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If you’re running a business today, you want to be easily found on Google. You probably already know that to achieve this, you need to make your website and Google Ads better. However, what you may not realize is that there’s a third thing you should improve: your Google business listing. It’s officially called your Business Profile.
So, what is Google My Business and how can Google My Business for small businesses help improve local online presence? In this comprehensive guide, we will walk you through the crucial steps for verifying your Google My Business listing and optimizing it to maximize your local search visibility.
Optimize your Google My Business profile with accurate info and eye-catching visuals to get noticed in local searches.
Respond actively to reviews, building trust and a sense of community.
Leverage Google My Business for improved local SEO, attracting targeted traffic.
If you aim to start a local business and enhance your local online presence you should optimize your Google Business Profile. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the steps to verify your Google My Business listing and maximize its impact on local search visibility.
Google My Business is a complimentary service that enables you to enhance your business’s online presence in search results. Beyond including a URL and description, you have the option to incorporate business photos, videos, contact details, operating hours, delivery zones, and links to reservation services. A cover photo and excerpts from Google Maps and Google Street View provide potential customers with insights into what to expect during their first visit. It’s worth noting that users can propose edits to your profile, so it’s essential to regularly review and maintain its accuracy.
With Google My Business, you can not only optimize your marketing efforts but also enhance your visibility in top search engine results, including Google itself. This tool allows you to reach a broader audience more efficiently, focusing on what matters most—your customers and clients.
Before we dive into the strategies, let’s make sure we’re clear about what a really good Business Profile on Google looks like and why it’s important to have one. To help you understand, let’s compare two examples: one where the Business Profile isn’t complete, and the other where it’s fully filled out and looking great.
Imagine Carl’s Business Profile on Google is like a short description, but Ernie’s profile would show even more if you scroll down. This picture doesn’t cover everything you can do with an optimized Business Profile, but it gives you an idea of how much better and more interesting a well-put-together profile can be.
Source: wordstream.com
Optimizing your website for local SEO is essential for ensuring your business ranks well in local search results. It helps you stand out from competitors and offers several benefits for effective local marketing.
Attract More Customers: When you have a well-optimized Google Business Profile, it makes it easier for potential customers to choose your business over others. This means more people are likely to pick your business when they search online.
Engage Better: Nowadays, many people find what they need on Google itself without visiting other websites. Your Google Business Profile is often the first thing they see. If it’s well-optimized, you can engage with these potential customers effectively and turn them into actual customers.
Improve Your Ranking: Google ranks business profiles based on various factors, including how active and informative they are. By optimizing your profile, you send positive signals to Google, which can result in your small business appearing higher in search results. Higher visibility means more potential customers can find you.
Convert More Customers: A basic business profile on Google doesn’t do much to bring in new customers. But with an optimized profile, you can do a lot more. People can find you when they search for specific keywords, call you directly, visit your small business website, learn about your products or services, and even book appointments. You can also track how people interact with your profile using tools like Google Analytics.
Here are 13 steps to transform your Google Business Profile into a continuous marketing and lead generation tool for your local business:
First things first, let’s clarify something important: a Google Business Profile and a Google My Business account are two different things. Your Google My Business account is like the key to access and improve your Google Business Profile. To follow the steps in this guide, you’ll need to have a Google My Business account and then link it to your Google Business Profile.
Here’s how you can do it:
You should aim to fill out every part of your Google Business Profile. This not only helps Google show your business in local search results but also encourages customers to take action when they find your profile. To make it manageable, here’s how you can prioritize:
Immediate Attention
Take Some Time
Ongoing Maintenance
Source: wordstream.com
Even the slightest inconsistency can sow confusion among customers and, more importantly, negatively impact local SEO for small businesses endeavors. By completing all these sections, you not only boost your visibility on Google but also provide valuable information to potential customers, making it more likely for them to engage with your business.
To optimize the contact information on your Google Business Profile, follow these steps carefully:
Ensure that your business name matches exactly with what’s displayed on your physical store sign. It should be the same in the digital world as in the real world. Don’t add location names or extra keywords unless they are part of your brand name. Google sees this as spam and could penalize you for it.
Keep your business name and address consistent across all your online listings. Whether it’s “st” or “street,” or “co” or “company,” use the same format consistently. Google pays attention to these details when assessing your credibility.
Provide both your regular and holiday hours. This not only encourages customers to visit your store but also prevents potential negative reviews from people who made the effort to visit but found your store closed.
When it comes to writing your “from the business” description on your Google Business Profile, keep these tips in mind:
You can’t control the brief description that appears right below your business name; Google generates it for consistency.
Source: wordstream.com
But you do have control over the “from the business” section, usually found lower on your profile.
