Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is a free tool that lets businesses manage how they appear on Google Search and Maps. Setting it up properly involves adding accurate business information — name, address, phone number, business hours, category, and photos — since this directly affects whether you show up in local search results. Regularly posting updates, responding to questions, and keeping information current also signals to Google that the profile is active and trustworthy. For any business with a physical location or local service area, this is often the single most important local SEO step.