Google Business Profile's October changes: Business Home, new reports and stricter checks

Your Google Business Profile is the box that shows up with your hours, reviews, photos and phone number when someone searches for you or finds you on Google Maps. For most local businesses, it's the first impression.

October 2026 brought several changes to how that profile is managed and verified. Some are official betas, and some are tests that only certain accounts are seeing. I'll be clear about which is which, because a test today isn't always a feature tomorrow.

On October 22, 2026, Search Engine Roundtable reported that Google is rolling out Business Home, a beta portal that brings your Business Profile, Merchant Center, YouTube and Google Ads accounts together in one place. Google confirmed it in an email, and its help page calls Business Home a "growth partner built with Gemini models."

From the screenshots shared, Business Home includes:

• An overview of your account with personalized suggestions tied to your goals
• A Creative Lab for making content, plus a Brand Kit for your logo and brand assets
• Sections for Google Posts, reviews, performance and multiple locations

Right now it's a closed beta for select business categories in the U.S. and U.K., so most businesses won't see it yet. What's interesting is the direction. Google previously dropped its standalone dashboard and moved profile management into Search. Business Home is a sign that it's building a central hub again, this time with AI suggestions built in.

A day later, on October 23, Search Engine Roundtable shared screenshots of a completely revamped performance report that some Business Profiles are seeing. The test breaks your numbers into engagement, reviews, search trends and audience, and adds top recommendations at the top.

Google hasn't officially confirmed this one, so treat it as a test. Still, it's welcome. The current performance report tells you how many calls and direction requests you got, but not much about why. A clearer view of reviews and search trends would help owners make better decisions without needing a marketing degree to read the data.

This is the change I'd pay the most attention to. Google is asking some businesses for more proof that they're real.

• Government ID. On October 20, Search Engine Roundtable reported that Google is testing a verification option that asks for a photo of a government ID. The prompt says the ID is used only for verification and won't be shown publicly.
• EIN and privacy policy. On October 28, the same site reported that some businesses are being asked for an Employer Identification Number (the federal tax ID number the IRS issues to businesses) and a privacy policy link when setting up the messaging button. The screenshot says a Google partner reviews the details, which takes about three to four working days.

Neither request appears in Google's official verification help page yet. That page lists phone or text, email, live video call, video recording and postcard as methods, and it says Google decides which methods you're offered. It also warns that Google will never ask for your verification code, so don't share that code with anyone, even someone helping with your profile.

My read: Google is fighting fake listings, and asking for documents is one way to do it. That's good for honest businesses, but it adds steps.

Here's my checklist for the next couple of weeks:

1. Make sure you can still log in. Confirm you know which Google account owns your profile, especially if someone else, like a former employee, set it up years ago.
2. Have your documents ready. Know where your EIN is, and make sure the name on your business documents matches the name on your profile.
3. Add a privacy policy to your website. If Google wants a privacy policy link for messaging, you need a real page to point to. Your website should have one anyway.
4. Check your profile for edits. Google and the public can suggest changes to your hours, links and categories. Look over your profile and fix anything that isn't right.
5. Keep posting and answering reviews. Whatever dashboard Google ends up with, an active, accurate profile with fresh photos and replies to reviews is what you want.

If you'd rather hand this off, I handle Google Business Profile management, including posts, photos, services and review responses. Pair it with local SEO so your website and listings tell Google the same story.