For any business in today’s world, it is essential to gain visibility on Google. But ranking in local searches can be quite a task, even for those who do understand Search Engine Optimisation or SEO. The best way to uplift your website’s visibility on Google searches is to build and optimise your Google My Business account.
Now known as Google Business Profile, this free service lets you manage your business’s appearance on Google Search and Google Maps.
A GMB or Google My Business profile lets you add information relevant to your business that makes your profile stand out. This includes information on opening hours, contact details, a business description, and photos.
To get you started, we will share all the basic things about GMB, that is, what Google My Business is, why it is important to you, and how to optimise it to make you the master in local search. With this information, you can make your Business Profile the best free tool for gaining new customers. Let’s get into it!
What Is Google My Business Profile?
Google My Business is a free tool that can help manage your Google Business Profile, allowing you to add and enhance your company information for better visibility in local search results. This makes it easier for customers to find your business on Google.
An important fact to remember: Your Google My Business profile is not your business website. Instead, it lets you strengthen your online footprint, making it more discoverable via Google Search.
To get better positions in local search results, you need to work on on-page and off-page SEO, too. This means:
- Updated profile listing
- Local content creation
- Site analysis
If you do not have a physical store and your business is online, then consider creating a Google Business Profile page.
Why Is Google My Business Profile Important for Local SEO?
The first three things that Google displays in order to respond to local search queries are:
- Google 3-Pack
- Google Advertisements
- Organic Search Results
Google Business Profile is useful to increase visibility since it offers detailed information about a business. With better visibility, the clients are ready to click on a site, resulting in increased leads and sales for the company.
In addition, the data that you submit to fill in the Google Business Profile also helps Google to sort your business more effectively. This involves choosing the right industry, confirming the geographical location, and other details such as business hours, description, photos and business catalog.
Therefore, a GMB profile that is optimised to perfection is bound to appear on the first page of local searches. Improving your GMB SEO will also help you reach out to potential audiences as well.
For instance, providing customers with your contact info or other business information allows customers to contact you and provide feedback on your business and the services it offers. Similarly, it enables you to answer the queries of the user more promptly.
What’s more, Google My Business can help to show customer reviews. It is believed that online reviews have a significant impact on the decisions of clients. So, if there are good reviews in your listing, people will be attracted, and they will trust the business.
What does an Optimised Google My Business Profile Look Like?
Before we begin to talk strategies, let’s first get everyone clear about what an optimised Google Business Profile is and why it’s important. For the sake of clarity, we will match a version of a sample incomplete Google Business Profile with the complete and optimised one.
An optimised Google Business Profile gives important insights into how clients find and interact with your business. It allows you to track details like the geological location of individuals viewing your profile, the number of clicks to your site, and how many people call your business directly from the profile.
Here, the Google Business Profile of a cleaning company might appear as a brief box, while the profile for eMaids Cleaning Services of NYC would display much more information as you scroll. Although these examples don’t show every feature of an optimised profile, they highlight how much more attractive and engaging a well-crafted profile can be.
Why do You Need to Optimise Your Google My Business Profile?
The most crucial tool for any local business is a Google Business Profile in terms of the establishment’s online representation. Having an optimised Google Business Profile can help you get more customers, dominate search results, and expand your presence.
Let us explore the reasons why your company needs an optimised Google Business Profile:
[1] Convert more customers
A basic Google Business Profile doesn’t do much to attract new customers. It allows people to see your location and read reviews, but only if they specifically search for your business name. However, by creating an optimised Business Profile through your Google My Business account, consumers can:
- Find you in keyword searches
- Visit your site
- Make a reservation
- Research your products and services
- Call you
- Request a quote
- Book an appointment
- View/contribute FAQs
In addition, UTMs and Google Analytics can be used in tracking the clicks to your website, an appointment or a menu link.
[2] Improve engagement
Increasingly, consumers are coming to Google and leaving without ever visiting another site. Why? Since the information displayed in the search results pages itself provides a complete answer to their queries, they are called ‘zero-click searches’.
Since there could be more people visiting your businesses through your GMB than your website, your profile should be optimised for quality engagement and conversions.
[3] Boost local ranking with Google My Business Profile
While ranking the Business Profiles, Google does not just look into the proximity and the relevancy of the content but also into the activity and the quality of the information. Optimizing your Google Business Profile means sending signals to Google so that it may rank you higher on local results. And higher rank, of course, is directly connected with more attention and engagement to your business.
How to Optimise Your Google My Business Profile?