Source: wordstream.com
To optimize this section:
Picking the right category for your Google Business Profile is super important. Here’s why and how to do it:
Get Noticed in Searches: Most folks find businesses on Google when they search for a product, service, or category – we call this “discovery searches.” This makes up a big 84% of profile views. Only 16% come from direct searches where someone knows your business name. So, choosing the right category helps you get found more often.
Show What Makes You Special: When you select a category, Google gives you cool features related to that category. For example, if you’re a restaurant, you can show your menu or a button for reservations. This makes your profile look better and more useful to folks searching for you.
The top section of your Google Business Profile displays your category.
Here’s how to do it right:
Be specific. Let’s say you run a pet grooming place. Instead of just picking “Pet Services,” go for something like “Dog Grooming” or “Cat Spa.” Look through the list or check Google’s full category list to find the most exact match (there are over 3,000 categories, so it’s worth checking).
Use secondary categories. If your business fits into more than one category, set your main one as the most important, like “Coffee Shop.” Then, add secondary categories like “Bakery” or “Café” if they also apply to you.
Keep it real. Only pick categories that match exactly what your business offers. If you’re a car repair shop, go for “Auto Repair” but not “Auto Parts Store.” Don’t mix up categories with products or features, which are different sections.
Once you’ve picked your business category, Google will offer you a list of attributes that describe your business even more. Attributes are like special features that potential customers are interested in, such as “kid-friendly” or “outdoor seating.”
Source: wordstream.com
Attributes aren’t unique to Google My Business; other review sites like Yelp use them too. But Google’s attributes get really detailed, like “good for working on a laptop” or “popular with travelers.” You can take a look at this list of attributes to see what I mean.
Visual content speaks volumes. As part of effective on-page SEO for small businesses, uploading high-resolution images showcasing your business exterior, interior, products, and services is crucial.
Here are some tips for using photos to optimize your profile:
Imagine you’re looking at a list of businesses in search results. Would you pick the one with four shiny yellow stars or one of the others with no reviews at all? Most likely, you’d go for the one with stars because reviews matter a lot when people make decisions.
Google knows this too, and it’s a big deal in how they rank businesses. Just look at the first three results that show up in the “Local 3-Pack” when you search for something. They usually have multiple reviews and good star ratings. Google may also put a Business Profile in search results if it has reviews with relevant keywords.
To make your Google Business Profile shine with reviews, follow these tips:
You can think of your Google Business Profile as a social media platform too. You can post about things like announcements, special offers, events, and products. These posts show up in the “Updates” section on your profile, and sometimes they can get more attention depending on what people are searching for.
Here’s why posting on your Google Business Profile is a good idea:
Here are some tips for making the most of your Google Business Profile with posts:
You might have noticed on Amazon that there’s a section for questions and answers alongside product descriptions and customer reviews. Well, Google Business Profiles have something similar.
In this section, people can ask questions about your business, and anyone can answer them. This can be important because the answers might influence someone’s decision to choose your business. You can’t turn off this question and answer feature, but here’s how you can make it work better for your business:
If your business name doesn’t make it obvious what you offer, it’s a good idea to use the “Products and Services” section to provide more details. This not only clarifies things for potential customers but also adds more high-quality content for SEO to your profile, which can improve your ranking in search results.
When you add your products and services, make sure to include:
You can enable messaging on your profile, allowing potential customers to send you text messages directly. Since many people use their smartphones for local searches, this is a great way for them to get in touch with you. To set it up, go to the “Messaging” tab in your Google My Business dashboard. Don’t worry; you won’t need to share your personal phone number. Google uses a different number through its Allo app. Remember to set up message alerts in your dashboard settings.
Your Google Business Profile needs ongoing attention. It’s not a one-and-done task. To maximize its benefits, you should:
So, what is Google My Business for small businesses? Google My Business is an essential tool for your small business to manage online presence on Google Search and Maps. For your small business, it offers increased visibility, trust-building through reviews, local SEO advantages, and data insights. By optimizing your profile with accurate information, engaging descriptions, compelling photos, and active interaction, you can establish a strong online presence that draws in customers.
Contact us, and our professional team will help optimize Google My Business for your small business.
We specialize in providing top-notch SEO services for optimizing your Google My Business listing and boosting your online visibility.
Definitely, optimizing your Google My Business for your small business is highly recommended. You can trust our professional team to enhance visibility, engage customers, and succeed.
Yes, GMB provides insights and analytics about how customers interact with your profile. You can see data about views, searches, clicks, and more, which can help you understand what’s working and make informed decisions.
Yes, GMB allows businesses with multiple locations to manage them all under one account. This feature is particularly useful for franchises or businesses with different branches.
Any type of business, from local shops and restaurants to service providers and global brands, can use Google My Business to improve their online presence and engage with their audience.
Regular updates are beneficial. Ensure that your business information, photos, posts, and any changes in hours are accurate and up-to-date to provide the best possible experience for potential customers.