For businesses with physical locations, having a Google Business Profile can increase your visibility and potentially the number of people that visit your shop. Listing on Google Maps is free, and the listing can serve as a virtual storefront, offering potential customers a snapshot of your business’s key details, such as your contact information, branches, operating hours, and reviews, to name a few. As you optimize your profile with photos and more relevant information, you not only enhance your visibility in your community but also build credibility and trust among your target audience.  

In this guide, we look at what a Google Business Profile is, its benefits for business owners like you, and how you can optimize your listing to make the most of it. 

What is a Google Business Profile?

Google Business Profile – previously called Google My Business – is a free tool that allows businesses to influence how they appear on Google Maps, Google Shopping, or Google Search. 

Creating a profile can potentially improve your business’s online presence and increase brand exposure, as you are more easily found and contactable. Google Business Profiles can also help to keep your customers updated and informed on your recent business practices and activities, such as new products and services and opening hours updates. 

Finally, it allows you to connect with and respond to your customers when they leave a review, so that you can build your community transparently. 

Why is a Google Business Profile important?

There are three major reasons why creating and maintaining a Google Business Profile is important for business owners. When done right, your listing can:

Increase your visibility on Google: If you have a well-optimized Google Business Profile, you are more likely to appear in SERP features, such as the local pack. This is because the local pack appears for location-specific searches and queries, which makes it more relevant to customers searching for nearby businesses. So, if a user is nearby, your business can pop up in their search results when it is relevant to their query.

Gain credibility with reviews: According to a 2022 BrightLocal survey, around 98% of users read online reviews regarding local businesses, which they consider before visiting a business. The Google Business five-star rating system can immediately be seen next to business names on Google Maps, giving users an overall impression of your products or services. Users can also leave reviews, providing valuable feedback for other users. By acknowledging both positive and negative reviews as a business owner, you can connect with customers in a genuine and impactful manner.

Share business information with customers: Your Google Business Profile displays your contact information, business hours, services, and more to users who are interested, allowing them to more easily find you. Additionally, it is an efficient and convenient way for you to update your customers about any business changes, such as holiday hour arrangements or change of physical location.

How to create and optimize your Google Business Profile

According to Google, businesses that have complete and accurate information on their Google Business Profile make it easier for the search engine to present them to users with matching search queries. Having an optimized listing can put your business front and centre on SERPs to your intended audience, which can have positive effects on your conversion rate. Getting started is simple. 

Complete your business description

Your business description is a fundamental asset of your Google Business Profile, as it allows you to provide context and information directly to the search engine. Google recommends providing helpful information for users when writing a business description, such as adding your products and services, brand mission and values, and where your business is based. By adding the cities and areas you primarily serve, you send Google a signal to rank your business for related search queries in your target areas. To optimize your description, refrain from adding confusing or inaccurate information, profanity, promotions, or misspellings. 

Ensure hours are up to date

Ensure the opening hours you list are accurate and up to date. By listing your business hours, you set an expectation with customers that you can be reached during certain times, allowing them to better plan their visit. If your business hours are wrong, this may wind up confusing and alienating potential customers. Fortunately, business hours can be updated at any time.

Choose the right business categories

When setting up your Google Business Profile, you will be prompted to select a primary business category. It is possible to have up to ten different business categories. However, as all categories are predefined, make sure to choose one that most accurately describes your business. For best practices, you should use only two or three categories. Your business category should tell Google what kind of business you have, to make it more searchable. 

Add photos

Adding up to date photos can encourage visits from searchers. According to Google, businesses that have photos on their profiles tend to receive around 42% more requests for driving directions on Google Maps and 35% more click-throughs to their websites than businesses that do not have photos. A Google Business Profile allows you to post different types of photos about your business. These include a brand logo image, cover image, exterior photos of your storefront or shop, other common areas, product photos, photos of your team at work, and more. 

Select all relevant attributes

Using highlights and attributes can be an effective way of showing off the unique elements of your business. It is also a great way for you to optimize your business’s local search presence. Attributes can be found in the ‘Info’ tab of your Business Profile, and they are generally split into two categories – factual attributes and subjective attributes. Available options may differ based on your initial business category. Some attributes include being good for kids, family-friendly, in-store pickup, having a wheelchair-accessible entrance or parking lot, and more. 