Now that you have figured out that optimizing your Google Business Profile is the essential thing if you want to be found locally or want customers, it is high time for you to take action. Here are a few ways in which you can convert your Google Business Profile into a marketing and conversion tool for your business.
[1] Create a Google My Business account
First things first: a Google Business Profile isn’t the same as a Google My Business account. A Google My Business account is the account you will need to access and optimise your Google Business Profile.
So basically, if you want to make optimisations, you have to get a GMB account and link it to your Google Business Profile. To create an account, simply go to Google.com/business and use your business Google/Gmail account to log in. Plus, make sure you do not use any personal Gmail if you have one.
[2] Complete Your Profile Information
Once you have logged in successfully, now fill out your profile information completely. Your Google Business Profile becomes increasingly effective if complete. In fact, Google rewards such completeness by ranking the business higher in local searches and giving customers more opportunities to take action when they discover your profile.
Be very specific in your business information outline – your business hours, what products or services you provide, and a short description of your business. Also, add good quality pictures of the business, like pictures of the store, team members or pictures of the products. This will help likely clients get a better idea of what your business offers.
Make sure you always have your profile updated and ensure that the information in it is correct and similar across all online platforms.
[3] Choose a Proper Category within Google My Business Profile
You can choose different categories from an extensive list in Google Business Profile. Choose the most suitable and accurate for your business because it symbolizes what your business is about. Consider your main product or service so that you can select the best category for your business.
Be precise while selecting your business category; also, select secondary categories relevant to your business. For example, If you own a repair shop, it should be categorized under Repair. You can also add additional relevant categories, such as Electronics Repair, Bicycle Repair, or Computer Repair, depending on the services your business offers.
Avoid picking a category that does not suit your business just to manipulate the system; it may cause your profile to be suspended or removed.
[4] List All Your Products and Services
In case your business name doesn’t explain exactly what you do, or if you have multiple services, the ‘products and services’ section serves as one of the best ways to show what you have to offer. Also, it could be a good way to highlight any speciality services or products which set you apart from your competition.
Tip: Add the name, a small description, and the price for each product or service mentioned.
[5] Use Special Attributes
Special attributes are extra categories that will explain likely customers what products or services your business offers.
For example, restaurant owners can include attributes like:
- Dine-in
- Takeout
- Delivery
- Outside food allowed
By taking this step, you will increase the chances of your business ranking for queries related to these features, like “takeout restaurants near me” or “delivery restaurants near me.”
You can give unique information to your profile based on your business category. You can also add information regarding languages spoken, amenities, accessibility, activities, and payment methods.
You can also feature women-owned businesses in the latest updates to Google My Business.
[6] Ask Clients to Leave Reviews
None of your advertisements can surpass a few solid reviews. So, if you want to improve your Google business profile, time to call customers and ask them for their opinions.
Research states that consumers will post reviews on a website upon request. Therefore, you should first ask your most devoted customers to help you get started. Those who have a strong trust in your business are usually the ones who would help, but if your nice email doesn’t yield results, maybe consider giving some compensation to influence it.
Providing a discount for the next services or an entry into a giveaway is an effective way to kick-start getting reviews.
Tip: Make it simple for customers to leave a review by adding a link in your follow-up messages after appointments or including the URL on receipts for in-person sales.
[7] Answer Client Questions
When likely customers find your Google Business Profile, they expect to get the right information. Besides giving a boost to the lead generation, this also provides a positive impression to the customer.
Google provides a question-and-answer section in your listing. The section is community-based; therefore, it is open to the public, and anyone can answer the available questions.
Often, Google will auto-suggest answers to queries based on previous replies or customer feedback. The most liked questions and answers will be positioned to appear at the top.
Since you cannot fully control the quality and accuracy of such answers, it would be wiser to reply to the messages yourself.
Moreover, Some people may think the Q&A section is a way to message your business, so their questions might be potential sales leads. If you don’t check it regularly, you could miss out on new customers.
[8] Keep Your Google Business Profile Active and Engaging
Keep your Google Business Profile dynamic and engaging by treating it as an active marketing channel. Regular updates are crucial for maintaining strong local search visibility, as Google favours profiles that show consistent activity. While it doesn’t require the same posting frequency as traditional social media platforms, it aims to maintain regular engagement by:
- Providing timely responses to customer reviews and inquiries
- Adding fresh photos monthly to showcase your business
- Creating business posts to highlight promotions, events, and company news
These posts will appear prominently in your profile’s feed, just below your reviews and business information section. This makes them an effective tool for communicating important updates to potential customers. This ongoing maintenance helps your local search rankings and ensures customers see current and relevant information about your business.
