If an agency uses a word you don't recognize, it should be here. Each definition links to the deeper resource on that topic.
The free business listing Google displays in Search and Maps, containing your name, category, hours, services, photos, reviews and contact details.
Formerly called Google My Business. It is usually the most-viewed representation of a local business online, and the surface where calls, direction requests and bookings originate.
Google Business Profile ManagementThe former name of Google Business Profile, retired in 2021 but still widely searched.
The product and its management tools were renamed and folded into Search and Maps. If you see 'GMB' in older guidance, it refers to what is now the Business Profile.
Google Business Profile OptimizationGoogle's mapping product, and one of the two main surfaces where local business listings appear.
Maps results are driven by the same local ranking signals as the map pack in Search, with proximity to the searcher playing an especially visible role.
Google Maps SEOThe set of three business listings, shown with a map, that Google displays for searches with local intent.
Also called the local pack or map pack. It typically appears above the standard organic results, which is why positions one through three capture a disproportionate share of local clicks and calls.
Google Maps Ranking ServiceAnother name for the block of local business results with an accompanying map.
Used interchangeably with 'local pack' and '3-pack'.
Google Maps Ranking GuideThe local business results module in Google Search, usually showing three listings.
Appearing here requires a verified Business Profile plus enough relevance, proximity and prominence to beat the other local candidates for that query.
Google Maps SEOThe practice of improving a business's visibility for geographically-bounded searches across Maps and organic results.
It combines Business Profile work, website content and technical health, reviews, and citation consistency.
Local SEO ServicesAny online mention of your business name, address and phone number.
Citations appear in directories, industry sites and data aggregators. Their value comes primarily from consistency — conflicting information creates ambiguity about which data is correct.
Local SEO ServicesName, Address, Phone — the core business identity data used across the web.
NAP consistency means the same formatting and values everywhere. Old suite numbers, tracking numbers used inconsistently, and abbreviations are the usual sources of drift.
Google Business Profile OptimizationA rank tracking method that measures your position from a grid of virtual points spread across a geographic area.
Because local results vary by searcher location, a single rank number is misleading. A grid produces a visibility map showing where you appear and where you disappear.
Google Maps Ranking ServiceThe rate at which a business accumulates new reviews over time.
Steady arrival tends to read as an active, operating business to both searchers and Google, whereas large bursts followed by silence look anomalous.
Review AutomationThe classification you select on a Google Business Profile to describe what your business is.
Google maintains a fixed list of categories; you choose one primary and optional secondary categories.
Google Business Profile OptimizationThe single main category on a Business Profile, and the strongest relevance signal you control.
It should reflect your core service and be validated against the categories of businesses currently ranking for your target searches.
Google Business Profile OptimizationAdditional categories that expand the range of searches a profile can be eligible for.
Useful when genuinely applicable; harmful when used to claim services you don't provide.
Google Business Profile ManagementYour position within local results for a given query and searcher location.
Google describes local ranking as a function of relevance, distance and prominence, so a single business can rank very differently across a metro.
Google Maps Ranking GuideA measure of how often and how prominently a business appears across the searches that matter to it.
More useful than a single keyword position, because it accounts for the full set of queries and locations.
Local SEO ServicesA search where the person is looking for something near them or in a specified place.
Google infers local intent from the query and context — 'plumber' typically triggers local results even without 'near me'.
Google Maps SEOA business that serves customers at their location rather than at its own address.
Google requires these businesses to hide their address and declare the areas they serve. Configuring this incorrectly is a common cause of visibility problems and suspensions.
Google Business Profile ManagementA short update, offer or event published directly to your Business Profile.
Posts surface in the listing and keep it visibly active. They are best treated as engagement and conversion tools rather than a guaranteed ranking lever.
Google Business Profile ManagementA page on your website built for a specific service, city or service area.
Effective when it contains genuine local or service-specific information. Near-duplicate pages with only the city name changed are doorway pages and are treated as such.
Local SEO ServicesThe ongoing practice of generating, monitoring and responding to the public feedback that shapes buyer trust.
For local businesses this is dominated by Google reviews, supplemented by industry-specific platforms.
Reputation ManagementA free Google Growth Audit shows your current Maps visibility, profile gaps, review position and the specific moves that would change them.