In 2026, your Google Business Profile is the foundation of local search: Google ranks local results by relevance, distance and prominence, and your profile is how you shape the first and the last of those. What matters most is the primary category, an accurate list of services, and a steady flow of reviews that you actually reply to; posts help people decide more than they help you rank. Google's AI-powered local answers draw on the same data, so a half-finished profile now costs you twice.
We see the same pattern with small businesses again and again: someone filled in the profile five years ago, nobody has touched it since, the category is something generic, the services list is empty, and the latest review never got a reply. This piece covers what to fix today, in what order, and what we think isn't worth your time.
- According to Google's own help centre, local ranking comes down to relevance, distance and prominence. You can't change distance, but you can influence the other two.
- Your primary category is the single most important choice. Google's guidelines say to choose the fewest categories that still describe your core business.
- Detail belongs in Services and the description, not in keywords stuffed into your business name.
- Posts are archived after six months unless you set a date range. They can be scheduled and set to repeat, so they're easy to turn into a monthly routine.
- Google shut down the Q&A API in late 2025, and the public Q&A section is being replaced by AI-generated answers built from your profile, your reviews and your website.
How does Google rank local results?
There's little guesswork here, because Google spells it out. Its help page on local ranking says local results depend mainly on three things:
- Relevance: how well your profile matches what someone is searching for. This is driven by your category, services, description and every other field you complete.
- Distance: how far the business is from the searcher, or from the location named in the search.
- Prominence: how well known the business is, online and offline. Google says plainly that more reviews and positive ratings can improve your local ranking.
Google also notes that a business further away can outrank a closer one if the algorithm judges it a better match. So "the nearest one always wins" isn't true. The practical advice on the same page: complete your details, verify your location, keep your hours current, respond to reviews and add real photos.
One warning about distance: Google's guidelines require your address or service area to be accurate and precise, with one profile per business. Collecting "branch" profiles at virtual office addresses is a short-term trick that can end with your profile suspended.
How should you choose categories and services?
Primary category: one decision that shapes everything
The guideline is clear: pick the fewest categories needed to describe your core business. Our approach is to first check which primary category the competitors at the top of the map pack use for your most important search, then decide which one most precisely describes where your revenue comes from. A dental practice should pick "Dentist" or a narrower specialty, not a broad healthcare category.
Only add secondary categories for genuine, distinct lines of business. Listing every task as a category makes your profile less clear, not more.
Services: this is where the detail goes
Anything that isn't a separate line of business goes under Services. Describe the specific jobs the way a customer would search for them: "boiler replacement", "drain unblocking", "webshop migration". Give each one a sentence or two on what's included and who it's for. Most small businesses leave this field empty, even though it builds relevance directly.
Name and description: skip the keyword stuffing
Google says your business name should reflect your real-world name as it appears on your signage, website and stationery. A name like "Smith Dental – teeth whitening, implants, Budapest District XI" breaks the guidelines, and anyone can report it. The description field, on the other hand, is meant for useful information about your services and products, your mission and your history. Say what you do, where and for whom.
| Field | What it affects | What we do |
|---|---|---|
| Primary category | Relevance | The most precise, narrowest category, chosen after a competitor check |
| Secondary categories | Relevance | Only for genuine, distinct lines of business |
| Services | Relevance, AI answers | Every core service, in customer language, with a short description |
| Business name | Trust | The real name, no keywords |
| Description | Relevance, AI answers | What, where, for whom; consistent with the website |
| Reviews | Prominence | Ask regularly, reply to every one |
Is it still worth posting on your profile?
Yes, with realistic expectations. Google's help centre lists three post types: Update, Offer and Event. On mobile, posts appear in the Updates or Overview tabs; on desktop, in the "From the owner" section. One detail matters: posts older than six months are archived unless a date range is set.
We don't treat posts as a ranking lever but as a shop window: anyone already looking at your profile can see the business is active and what's new. Posts can be scheduled and set to repeat, so a monthly post takes ten minutes. A good post is specific: a finished job with a photo, a seasonal offer with a deadline, a change to your opening hours. Add UTM parameters to the button link so your analytics show whether it brings anything in.
What should you do about reviews?
Reviews are a prominence signal Google itself names, and one of the main raw materials for AI answers. These are the four rules we follow:
- Ask everyone, consistently. Right after the job, using the direct review link from your profile. Don't pre-filter who you ask and don't offer discounts for reviews: credibility is worth more than a few stars.
- Reply to every review. Google recommends responding to both positive and negative ones. Your reply is for the next prospect as much as for the reviewer.
- Make replies specific. "Glad the bathroom renovation was finished on time" says more than a templated thank-you. Naturally, without stuffing keywords.
- Handle negative reviews calmly, publicly and briefly. Acknowledge, state the facts, offer a fix, and take the details to phone or email.
The text of reviews also matters because AI works from it. When customers describe what job they got done and in which part of town, that's content a machine can understand too.
How is AI changing local search?
Two changes are worth knowing. First, on 3 November 2025 Google discontinued the Q&A API, and the public questions-and-answers section is giving way to AI-generated answers. It fits a wider trend: in-profile chat was already retired on 31 July 2024. Increasingly, it isn't you answering customers' questions but Google's AI, using whatever data it has.
Second, in 2026 Google launched Ask Maps, a Gemini-powered feature for asking complex questions about places and getting personalised recommendations. According to Search Engine Journal, it draws on data for more than 300 million places and reviews from 500 million contributors. At launch it was only available in the US and India; there's no official word on when it will reach Hungary.
AI Overviews, however, already appear in Hungarian searches, as we saw in our own study. The lesson is the same either way: AI tells people about you based on what it finds in your profile, your reviews and your website. If you used the old Q&A section to explain important things (parking, accessibility, payment methods, service area), move them into the relevant profile fields and onto an FAQ page on your website. Keep your name, address, phone number and services consistent everywhere. For making your website technically readable to machines, see our technical SEO article.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a Business Profile if I don't have a storefront?
Yes, if you serve customers in a particular area. Google's guidelines cover service areas as well as addresses; what matters is that it's accurate. Don't list a virtual office or a PO box as your location.
Does putting keywords in my business name help?
Don't do it. The guidelines say the name should be your real business name. Competitors can report a keyword-stuffed name, and the risk isn't worth it. Keywords belong in your category, services and description.
How often should I post?
We recommend at least once a month, scheduled. Posts older than six months are archived, so a profile that's rarely updated quickly looks empty.
How long until I see results?
It depends on your competition, your location and where you're starting from, so nobody can honestly guarantee a ranking. What's worth tracking: profile views, calls, direction requests and website clicks.
Does my Business Profile show up in ChatGPT too?
Business Profile is Google's system. Other AI search tools work from data on the open web, so there your website and mentions of your business matter. One more reason to make sure your website and your profile say the same thing.
If you'd like to know where your profile and website stand in local and AI search, ask us for a free SEO and AI visibility audit. And if you'd rather hand off the ongoing upkeep, take a look at our marketing services.