TL;DR: To rank Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) in the Local Pack in 2026 you need three blocks: completeness + relevance (100% complete listing, correct category), real and answered reviews, and consistent NAP signals (name, address, phone) across industry directories and citations.
Google My Business is no longer called that
Since November 2021, Google renamed "Google My Business" to Google Business Profile (GBP). Basic functionality is the same, but management has moved inside Google Search and Maps — not a separate app.
When someone searches "dentist near me", "Japanese restaurant Barcelona" or "SEO agency Madrid", Google shows the Local Pack (the 3 listings with map). Being in that Pack is where local SEO is played.
How ranking works in the Local Pack
Google evaluates 3 main factors:
1. Relevance
Does the listing answer the query? Depends on:
- Correct primary category (the most important).
- Relevant secondary categories.
- Services/products listed explicitly.
- Description coherent with the search.
2. Distance
How close is the listing's location to the searcher? Important: distance is measured from where the user is or from the place mentioned in the query ("dentist Sant Cugat" measures from Sant Cugat, not from where you search).
3. Prominence
How well-known and validated is the business? Includes:
- Reviews (quantity, quality, recency).
- Backlinks to the website.
- Mentions in directories and media.
- Listing age.
Checklist to optimize Google Business Profile
Basic information
- Exact name of the business (the legal one, no keyword stuffing).
- Primary category as specific as possible.
- Secondary categories (up to 9): only the really applicable ones.
- Verified address (careful if you have several businesses nearby, separate the listings).
- Local phone (not central, not premium).
- Website pointing to the local service page (not the home if you have multi-location presence).
- Hours correct, including special holidays.
- Specific attributes (card, accessibility, parking).
Visual content
- Professional logo and cover.
- Minimum 15-25 real photos (interior, exterior, team, product).
- Short video if possible (30-60 seconds).
- Upload new photos every week. Google rewards freshness.
Services and products
- List each service/product with detailed description and indicative price if public.
- Use natural keywords, without saturating.
Reviews (the most important)
- Actively ask satisfied customers for reviews (customer pays → automatic request email).
- Reply to all reviews, positive and negative, in less than 48 h.
- Negative ones: don't defend, acknowledge the problem and offer a solution privately.
- Realistic goal: 4.5★ with at least 30-50 real reviews.
Posts
- Publish 1-2 posts/week (offer, event, news).
- Use CTAs ("Call now", "Book", "More info").
Q&A
- Create 5-10 questions and answers yourself (Google allows it).
- Monitor user questions and reply quickly.
NAP signals: the invisible factor
NAP = Name, Address, Phone. Google cross-references your GBP data with other online sources (directories, social networks, website). If there are inconsistencies (one phone on GBP, another on Yelp, another on your website), Google doubts and lowers your prominence.
Action: audit and unify NAP across all sites where you appear. There are tools (Whitespark, BrightLocal) that automate part of the work.
Local SEO on the website
What happens on your own site influences GBP ranking:
- Dedicated page per location if you have several offices (not a single "locations" page).
- Schema.org LocalBusiness correct on each page.
- Map embed from GBP on the contact page.
- Reviews extracted to the website (not fake, linked to GBP ones via schema).
- Local backlinks: city council, local press, sector associations.
How Google Business Profile relates to generative AI (GEO)
When someone asks ChatGPT or Gemini "best [your sector] near [city]", AI doesn't always cite GBP directly, but the information that appears on your GBP (category, description, reviews) does feed the entity the model builds about your business.
Optimizing GBP is classic local SEO, but it also contributes to your visibility in generative AI answers, especially in engines that cross-reference map data (Perplexity with Maps API, Gemini with Google Maps integration).
If you have a local business and want to also appear in AI answers, see how to expose data to AI with schema, feeds and entity.
Typical mistakes in Google Business Profile
- Stuffing in the name ("The Best Pizzeria - Pizza Barcelona - Italian Restaurant"). Direct penalty.
- Generic primary category ("Restaurant" instead of "Pizzeria"). You lose long-tail.
- No reviews or empty automatic responses.
- Wrong website (pointing to the home when you have a location page).
- Not using attributes. Attributes are relevance signals.
- Not publishing posts. Google reads inactivity.
How to measure if you're improving
In the GBP panel:
- Profile views (direct searches + discovery searches).
- Actions (calls, web clicks, directions).
- Searches used to find you (which keywords).
- Average position in Local Pack (estimated).
Combine with Search Console (filter "Mobile") to see SEO traffic coming from local searches to your website.
Frequently asked questions
Does paying for reviews work? No. Google detects patterns and penalizes. It's only worth actively asking real customers.
How long does it take to rank? 2-6 months for new listings in competitive cities. 4-12 weeks in small towns.
Should I create a listing if I'm 100% online? No, GBP only admits businesses with physical customer service.
Does local SEO affect general organic SEO? Yes, especially for queries with local intent ("dentist Madrid", "lawyer Barcelona").
Shall we work together?
If you want to apply this in your company with a team that combines technical SEO, GEO and paid acquisition measured against the income statement, request a no-commitment audit. You can also check real case studies or read the public GEO baselines that Elevam Labs publishes every quarter.
