Is there a difference between Google My Business and Google Business Profile?

You've probably seen both names in the same week — "Google My Business" in one guide, "Google Business Profile" in another — and wondered whether your listing is outdated, duplicated, or quietly missing out on features. It's a fair worry. Your Google listing is the most visible piece of your local search presence, and when the terminology shifts under you, it's natural to ask whether you're looking at the same product or two different ones.

Here's the answer: they're the same platform. Google officially renamed Google My Business to Google Business Profile in November 2021, according to industry analysis of the rebrand, and the company now uses the new name exclusively in its official support documentation. The old name lingers because thousands of guides, forum threads, and videos were published before the change — and Google's own legacy help pages still surface in search results.

The name change wasn't cosmetic. In 2022, Google retired the GMB app, and profile management moved directly into Google Search and Maps. That's a real workflow shift: instead of opening a separate app to update your hours or respond to reviews, you now manage everything from the same surfaces your customers use to find you.

For local search visibility, the stakes are straightforward. Your Business Profile feeds the knowledge panel, the local pack, and Maps results that drive calls, directions, and purchases. If you're unsure which name is current, you may also be missing the management workflow that fits your business size.

What business owners actually need to know:

• Your listing didn't reset or lose features when the name changed — it's the same profile
• The GMB app is gone; management now happens directly in Search and Maps
• Multi-location brands should use the Business Profile Manager interface for centralized oversight
• Single-location businesses can manage everything without any additional app

The practical details haven't changed either. You can still add up to 9 additional categories beyond your primary one, and your "From The Business" description carries a 750-character limit. These details matter more than the name you use — but they only help if you're actively managing the profile.

At AI Business Sites, we handle Google Business Profile setup and optimization as part of every build we deliver, so clients never have to sort through outdated terminology or wonder whether their listing is current. The platform's name changed; the importance of keeping your profile accurate, complete, and actively managed did not.

If you've been calling it "Google My Business" for years, nothing about your listing actually broke — but the name you're using quietly went out of date on November 4, 2021. That's when Google officially rebranded the platform to Google Business Profile, as confirmed by industry analysis and Google's own support documentation.

Here's the key point: this was a rename, not a replacement. Google My Business and Google Business Profile are the same free platform, with the same reviews, posts, photos, and local search visibility you had before. What changed is where and how you manage it.

The old Google My Business app was retired in 2022, according to rebrand coverage from Rio SEO. Instead of logging into a standalone dashboard, single-location businesses now edit their profiles directly in Google Search and Maps. You search your business name, verify, and manage everything in place — hours, photos, services, review replies.

Larger operations didn't lose a management hub entirely. Multi-location brands use the Business Profile Manager interface for centralized oversight, while smaller businesses handle everything through Search and Maps. Google's own support documentation now uses "Business Profile" terminology exclusively, which signals the change is permanent.

A few things worth knowing as you update how you talk about your listing:

• The rebrand date was November 4, 2021 — anything referencing "Google My Business" in your materials predates it.
• The standalone GMB app stopped being supported in 2022, so any workflow built around it needs updating.
• Profiles support up to 9 additional categories beyond your primary one, per Google's guidelines.
• Your "From The Business" description allows 750 characters — room to be specific about what you do.

The practical takeaway for local SEO is simple: the platform's features — accurate NAP details, categories, descriptions, review management — still drive local visibility exactly as they did before. The rebrand reflects Google pushing management deeper into Search and Maps, where customers already are.

That's also why terminology still matters. Local coverage and Google's documentation have fully adopted the new name, and businesses that keep referencing GMB risk looking out of touch — or worse, following outdated advice. At AI Business Sites, we set up and manage Google Business Profiles as part of every build, using the current workflows rather than the retired app-era ones. If you're updating your own presence, start with the name: it's Google Business Profile now, and it has been since November 2021.

Now that the naming question is settled, the real work begins: making your profile actually perform in local search. Google retired the old My Business app back in 2022, so everything now happens directly through Search and Maps — which means your optimization workflow needs to change too.

Step 1: Use the correct terminology everywhere. Google's own support documentation uses "Business Profile" exclusively, and industry analysis confirms the November 2021 rebrand is permanent. Update your website copy, training materials, and any agency documentation so nothing points customers toward a product name that no longer exists.

Step 2: Verify your NAP details. Your Name, Address, and Phone number must match exactly across your profile and your website. Inconsistent NAP data is one of the most common reasons profiles underperform or get flagged for suspension. Check hours, service areas, and contact details quarterly — stale information quietly erodes trust with both Google and customers.

Step 3: Max out your categories. According to Google's profile guidelines, you can add up to 9 additional categories beyond your primary one. Choose your primary category carefully — it carries the most ranking weight — then layer in specific secondary categories that reflect the full range of services you actually offer.

Step 4: Write the "From The Business" description. You get a 750-character limit, so use all of it. Lead with your core services and service areas, write for customers rather than keyword-stuffing, and keep the language plain and specific.

Step 5: Pick the right management workflow. This is where the rebrand actually changed how you work day to day:

• Single-location businesses manage everything directly in Google Search or Maps — no separate dashboard required.
• Multi-location brands should use the Business Profile Manager interface for centralized oversight across every listing.
• Whoever manages the profile should also own review responses, posts, and photo updates — one owner, one voice.

If all of this sounds like one more technical chore on a long list, it doesn't have to be your chore. A done-for-you setup like the one AI Business Sites provides handles your full Google presence — profile, Search Console, sitemaps — as part of a broader local SEO foundation, so the terminology, categories, and NAP details are correct from day one rather than patched later.

Whichever route you take, the important thing is to act on the current platform, not the retired one. The profile is the same product it always was — but the businesses that adapt their workflow to how it's managed today are the ones that show up when a nearby customer searches.