Optimize Your Google Business Profile Listing

Google Business Profile

If digital marketing is a somewhat new endeavor for you and your business, there are some basics to know.

And it’s good to understand Google Business Profile (Google My Business) and the value it offers.

First off: Yes, using Google My Business is free.

And, no, a GMB listing doesn’t replace your business’s website.

Google My Business complements a brand’s already-existing website(s) by giving it a public identity and presence with a listing on Google.

GROW MY BUSINESS THROUGH GOOGLE  BUSINESS PROFILE

Think of the listing as a way of giving a customer a secure feeling about your existence and credibility. They can almost see into your door, it’s like real time shopping. They can even see if you are open or not, and what your building looks like.  Then they can contact you easily by calling then and there or using Google Maps to follow directions to make a purchase.

SHOULD I ALSO HAVE A WEBSITE AS WELL AS A GOOGLE BUSINESS PROFILE ?

A website is a necessity for business. A listing on Google Business Profile is a quick view for customers wanting to see the important details pertaining to your business, where you are, what your number is and so on. You are making it easy for them to find you and contact you. It serves a different purpose.

If you don’t have a website, we recommend you create one. You can create so much extra content about your business and link all your social media activities too. Far more details can be found here about your product offerings including an online shop for sales too.

Complete Your Business Profile Information

Creating a business profile with comprehensive, accurate, and updated information will be your first step to optimizing your GMB page. Therefore, you need to make sure to fill out all the necessary field to complete your Google My Business Listing including:

• Business name
• Phone number
• Address
• Website
• Category
• Description
• Working hours
• Questions and Answers
• Photos
• There may be some additional fields depending on your industry

When you’re done completing all the information that Google asks for, it will be much easier for the potential clients to find and contact your company for any transactions.

Make the most of mobile searches

Phones are particularly good at finding local businesses due to GPS and mobile location settings. Say I want to try the Thai place that everyone in the neighborhood has been raving about lately. When I Google their name in Safari on iOS, this is the result.

This is their Google My Business profile, and it takes up the entire page above the fold on a phone screen. (BTW, I love that name. Excellent work, Thailicious marketing team!)

There is no need to click through to a restaurant website to confirm information already available in the search results—especially knowing that restaurant websites are often finicky on mobile. With GMB, you control what information appears, so you know it's robust and accurate. If it's all a searcher sees, it needs to be good.

Google My Business reviews

The other must-have GMB strategy is getting a lot of high-quality reviews. Google places reviews front and center in a can't-be-missed kind of way. They take up a prominent position directly under your business name, and the yellow stars stand out on a page lacking in other bright colors. There's a big difference between a 4.3- and 4.6-rated establishment, and customers can see your and your competitors' rating in their full and naked glory. 

Reviews really are the secret sauce to your GMB profile. They'll help you climb the rankings, show up in map packs, and get more clicks, calls, visits, and sales.

MAINTAINING AND OPTIMIZING YOUR LISTING FOR BETTER RESULTS

Google My Business is not a set-it-and-forget-it activity. Like other social media and digital marketing profiles, you'll need to check back at least every quarter to ensure your information is still correct and that you're not missing out on any new features that Google has introduced to the platform. If you have the staff or time to manage your GMB profile regularly, look into proactively posting new content on the platform and spend time responding to customer reviews. This will all pay dividends for your business and its reputation in the local community and online.