[9] Post Regularly on Google My Business Profile
Share content that is informative and engaging to the followers. You can include multiple kinds of content, for example, a picture, a video, text, etc. Remember always to include the CTA in your posts such as ‘Visit our website’ or ‘Make an appointment with us.’ It is best to post frequently in order to maintain customer attention and inform them about the latest products and services.
Tip: Post pictures and other information that will make the customers feel connected or updated.
Here is a snapshot of all tips.
| How to Optimize Google Business Profile – In a Glance | ||
| Step | Key Action | Main Focus |
| —– | ———— | ———— |
| 1 | Create GMB Account | Set up business Google account to manage profile |
| 2 | Complete Profile | Add hours, services, photos, and accurate business details |
| 3 | Choose Categories | Select precise primary and relevant secondary categories |
| 4 | List Products/Services | Detail offerings with descriptions and pricing |
| 5 | Add Special Attributes | Include specific features like takeout, delivery, accessibility |
| 6 | Get Reviews | Encourage customer feedback and make review process easy |
| 7 | Answer Q&As | Respond to customer questions promptly and accurately |
| 8 | Keep Profile Active | Maintain regular updates and engagement |
| 9 | Regular Posting | Share varied content with clear CTAs |
Tips to Keep Your Google My Business Profile in Top Shape
You should maintain your Google Business Profile after optimizing it so that all your effort does not go in vain. It indeed requires a little time, but not nearly as much as it may sound!
[1] Actively Manage and Address Customer Feedback
Customer feedback is a vital form of user-generated content. You need to improve your standing in search results and its appeal to the customer by responding to reviews and inquiries as they come. A maximum response time of 24 hours is recommended, though this may vary based on your team size and the number of incoming reviews you receive.
[2] Maintain Consistent Content and Visual Updates
It is good to keep your profile active because this way the search algorithm is informed that your business is still existing and active. Ask your customers to write a review and ensure you are sharing photos and updates regularly.
[3] Keep All Information Current and Accurate
One of the simplest maintenance procedures that can be done is to run a scan on the information you have in order to ensure that it is correct. This step is important if you have different working hours during different seasons.
Conclusion
The Google Business Profile is essential for increasing your presence online. It provides a way through which clients can easily locate your product and other contact details. While creating the profile, it will be wise to input correct information and adhere to Google’s rules to avoid a violation of the profile.
To get the most out of your profile, use its features and apply optimisation tips to increase your chances of ranking higher on SERP and appearing in the Google 3-Pack. However, a Google Business Profile alone isn’t enough for local SEO. Pair it with on-page and off-page SEO efforts from a known SEO company like Textuar. We will help in optimizing your website and in creating valuable content loved by Google and your targeted customers.
FAQs
Q – What sets Google Business Profile apart from standard company websites?
Google Business Profile acts as a digital storefront for your business – something websites also do. However, GMB works as a real-time snapshot of your company that enables users to locate vital information on the go on search engine and Google Maps. This helps in significant augmentation of your digital visibility locally.
Q – How does Google Business Profile impact new customer acquisition?
One of the best resources for generating leads is the Google Business Profile. It places your company in local search results, improving its visibility and generating leads. When set up correctly, it puts your company in front of prospective clients looking for similar services in your area. In turn, this may help guarantee a place among the most sought-after top three suggestions.
Q – What role do customer interactions play in profile effectiveness?
Customer engagement through reviews, questions and responses hugely influences your profile’s performance. Active dialogue with customers goes beyond enhancing credibility. It also impacts your visibility in local searches. This is because Google’s algorithm favours businesses that uphold dynamic customer relationships.
Q – What aspects of my profile should I update on a frequent basis to keep it healthy?
A few crucial components must be regularly attended to in order to maintain a healthy GMB profile. These are –
– Refreshing visual content monthly
– Responding promptly to customer feedback
– Updating seasonal hours
– Sharing timely announcements about promotions or events
Continuous interaction shows Google that your business is both active and reliable.
Q – How can I improve my Google My Business listing to make it more distinctive from rivals?
You can distinguish your business by utilising specialised attributes. The notion here is to display unique services and uphold an active posting schedule. You can also focus on highlighting unique features, such as specific payment options and accessibility features. In your niche industry, specialised certifications can also help set your company apart.