Ensure NAP consistency

NAP stands for Name, Address, and Phone number, and it remains one of the most important pieces of information for your Google Business Profile. NAP consistency lets potential customers identify and find where your business is. It is essential to keep this information the same anywhere your business appears online to avoid confusion. Businesses can also manage this in the ‘Info’ tab and check whether their business name, address, and phone number are up to date. 

Create Google Posts

You can use your Google Business Profile to share events, offers, and products directly to Google Search and Maps through Google Posts. Posts can include a mix of photos, texts, and videos. Some Google Post examples are:  

Offers: Promotional offers or sales coming from your business. This includes a title, start and end date, and photo or video. It can also include a link, coupon code, and further offer details.  

Events: This is the event promotion of your business. It needs a title, start and end dates, as well as a time. It can also include a description, video or photo, and an action button.  

What’s New: These are general updates regarding your business – or they can be links to any recent blog posts. These can feature a photo or video, description, and action button.  

Google Posts last for seven days – except for the ‘Events’ posts, which can be set to last longer. When crafting a Google Post, it is best to keep your message short and direct. While the post can fit up to 1,500 words, only the first 75-100 characters will show up in the preview. As such, any crucial information should be added at the beginning.  

Respond to customer reviews

It is crucial to keep tabs on your customer reviews, as they are one of the first things people will see when they Google your business. Make sure to reply to all reviews that are listed – both positive and negative ones. In your responses, you should also aim to address any relevant information to the reviewer. If possible, try to add some keywords naturally, as the more times a word appears on your profile, the more likely you can rank for the term. However, avoid keyword stuffing, which is when you over-use certain keywords to the point it becomes unnatural.

Add products

If your business is product-based, Google Business Profile’s editor allows you to showcase your products. You have the option of creating a collection with a minimum of three products. Make sure to fill out all the necessary details, and then users can click on individual products to learn more about them. As always, use the terms people search for when they are looking to find your (or similar products) on Google.  

Add frequently asked questions and answers

You can provide important information upfront by posting frequently asked questions and their answers directly on your business profile. You also have the option of allowing customers to ask questions. Make sure to keep up with any questions that come from customers, as it can help build your reputation and trustworthiness. One thing to keep in mind is that Google users can also answer your question publicly if you do not, which is why it is best to stay on top of any questions you receive, to avoid any user answering them incorrectly. 

Monitoring your Google Business Profile 

Once you have set up your Google Business Profile, you should continually monitor its insights so that it remains optimized. Google offers various ways to help you understand how customers interact with your profile, such as reports on:

Where customers find your profile on Google

This section showcases how customers found you through Google Search or Google Maps. Aside from simply Listing on Search and Listing on Maps, you can also see the number of views your profile has received – here, views are similar to impressions on other analytics platforms.  

How customers find your profile

This section highlights how customers found your profile in a direct search (by searching for your business name or address) or a discovery search (searching for category, product, or service that you offer).  

Phone calls

This category shows how often and when customers call your business through your Google profile. The graph allows you to view trends by phone calls either by day of the week or time of day. This means you can understand when customers are most likely to call after viewing your profile.

Customer action

This shows what customers do once they find your profile on Google. Some examples of actions include visits to your website, viewing photos, calling your business, and requesting directions.  

Photos

Lastly, your Google Business Profile allows you to analyze how often your business’s photos are being viewed by customers through the Photo views graph and Photo quantity graph.  

The bottom line

Overall, having a well-optimized Google Business Profile is essential for businesses looking to thrive in a digital environment. As your profile serves as a gateway to your brand, it provides valuable information to potential customers who are searching for products and services like yours. As a business owner, make sure to stay responsive to customer interactions, ensure accurate business details, and regularly update your content to build a loyal community.

Contact us for a consultation 

If you are looking to improve your business’s local SEO, including setting up and optimizing your Google Business Profile, MediaGroup can assist you. We have an experienced team of SEO specialists who can work with you to create a bespoke SEO strategy for your business, with the aim to increase your visibility on SERPs. Contact us today for a consultation.