Google launches practical guides to optimize your Google Business Profile

Google has just published a series of practical guides (Playbooks) dedicated to optimizing listings Google Business Profile (GBP), broken down by industry. A resource directly from Google, not to be overlooked if you work on local SEO.

Official guides by industry

In early March 2026, Google sent an email to many profile owners to inform them of the publication of new guides dedicated to Google Business Profile. The information was notably shared by Glenn Gabe on Search Engine Roundtable, after Daniel Hale alerted him via LinkedIn.

These guides are available as PDFs and cover the following verticals:

• Restaurants & Cafes
• Hotels & Accommodations
• Tour operators & activities
• Service businesses (plumbers, cleaning, etc.)
• General guide for all other activities

Google also posted an announcement in the official GBP forums. If your business doesn’t match any of the listed sectors, the general guide gathers universal best practices applicable to any profile.

Why optimize your GBP: figures provided by Google

The general guide published by Google emphasizes the importance of these optimizations with several data points from its internal data and the Google Economic Impact Report:

• Complete listings receive 7 times more clicks than incomplete listings
• Profiles updated regularly generate 5 times more views
• 29% of customers are more likely to consider making a purchase from a business with a detailed profile
• Each month in 2024, Google enabled more than 2 billion direct connections (calls, direction requests, messages, bookings, reviews) for over 19 million American businesses

The 13 recommended optimization points

The practical general guide is organized around 13 concrete action levers. Here’s what Google recommends:

1. Basic information

Name, category, description, hours: these four elements form the foundation of any profile. They directly affect your visibility in Google Search and Google Maps.

2. Business category

Google allows adding up to 10 categories : one primary and nine secondary. The primary category defines your core activity; the secondary ones let you appear in more specific searches and broaden your audience.

3. Business description

Google now offers a feature to AI-generated description, accessible directly from the listing's editing interface ("Suggest a description" button). The description can then be edited before publication.

4. Opening hours

96% of customers are more likely to visit an establishment that displays its hours, and 91% of consumers search online before going. Google places particular emphasis on updating exceptional hours (public holidays, holiday periods).

5. Service area

For businesses that travel to their customers (tradespeople, home services) or that combine a physical storefront with delivery, it is possible to set up to 20 service areas. The recommended limit is about a 2-hour travel time from the company's headquarters.

6. Attributes

Attributes allow you to highlight specific features: "Free Wi‑Fi", "wheelchair accessible", "outdoor seating", "pet friendly", etc. This information appears directly in Google Search and Maps and helps customers quickly find businesses that match their criteria.

7. Offer management

Menus, service lists, inventory: Google recommends keeping this information up to date with descriptions and prices. 1 in 3 customers checks a business's offerings before visiting it.

8. Photos and videos

The figures cited are significant:

• 90% of people are more likely to visit a business that has photos on Google
• Businesses with photos receive 42% more direction requests
• They also record 35% more clicks to their website

9. Google Posts

Google recommends publishing at least once a week, alternating three types of posts: Updates, Events and Offers. It advises including relevant keywords, a quality image and a date. For example, Crate & Barrel recorded +31% views on Google Maps and +6% on Google Search after integrating Google Posts into its strategy via Uberall.

50% of customers look for promotions or discounts when they search for a business online.

10. Social media links

You can link Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter) and YouTube directly to the listing. This allows social posts to appear in search results. Painting with a Twist saw +9% GBP impressions, +10% web clicks and phone calls, and +14% of users coming from Google after connecting its social profiles.

20% of customers check a company's social media before visiting it.

11. Chat (WhatsApp & SMS)

Google lets you add a WhatsApp link or a phone number for SMS directly from the listing. 67% of people prefer to send a message to a business rather than call or email it, and 60% say that WhatsApp is their preferred messaging channel for interacting with a business.

12. Bookings and orders

Through the 'Reserve with Google' program, available in more than 88 countries, customers can book an appointment or place an order directly from the listing without having to navigate to another site. You can add either a custom booking link or an integrated booking partner (which generates a native 'Reserve' button). 77% of consumers expect to be able to book services online.

13. Review management

91% of consumers use reviews to evaluate local businesses, and 65% say they are more likely to choose a business that responds to its reviews. Google recommends responding to all reviews, both positive and negative. It is also possible to generate QR codes from the profile to encourage customers to leave a review (to place on receipts, menus, or storefronts).

Verification and profile management

The practical guide also covers more technical points that are often overlooked:

• Listing verification Verification is essential to be able to edit information and interact with customers. Google offers five verification methods, automatically assigned according to the business category. Verification can take up to 5 business days.
• Adding multiple managers is strongly recommended to avoid being locked out if an employee leaves. Only one primary owner is allowed, but ownership can be transferred. Google recommends regularly reviewing the list of managers to keep only authorized people.

The guide also lists available support resources: help center, contact form, GBP community forum with “Product Experts” able to escalate complex cases directly to Google. A troubleshooting table for common issues is also provided (profile suspension, fake reviews, lost access, incorrect phone number, etc.).

The article "Google launches practical guides to optimize your Google Business Profile" was published on the site Abondance.