Maps.
The profile is free, but free doesn't mean simple: verifications that get stuck, poorly chosen categories, photos Google rejects, lost access, profiles suspended with no explanation. Every one of those stumbles has a fix — if you know where to look.
This guide brings together, in order, everything we've learned building local brain and training more than 500 local SEO specialists. Each topic links to its step-by-step guide (in Spanish): start wherever you are and go at your own pace.
Getting started
From zero to a live profile: create it, get it on the map and prove to Google that you exist.
How to create your Google Business Profile, step by step (2026)
The full setup, without skipping anything important.
In SpanishHow to add your business to Google Maps, step by step (2026)
Get your business showing up where your customers are searching.
In SpanishHow to verify your business on Google Maps, step by step (2026)
The step most people leave half-done (and it undoes everything else).
In SpanishGoogle My Business login, step by step (2026)
Get into your dashboard without getting lost between accounts.
In SpanishOptimize and rank
Once your profile is live, it's time to turn it into a customer magnet.
Google My Business categories (2026): how to choose yours
The detail that carries the most weight in your local rankings.
In SpanishHow to rank your business on Google, step by step (2026)
The step-by-step plan to climb the local pack.
In SpanishGoogle Business Profile photo sizes (2026): exact dimensions
Exact dimensions so your photos look great the first time.
In SpanishGoogle Ads for local businesses, step by step (2026)
When (and how) to speed things up with local ads.
In SpanishDay-to-day management
An active profile ranks better than an abandoned one.
The Google My Business app in 2026
How to manage your profile from your phone now that there's no app.
In SpanishHow to add a manager to Google Business Profile, step by step (2026)
Give your team or agency access without losing control.
In SpanishGoogle My Business in 2026: the complete guide for local businesses
The full picture of Google My Business, in one sitting.
In SpanishCommon problems
When something goes wrong, here's the way out.
Google Business Profile support, step by step (2026)
How to reach a human at Google (for real).
In SpanishHow to change your address on Google Maps, step by step (2026)
Move without losing your rankings or your reviews.
In SpanishHow to remove photos from Google Business Profile, step by step
Take down the images that are hurting you.
In SpanishRemoving a business from Google Maps, and what happens to your reviews
Close or delete a profile cleanly.
In SpanishWhat about reviews?They deserve a chapter of their own: they're the factor that moves your reputation and your position on the map the most. Start with the complete guide to Google reviews and then read how to ask your customers for them (both in Spanish).
Frequently asked questions
Is Google Business Profile free?+
Yes. Creating and managing your profile costs nothing; you only pay if you also run ads (Google Ads). What does cost you is the time it takes to keep it optimized and active, and that's where a platform like local brain saves you hours.
Are Google Business Profile and Google My Business the same thing?+
Yes. Google renamed Google My Business to Google Business Profile in late 2021. Lots of people still use the old name, but the profile, the dashboard and the features are the same.
How long does verification take?+
It depends on the method: video verification is usually resolved within a few days, while a postcard can take up to two weeks. Until it's verified, your profile won't appear on Maps or in local results, so it's best to start verification the same day you create your profile.
Why isn't my business showing up on Google Maps?+
The most common causes: the profile isn't verified, the primary category is the wrong one, or your business has little prominence (few reviews, or incomplete or inconsistent information across the web). Our local ranking guide (in Spanish) covers how to diagnose and fix it.
Can I manage my profile from my phone?+
Yes, but no longer with the Google My Business app (it was retired in 2022). Today you manage it from your phone's browser at business.google.com, from Google Search itself, or from platforms like local brain that bring several profiles together in one place.
Stop wrestling with your profile
local brain lets you manage, analyze and optimize your Google Business Profile (and your website) from a single dashboard.
Get started