Your business must be visible in local organic and Map Pack search results if you want potential high-value customers to find you. Tools like Google Business profile are invaluable for this. While Google draws local business information from a wide variety of sites, directories, and networks around the web, the search engine uses its own profiles as a single source of truth about any local business. In fact, you don’t even need a business website to have a Google Business Profile and be present in the Local Pack.
Today, GBPs provide key business information such as location and contact information, as well as enable you to:
Help searchers understand the experience they’ll have at your business through a variety of high-quality photos and videos.
Showcase offers, events, and more with Google Posts.
Interact with customers via Messaging, Q&A, and responding to reviews.
Proactively share differentiating features, health and safety information, payment methods, and more.
Google is open about the fact that there are three main local ranking factors: Relevance, Distance, and Prominence. Reviews are part of Prominence, and high review counts and scores can have a positive impact on local search. By maintaining a complete profile with useful data, you help Google to properly position your business for nearby customers who want to find your products or services.